186 cook's voyage to jan. 



in the following account, are of a different sort from 

 those which are found in the more northern parts of 

 this coast. The wood is very long and close-grained ; 

 extremely tough ; fit for spars, oars, and many other 

 uses; and would, on occasion, make good masts 

 (perhaps none better), if a method could be found to 

 lighten it. 



" At the bottom of Adventure Bay is a beautiful 

 sandy beach, which seems to be wholly formed by 

 the particles washed by the sea from a very fine 

 white sand-stone, that in many places bounds the 

 shore, and of which Fluted Cape, in the neighbour- 

 hood, from its appearance, seems to be composed. 

 This beach is about two miles long, and is excellently 

 adapted for hauling a seine, which both ships did 

 repeatedly with success. Behind this, is a plain or 

 flat, with a salt, or rather brackish lake (running in 

 length parallel with the beach), out of which we 

 caught, with angling rods, many whitish bream, and 

 some small trout. The other parts pf the country 

 adjoining the bay are quite hilly; and both those and 

 the flat are an entire forest of very tall trees, rendered 

 almost impassible by shrubs, brakes of fern, and fallen 

 trees; except on the sides of some of the hills, where 

 the trees are but thin, and a coarse grass is the only 

 interruption. 



" To the northward of the bay, there is low land, 

 stretching farther than the eye can reach, which is 

 only covered with wood in certain spots; but we had 

 no opportunity to examine in what respects it differed 

 from the hilly country. The soil on the flat land is 

 either sandy, or consists of a yellowish mould, and, 

 in some places, of a reddish clay. The same is found 

 on the lower part of the hills; but farther up, espe- 

 cially where there are few trees, it is of a gray tough 

 cast, to appearance very poor. 



" In the valleys between the hills, the water drains 

 down from their sides; and at last, in some places, 

 forms small brooks; such indeed as were sufficient to 



