177^. ROUND THE WORLD. 113 



become languid by the want of water; for upon our 

 approach it leaped away, by the help of the breast 

 fins, as nimbly as a frog : neither, indeed, did it 

 seem to prefer water to land ; for when we found it 

 in the water, it frequently leaped out, and pursued its 

 way upon dry ground : we also observed, that when 

 it was in places where small stones were standing 

 above the surface of the water at a little distance 

 from each other, it chose rather to leap from stone 

 to stone, than to pass through the water ; and we saw 

 several of them pass entirely over puddles in this 

 manner, till they came to dry ground, and then leap 

 away. 



In the afternoon, we renewed our search after fresh 

 water, but without success ; and therefore I deter- 

 mined to make my stay here but short : however, 

 having observed from an eminence that the inlet pe- 

 netrated a considerable way into the country, I deter- 

 mined to trace it in the morning. 



At Sun-rise T went ashore, and climbing a consi- 

 derable hill, I took a view of the coast and the islands 

 that lie off it, with their bearings, having an azimuth 

 compass with me for that purpose ; but I observed 

 that the needle differed very considerably in its posi- 

 tion, even to thirty degrees, in some places more, in 

 others less ; and once I found it differ from itself no 

 less than two points in the distance of fourteen feet. 

 I took up some of the loose stones that lay upon the 

 ground, and applied them to the needle, but they 

 produced no effect ; and I therefore concluded that 

 there was iron ore in the hills, of which I had re- 

 marked other indications both here and in the neigh- 

 bouring parts. After I had made my observations 

 upon the hill, I proceeded with Dr. Solander up the 

 inlet ; I set out with the first of the flood, and long 

 before high water I had advanced above eight 

 leagues. Its breadth thus far was from two to five 

 miles, upon a S. W. by S. direction ; but here it opened 



VOL. IT. I 



