1770. ROUND THE WORLD. 143 



have touched him." This formidable apparition 

 we afterwards discovered to have been a batt \ and 

 the batts here must be acknowledged to have a 

 frightful appearance, for they are nearly black, and 

 full as large as a partridge ; they have indeed no 

 horns, but the fancy of a man who thought he saw 

 the devil, might easily supply that defect. 



Early on the 24th, the carpenters began to repair 

 the sheathing under the larboard bow, where we 

 found two planks cut about half through ; and in 

 the mean time I sent a party of men, under the di- 

 rection of Mr. Gore, in search of refreshments for 

 the sick : this party returned about noon, with a few 

 palm cabbages, and a bunch or two of wild plantain ; 

 the plantains were the smallest I had ever seen, and 

 the pulp, though it was well tasted, was full of small 

 stones. As I was walking this morning at a little 

 distance from the ship, I saw, myself, one of the 

 animals which had been so often described : it was 

 of a light mouse colour, and in size and shape very 

 much resembling a greyhound ; it had a long tail 

 also, which it carried like a greyhound ; and I should 

 have taken it for a wild dog, if, instead of running, 

 it had not leapt like a hare or deer : its legs were 

 said to be very slender, and the print of its foot to 

 be like that of a goat ; but where I saw it, the grass 

 was so high that the legs were concealed, and the 

 ground was too hard to receive the track. Mr. 

 Banks also had an imperfect view of this animal, 

 and was of opinion that its species was hitherto 

 unknown. 



After the ship was hauled ashore, all the water 

 that came into her of course went backwards ; so that 

 although she was dry forwards, she had nine feet 

 water abaft : as in this part therefore her bottom could 

 not be examined on the inside, I took the advantage 

 of the tide being out this evening to get the master 

 and two of the men to go under her, and examine her 

 whole larboard side without. They found the sheath- 



