48 cook's first voyage jan. 



as a spice, and is not less pleasant than wholesome : 

 here is also plenty of wild celery and scurvy-grass. 

 The trees are chiefly of one kind, a species of the 

 birch, called Betula antarctica ; the stem is from 

 thirty to forty feet long, and from two to three 

 feet in diameter, so that in a case of necessity they 

 might possibly supply a ship with top-masts ; they 

 are a light white wood, bear a small leaf, and cleave 

 very straight. Cranberries were also found here in 

 great plenty, both white and red. 



The persons who landed saw none of the inhabit- 

 ants, but fell in with two of their deserted huts, one 

 in a thick wood, and the other close by the beach. 



Having taken the boat on board, I made sail into 

 the Streight, and at three in the morning of the 15th 

 I anchored in twelve fathom and a half, upon coral 

 rocks, before a small cove, which we took for Port 

 Maurice, at the distance of about half a mile from 

 the shore. Two of the natives came down to the 

 beach, expecting us to land ; but this spot aflbrded 

 so little shelter, that I at length determined not to 

 examine it ; I therefore got under sail again about 

 ten o'clock, and the savages retired into the woods. 



At two o'clock, we anchored in the bay of Good 

 Success ; and after dinner I went on shore, accom- 

 panied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, to look for a 

 watering-place, and speak to the Indians, several of 

 whom had come in sight. We landed on the star- 

 board side of the bay near some rocks, which made 

 smooth water and good landing : thirty or forty of 

 the Indians soon made their appearance at the end 

 of a sandy beach on the other side of the bay, but 

 seeing our number, which was ten or twelve, they 

 retreated. Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander then ad- 

 vanced about one hundred yards before us, upon 

 which two of the Indians returned, and, having ad- 

 vanced some paces towards them, sat down : as soon 

 as they came up, the Indians rose, and each of them 

 having a small stick in his hand threw it away, in a 



