1769. ROUND THE WORLD. 65 



that was fit to eat ; but shell-fish, limpets, clams, and 

 mussels, were to be found in abundance. 



Among the insects, which were not numerous, there 

 was neither gnat nor musquito, nor any other species 

 that was either hurtful or troublesome, which per- 

 haps is more than can be said of any other uncleared 

 country. During the snow-blasts, which happened 

 every day while we were here, they hide themselves ; 

 and the moment it is fair they appear again, as 

 nimble and vigorous as the warmest weather could 

 make them. 



Of plants, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander found a 

 vast variety ; the far greater part wholly different 

 from any that have been hitherto described. Be- 

 sides the birch and winter's bark, which have been 

 mentioned already ; there is the beach, Fagus an- 

 tarcticus, which, as well as the birch, may be used 

 for timber. The plants cannot be enumerated here ; 

 but as the scurvy-grass, Cardamine antiscorhutica, and 

 the wild celery, Apium antarcticum, probably contain 

 antiscorbutic qualities, which may be of great benefit 

 to the crews of such ships as shall hereafter touch at 

 this place, the following short description is inserted : 



The scurvy-grass will be found in plenty in damp 

 places, near springs of water, and, in general, in all 

 places that lie near the beach, especially at the 

 watering-place in the Bay of Good Success : when 

 it is young, the state of its greatest perfection, it lies 

 flat upon the ground, having many leaves of a bright 

 green, standing in pairs opposite to each other, with 

 a single one at the end, which generally makes the 

 fifth upon a foot-stalk. The plant, passing from this 

 state, shoots up in stalks that are sometimes two 

 feet high, at the top of which are small white blos- 

 soms, and these are succeeded by long pods : the 

 whole plant greatly resembles that which in England 

 is called Lady's smock, or Cuckow*flower. The 

 wild celery is very like the celery in our gardens, 

 the flowers are w^hite, and stand in the same manner, 



VOL. J. , F 



