292 



A VOYAGE TO 



J77.3. were jufl: budding; a great quantity of young leeks, with 

 ^" triangular leaves ; a fmall fort of grafs ; and fome water- 

 crefTcs, which grow about the fides of the rills ; befides 

 great abundance of androjneda. Within the woods, befidcs 

 two fons of underwood flirubs unknown to us, are mofTes 

 and ferns. Of the firft of which, are feven or eight dif- 

 ferent forts ; of the laft, not above three or four ; and the 

 fpecies of both, are moflly fuch as are common to Europe and 

 America. 



As the feafon of the year was unfavourable to our gain- 

 ing much knowledge of the vegetable produ^flions of this 

 country, fo our own fituation while there, put it out of our 

 power to learn much about its animals. For as the want 

 of water made it nccefPary that we fliould enter the Sound 

 at firft, the unforefeen accidents which happened after- 

 ward, though they lengthened our ftay, were rather un- 

 favourable to our obtaining any knowledge of this kind. 

 The emergency of the cafe required, that every perfon 

 fhould be conftantly employed in the necefFary bufinefs of 

 the fliips, which was the capital objecfl ; as the feafon was 

 advancing very fad, and the fuccefs of the voyage depended 

 upon their diligence and alacrity in expediting the various 

 talks afligned to them. Hence it happened, that excurfions 

 of every kind, either on the land, or by water, were never 

 attempted. And as we lay in a cove on an ifland, no other 

 animals were ever fcen alive in the woods there, than two 

 or three racoons, martins, and fquirrels. Bcfides thefe, fome 

 of our people who, one day, landed on the continent, near 

 the South Eaft fide of the entrance of the Sound, obferved 

 the prints of a bear's feet near the fliore. The account, 

 therefore, that we can give of the quadrupc<ls, is taken 

 from the fkins which the natives brought to fell; and thcfe 

 9 were 



