1774** ROUND THE WORLD. 179 



ones almost fledged, and just to our taste. Here 

 were geese and ducks, but not many ; birds of prey, 

 and a few small birds. In the evening we returned on. 

 board, our boats well laden with one thing or other. 

 Next day being January the 1st, 17? 5, rinding that 

 nothing was wanting but a good harbour to make 

 this a tolerable place for ships to refresh at, whom 

 chance or design might brii | hither, I sent Mr. 

 Gilbert over to Staten Land in the cutter, to look 

 for one. Appearances promised success, in a place 

 opposite the ship. I sent also two other boats for the 

 lions, &c. we had killed the preceding day ; and soon 

 after, I went myself, and observed the sun's meridian 

 altitude at the N.E. end of the island, which gave 

 the latitude 54° 40' 5" south. After shooting a few 

 geese, some other birds, and plentifully supplying 

 ourselves with young shags, we returned on board, 

 laden with sea-lions, sea-bears, &c. The old lions 

 and bears were killed chiefly for the sake of their 

 blubber, or fat, to make oil of; for, except their hars- 

 lets, which were tolerable, the flesh was too rank to be 

 eaten with any degree of relish.- But the young cubs 

 were very palatable ; and even the flesh of some of 

 the old lionesses was not much amiss ; but that of 

 the old males was abominable. In the afternoon, I 

 sent some people on shore to skin and cut off the fat 

 of those which yet remained dead on shore ; for we 

 had already more carcasses on board than necessary ; 

 and I went myself, in another boat, to collect birds. 

 About ten o'clock Mr.Gilbert returned from Staten 

 Land, where he found a good port, situated three 

 leagues to the westward of Cape .St. John, and in the 

 direction of north, a little easterly, from the N. E. end 

 of the eastern island. It may be known by some 

 small islands lying in the entrance. The channel, 

 which is on the east side of these islands, is half a 

 mile broad. The course in is S.W. by S. turning 

 gradually to W. by S. and west. The harbour lies 

 nearly in this last direction ; is almost two miles in 



N 2 



