STROLL ALONG THE BEACH. 219 



Indies. At her departure lier former hands were 

 released. 



The next day after anchoring was Sunday, and all 

 hands were bound for a run ashore. The hay pre- 

 sented little attraction, but the green appearance of the 

 vegetation was enough to induce us to have a nearer 

 look at it. On landing we found the country covered 

 with the prevailing bush, and as it was in many 

 places dry and inflammable as tinder, we ignited it, 

 and had a rousing fire coursing up the hills like a 

 demon in pursuit of prey. Having tired ourselv^es 

 with this amusement, we ran along the beach with 

 the intention of shaking the scurvy out of our bones ; 

 and as we progressed, saw numbers of mutton-fish, 

 crabs, and limpets. We gathered a suificient quantity 

 of these shell-fish, roasted them, and had a fresh 

 mess. Proceeding along the beach, over an uneven 

 ridge of boulders, after a Avalk of about eight miles, 

 we came to the whale fishery. Here we found about 

 a dozen men, who were engaged in a warfare against 

 the humpback and right whales that resort to the 

 bay. They had taken, during the season, two of the 

 former and one of the latter species, yielding them. 

 one hundred and seventj' barrels of oil ; they desired 

 us to set no more bush afire, stating that the smoke 

 or glare of the flames intimidated the whales from 

 entering the bay. From these people we learned 

 that the ships Alexander and James Allen had 

 touched here but a short time previous, and that 

 whilst here both ships had lost men by desertion, and 

 that these men were now knocking about the town, 

 unable to procure employment. The James Allen 

 also lost an anchor here, in about the same spot in 



