74 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



the touch, gave a pain similar to the sting of a nettle, but 

 much more acute. They saw, among the sand-banks, many 

 birds larger than swans, which they imagined were pelicans ; 

 and they shot a kind of bustard, which weighed seventeen 

 pounds. This bird proved very delicate food, and gave name 

 to the place, which was called Bustard Bay. They likewise 

 shot a duck of a most beautiful plumage, with a white beak. 

 They found vast numbers of oysters of various sorts, and 

 among the rest, some hammer oysters of a curious kind. 

 While they were in the woods, several of the natives came 

 down and took a survey of the ship, and then departed. 

 They sailed the next morning, and on the day following were 

 abreast of a point, which lying immediately under the tropic 

 the Captain called Cape Capricorn, on the west side of which 

 they saw an amazing number of birds resembling the 

 pelican, some of which were near five feet high. 



On the 27th, in the morning, they sailed to the northward, 

 and to the northernmost point of land Captain Cook gave 

 the name of Cape Manifold, from the number of high hills 

 appearing above it. Between this cape and the shore is a 

 bay called Rebel's Bay, and some islands bearing the same 

 name. In this place the Captain intended to lay the ship 

 ashore and clean her bottom ; and accordingly landed, in 

 search of a proper place for the purpose. They found 

 walking extremely incommodious, the ground being covered 

 with grass, the seeds of which were sharp and bearded. 

 They were likewise tormented with the perpetual stinging 

 of mosquitoes. In the interior parts of the country they 

 found gum-trees, on the branches of which were white ants' 

 nests formed of clay, as big as a bushel. On another tree 

 they found black ants, which formed their lodging in the 

 body of it, after they had eaten away the pith ; yet the trees 

 were in a flourishing condition. They found butterflies in 

 such incredible numbers, that whichever way they looked, 

 many thousands were to be seen in the air ; while every 

 bough and twig was covered with multitudes. They like- 

 wise discovered on dry ground, where it was supposed 

 to have been left by the tide, a fish about the size of a 

 minnow, having two strong breast fins, with which it leaped 

 away as nimbly as a frog. There being no good water to 

 be found here they did not lay the ship ashore, as they 

 intended. 



After passing Cape Cleveland, they ranged northward 

 along the shore, towards a cluster of islands, on one of which 

 about forty men, women, and children, were standing to- 

 gether, and looking at the ship with a curiosity never ob- 

 served among these people before. Here Messrs. Banks and 

 Solander went on shore with Captain Cook, whose chief view 



