490 THE PROGRESS OF MARITIME DISCOVERT. 



of a considerable group of islands. Cook on his part examined 

 the whole archipelago in such an accurate manner, ascertaining 

 the situation of many of the islands and ■ discovering such 

 numbers of new ones, that he justly thought he had acquired 

 the right to rebaptize them under the name of the New 

 Hebrides. 



From these islands he sailed for the third time to New Zea- 

 land, and discovered on his passage New Caledonia and the 

 romantic Norfolk Island. 



Leaving New Zealand on the 10th of November, 1774, once 

 more to search for the southern continent, he traversed a vast 

 extent of sea for 17 days, from 43° to 55° 48' S. lat., when he 

 gave up all thoughts of finding any more land in that part of 

 the ocean, and determined to steer directly for the west entrance 

 of the Straits of Magellan, with a design of coasting the southern 

 part of Tierra del Fuego, quite round Cape Horn to Le Maire's 

 Straits. Those wild, deeply indented, rocky coasts, the region of 

 eternal storms and fogs, form the most striking contrast to the 

 smiling shores of the South Sea islands. But, if in the latter 

 the splendour of tropical vegetation enchants the eye of the 

 spectator, the exuberance of animal life in the Magellanic Archi- 

 pelago may well raise his astonishment. In one of the small 

 islands near Staaten Land Cook admired the remarkable har- 

 mony reigning among the different species of mammifera and 

 birds. The sea-lions occupied the greatest part of the sea-coast, 

 the bears the inland ; the shags were posted on the highest cliffs, 

 the penguins in such places as had the best access to the sea ; 

 and the other birds chose more retired places. Occasionally, 

 however, all these animals were seen to mix together like do- 

 mestic cattle and poultry in a farmyard, without one attempting 

 to hurt the other in the least. Even the eagles and the vultures 

 were frequently observed sitting together on the hills among the 

 shags, while none of the latter, either old or young, appeared to 

 be disturbed at their presence. No doubt the poor fishes had 

 to pay for the touching union of this " happy family." 



Having fully explored the southern extremity of America, we 

 once more see the indefatigable navigator steer forth into the 

 deserts of the southern Polar Ocean, where he discovers some 

 snow-clad isles, Bird Island, South Georgia, Sandwich Land, 



