1 79 1.] OF NEW SOUTH WALES. u 5 



the fea every evening, in clouds literally darkening the air, and, de- 

 fcending on Mount Pitr, depofited their eggs in deep holes made by 

 themfelves in the ground, generally quitting them in the morning, and 

 returning to feek their fubfiftence in the fea. From two to three 

 thoufand of thefe birds were often taken in a night. Their feeking. 

 their food in the ocean left no doubt of their own flefh partaking of 

 the quality of that upon which they fed ; but to people circumftanced 

 as were the inhabitants on Norfolk Illand, this leffened not their im- 

 portance ; and while any Mount Pitt birds were to be had, they 

 were eagerly fought. The knots of the pine tree, fplit and made into 

 fmall bundles, afforded the miferable occupiers of a fmall fpeck in 

 the ocean fufficient light to guide them through the woods, in 

 fearch of what was to ferve them for their next day's meal. They 

 were alfo fortunate enough to have loft but a few cafks of the pro- 

 vifions which had been brought to the illand in the Sirius, by far the 

 greater part being got fafely on more ; but fo hazardous was at all 

 times the landing in Sydney Bay, that, in difcharging the two mips, 

 the large cutter belonging to the Sirius was loft upon the reef, as fhe 

 was coming in with a load of cafks, and fome women ; by which 

 accident, two feamen of the Sirius, three women, one child (an 

 infant at the breaft, whofe mother got fafe on fhore), and one male 

 convicl: who fwam off to their affiftance, were unfortunately drowned* 

 The weather, notwithstanding this accident, was fo favourable at other 

 times, that in one day two hundred and ninety cafks were landed from 

 the mips. 



The experience of three years had now {hewn, that the fummer 

 was the only proper feafon for fending ftores and provifions to Nor- 

 folk Ifland, as during that period the paffage through the reef had 

 been found as good, and the landing as practicable, as in any cove 

 in Port Jackfon. But this was by no means certain or conftant; for 

 the furf had been obferved to rife when the fea beyond it was per- 

 fectly calm, and without the fmalleft indication of any change in> 

 the weather. A gale of wind at a diftance from the ifland would 



7 fuddenly 



