82 
A VOYAGE TO 
[South Coast. 
I801. its not going out until dark ; but from the very open and exposed 
SuTday^io. situations in which the nests were found, I should rather judge it to 
be of the eagle kind ; and that its powers are such as to render it 
heedless of any attempts from the natives upon its young. 
Monday li. On the following morning, I sent the master to examine a 
small bay or cove, lying two miles to the westward of Lucky Bay. 
He found it to be capable of receiving one ship, which might be 
placed in perfect security in the western corner, with anchors out on 
the off bow and quarter, and hawsers on the other side fast to the 
shore. She would thus lie in from 3 to 5 fathoms, almost near enough 
to lay a stage to the beach. There was wood for fuel ; and at less 
than a hundred yards from the shore, a lake of fresh water, one 
mile in circumference, from which a small stream runs into the cove; 
but another stream, descending from the hills nearer into the western 
corner, would better suit the purposes of a ship. This account was 
from the master, after whom this little, but useful discovery was 
named Thistle's Cove. It seems to be much superior to Lucky Bay, 
where neither wood nor water can be procured without much 
time and trouble, nor is the shelter so complete. 
Tuesday 12, Next day, Mr. Thistle was sent to examine the coast and 
islands to the eastward, when he found the archipelago to be full as 
dangerous in that direction, as to the west. He landed upon an 
island three leagues distant, and brought me from thence a list of 
other islands and rocks further on, whose bearings had been taken. 
Several seals were procured on this and the preceding day, and some 
fish were caught along-side the ship ; but our success was much 
impeded by three monstrous sharks, in whose presence no other fish 
dared to appear. After some attempts we succeeded in taking one of 
them ; but to get it on board required as much preparation as for hoist- 
ing in the launch. The length of it, however, was no more than twelve 
feet three inches, but the circumference of the body was eight feet. 
Amongst the vast quantity of substances contained in the stomach, 
was a tolerably large seal, bitten in two, and swallowed with half of the 
