6z 
A VOYAGE TO 
1776. point of the harbour, his anchor having ftarted before they 
.December.^ tQ p lort;en j n the cable. This obliged them to fet 
fail, and drag the anchor after them, till they had room to 
heave it up; and then they found one of its palms was 
broken off. 
As foon as we had anchored, I ordered all the boats to 
be hoifted out; the fhip to be moored with a hedge anchor; 
and the water-calks to be got ready to fend on fhore. In 
the mean time I landed, to look for the mod: convenient fpot 
where they might be filled, and to fee what elfe the place 
afforded. 
I found the fhore, in a manner, covered with penguins 
and other birds, and feals. Thefe latter were not nume¬ 
rous, but fo infenfible of fear (which plainly indicated that 
they were unaccuftomed to fuch vifiters), that we killed as 
many as we chofe, for the fake of their fat or blubber, to 
make oil for our lamps, and other ufes. Frefh water was 
in no lefs plenty than were birds ; for every gully afforded 
a large ftream. But not a fingle tree or fhrub, nor the leaft 
fign of any, was to be difeovered, and but very little herb¬ 
age of any fort. The appearances, as we failed into the 
harbour, had flattered us with the hope of meeting with 
fomething confiderable growing here, as we obferved the 
fides of many of the hills to be of a lively green. But I now 
found that this was occafioned by a fingle plant, which, 
with the other natural productions, fhall be deferibed in 
another place. Before I returned to my fhip, I afeended 
the firft ridge of rocks, which rife in a kind of amphithe¬ 
atre above one another. I was in hopes, by this means, of 
obtaining a view of the country; but before I reached the 
top, there came on fo thick a fog, that I could hardly find 
my way down again. In the evening, we hauled the feine 
at 
