A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

hard squalls, attended with rain, and obliged us to strike top-gallant and lower yards, and to carry outanother hawser to the shore. The bad weather continued the whole day and the succeeding night,after which it fell calm with fair weather.At seven in the morning, on the 8th, Mr Pickersgill returned, together with his companions, in novery good plight, having been at the head of the arm he was sent to explore, which he judged toextend in to the eastward about eight miles. In it is a good anchoring-place, wood, fresh water, wildfowl, and fish. At nine o'clock I set out to explore the other inlet, or the one next the sea; and orderedMr Gilbert, the master, to go and examine the passage out to sea, while those on board were gettingevery thing in readiness to depart. I proceeded up the inlet till five o'clock in the afternoon, whenbad weather obliged me to return before I had seen the end of it. As this inlet lay nearly parallel withthe sea-coast, I was of opinion that it might communicate with Doubtful Harbour, or some other inletto the northward. Appearances were, however, against this opinion, and the bad weather hinderedme from determining the point, although a few hours would have done it. I was about ten miles up,and thought I saw the end of it: I found on the north side three coves, in which, as also on the southside, between the main and the isles that lie four miles up the inlet, is good anchorage, wood, water,and what else can be expected, such as fish and wild fowl: Of the latter, we killed in this excursion,three dozen. After a very hard row, against both wind and rain, we got on board about nine o'clock atnight, without a dry thread on our backs.This bad weather continued no longer than till the next morning, when it became fair, and the skycleared up. But, as we had not wind to carry us to sea, we made up two shooting parties; myself,accompanied by the two Mr. Forsters and some others, went to the area I was in the day before; andthe other party to the coves and isles Mr Gilbert had discovered when he was out, and where hefound many wild fowl. We had a pleasant day, and the evening brought us all on board; myself andparty met with good sport; but the other party found little.All the forenoon of the 10th, we had strong gales from the west, attended with heavy showers ofrain, and blowing in such flurries over high land, as made it unsafe for us to get under sail. Theafternoon was more moderate, and became fair; when myself, Mr Cooper, and some others, went outin the boats to the rocks, which lie at this entrance of the bay, to kill seals. The weather was ratherunfavourable for this sport, and the sea ran high, so as to make landing difficult; we, however, killedten, but could only wait to bring away five, with which we returned on board.In the morning of the 11th, while we were getting under sail, I sent a boat for the other five seals. Atnine o'clock we weighed with a light breeze at south-east, and stood out to sea, taking up the boat inour way. It was noon before we got clear of the land; at which time we observed in 45° 34' 30" S.;the entrance of the bay bore S.E. by E., and Break-sea Isles (the outermost isles that lie at the southpoint of the entrance of the bay,) bore S.S.E., distant three miles; the southernmost point, or that ofFive Fingers Point, bore south 42° W., and the northernmost land N.N.E. In this situation we had aprodigious swell from S.W., which broke with great violence on all the shores that were exposed toit.SECTION V.Directions for sailing in and out of Dusky Bay, with an Account of the adjacent Country, itsProduce, and Inhabitants: Astronomical and Nautical Observations.As there are few places where I have been in New Zealand that afford the necessary refreshments insuch plenty as Dusky Bay, a short description of it, and of the adjacent country, may prove of use tosome future navigators, as well as acceptable to the curious reader. For although this country be far