and, having with great riſk and difficulty effected a landing, they traverſed the iſle, which produced nothing but a plant, reſembling the common nettle, of a ſalt taſte and diſagreeable odor. They could find no freſh water, and the ſoil was mere ſand, from one to ſix inches deep on a ſolid rock, and waſhed into furrows, as it appeared, by heavy rains. No land-bird, quadruped, or even inſect, except flies, were ſeen on the iſland; but great numbers of birds-neſts, containing addled eggs: nor was there any kind of ſhell-fiſh. On the iſland, were the remains of ſeals and a quantity of decayed ſeal-ſkins, ſuppoſed to have been left there by Mr. Ellis, (who viſited this place in the year 1791,) and probably, from the difficulty of taking them away.
Of the danger of getting from this iſland, we had a very melancholy experience; as our people were upſet ſeveral times, before they got from the ſurf, and one of our beſt ſeamen, was unfortunately killed, having his back broken, by the jolly-boat falling, upon him.
The only landing place, is on a ſandy beach on the North ſide of the iſle; and the tide ebbed on it, while they were on ſhore, between ſix and ſeven feet, and the ebb and flood runs to the Northward and Eaſtward. At the time they landed, which was at ſix in the morning, it was near