1773.
March.
Saturday 27.Early the next morning, a small boat having been sent out towards the shore, returned in three hours time with as many fishes, caught by the hook, as supplied a plentiful dinner to all on board. The best and most savoury fish was a species of the cod, which, from its external colour, our sailors called a coal-fish: besides this we caught several species of excellent flat cavalhas (sciænæ), some scorpens, mullets, horse-mackrel, and many other sorts of a fine taste, which were entirely unknown in Europe. At nine o'clock we got under sail and went into Pickersgill harbour, one of those examined the preceding day, where the ship was moored head and stern in a small creek, and so near the shore, that we could reach it by means of a stage of a few planks. Nature had assisted us for this purpose with a large tree, projecting in an horizontal position over the water, of which we placed the top on our gunwale, connecting our planks with it. This situation facilitated all our operations, and was particularly adapted to the conveniency of wooding and watering, for our sloop's yards were locked in the branches of surrounding trees, and about half a musket shot a-stern we had a fine stream of fresh water.
We now began to clear away the woods from a neighbouring hill, in order to fix the astronomer's observatory upon it, and to establish our forge there, as our iron-works wanted repairs. Near the watering-place we pitched tents for thesail-
