1773.
April.
we thought we perceived something similar to a smoke, but finding nothing to confirm this opinion, and especially seeing no fire at night, we readily acquiesced in the idea of having been deceived by some misty vapour, or other object, which we might have indistinctly seen. We prepared with great alacrity to pass the night here, and no one was excepted from his task on these occasions. As it may be curious to know the nature of our marooning parties, as our seamen called them, I shall here give some account of our proceedings this night. Having found a beach to land on, with a brook, and a wood close to it, our first care was to bring on shore the oars, sails, cloaks, guns, hatchets, &c. not forgetting a little keg of spruce-beer, and perhaps a bottle of strong liquor. The boats were next secured at a grappling, and with a rope made fast to a tree on shore. Some of us were then busied in collecting dry pieces of wood for fuel, which in such a wet country as New Zeeland, was sometimes very difficult; some erected a tent or wigwam, made of the oars and sails together with strong branches of trees, in a convenient dry spot, sheltered as much as possible, in case of wind and rain. Others lighted the fire in front of the tent, by burning some oakum, in which they had previously rubbed a quantity of gunpowder. The preparations for supper were very short: some of the sailors cleaned our fishes, skinned the waterfowl, split, and lastly broiled them; when they were dressed,one
