1773.
May.
Wednesd. 19.We began our excursions the day after our arrival, and found the productions of the forests very similar to those of Dusky Bay, but the season and climate infinitely more favourable to our botanical researches. We were fortunate enough to meet with several species of plants still in flower, and also found some birds, which we had not seen before. But the antiscorbutic plants, which grew on every beach, gave this port the most distinguished advantage over our first place of refreshment. We immediately gathered vast quantities of wild celery, and of a well-tasted scurvy-grass (lepidium) which were daily boiled with some oat-meal or wheat for breakfast, and with pease-soup for dinner; and the people on board the Adventure, who had hitherto not known the use of these greens, now followed our example. We also found a species of sow-thistle (sonchus oleraceus,) and a kind of plant which our people called lamb's quarters, (tetragonia cornuta[1],) which we frequently used as sallads; and if we had not such plenty of wild-fowl and fishes as at Dusky Bay, we were amply recompensed by these excellent vegetables. The spruce and the tea-tree of New Zealand likewise grew in great plenty hereabouts, and we taught our friends to make use of both for their refreshment.
- ↑ See Hawkesworth, vol. III. p. 442.
The
