ulls as to darken the air when
disturbed, and almost to suffocate our people with their dung. This they
seemed to void in a way of defence, and it stunk worse than assafoetida,
or what is commonly called devil's dung. Our people saw several geese,
ducks, and race-horses, which is also a kind of duck. The day on which
this port was discovered occasioned my calling it New-Year's Harbour. It
would be more convenient for ships bound to the west, or round Cape
Horn, if its situation would permit them to put to sea with an easterly
and northerly wind. This inconvenience, however, is of little
consequence, since these winds are never known to be of long duration.
The southerly and westerly are the prevailing winds, so that a ship
never can be detained long in this port.[5]

[Footnote 5: "The largest of the New-Year's Islands, as we called them,
and which we now left, is about six leagues in circuit, and that under
which we lay at anchor, between three and four leagues. They are
excellent places of refreshment for a ship's crew bound on expeditions
like ours; for though the flesh of sea-lions and penguins is not the
most palateable food, yet it is infinitely more salubrious than salt
meat; and by searching the different islands, it is not improbable that
a sufficient quantity of celery and scurvy-grass might be found to
supply the whole crew, especially as we saw both the species on our
excursions. Our seamen lived several days on young shags and penguins,
of which they found the former extremely palateable, comparing them to
young pullets. They likewise roasted several little cubs of seals, but
there was a degree of softness in the meat which made it disgustful. The
flesh of young, but full-grown sea-bears, was greatly preferable, and
tasted like coarse and bad beef; but that of the old sea-lions and bears
was so rank and offensive, that we could not touch it."--G.F.]

As we could not sail in the morning of the 2d for want of wind, I sent a
party of men on shore to the island, on the same duty as before. Towards
noon we got a fresh breeze at west; but it came too late, and I resolved
to wait till the next morning, when, at four o'clock, we weighed, with a
fresh gale at N.W. by W., and stood for Cape St John, which, at half
past six, bore N. by E., distant four or five miles. This cape, being
the eastern point of Staten Land, a description of it is unnecessary. It
may, however, not be amiss to say, that it is a rock of a consid