care,
the fearful malady of scurvy had gained, and was still gaining ground
among the ship's company. Poor Tupia, who all his life had been
accustomed to fresh fruit and vegetables, was among the chief sufferers,
and symptoms were showing themselves which proved that the malignant
disease had already made rapid progress. Mr Green, the astronomer, was
also, among many others, stricken and disabled. As soon as possible,
therefore, a tent was put up on shore for the reception of the sick, and
recourse was had to nets, for providing fresh fish for the invalids.

The ground in the immediate neighbourhood of the river was either
swampy, sandy, or stony. Mr Banks, who went on shore with his gun, saw
great quantities of pigeons and crows: of the former, which were very
beautiful, he shot several. He also saw some deserted human
habitations, but no natives.

Four guns having been got up from the hold, were mounted on the
quarter-deck of the ship, and the heavy stores and powder were landed,
that her damages might be examined. It was, indeed, both wonderful and
providential that she had escaped destruction; for not only had the
sharp rock torn off the planking and worked its way into the timbers,
but one point had cut a hole right through the bottom, and, breaking
off, had happily remained fixed. Had it fallen out, no human power
could have prevented the ship from foundering. Besides the leak, which
was on the starboard side, the ship had sustained very extensive injury
on the larboard. The sheathing from the bow on that side was torn off,
and a great part of the false keel was gone. The carpenters at once
commenced their work; and the forge was set up, that the smiths might
make bolts and nails.

While this was going on, some of the people were sent on shore to shoot
pigeons for the sick, and on their return they reported that they had
found a stream of fresh water, and had seen several native huts, and an
animal as large as a greyhound, of slender form, mouse-coloured, and
very swift. The next day Captain Cook himself saw the same animal; it
had a long tail, and leaped liked a hare or deer, and the prints of its
feet were like those of a goat. For some time afterwards nothing more
was seen of the animal, which Mr Banks, the naturalist, considered must
be of some hitherto unknown species; so, indeed, it was, for it had no
congeners in any quarter of the globe previously visited; though now the
kangaroo is familiar