kind of porpoise in the head and jaw, having
them long and pointed. This had eighty-eight teeth in each jaw. The haslet
and lean flesh were to us a feast. The latter was a little liverish, but
had not the least fishy taste. It was eaten roasted, broiled, and fried,
first soaking it in warm water. Indeed, little art was wanting to make any
thing fresh, palatable to those who had been living so long on salt
meat.[1]

We continued to stretch to W.S.W. till the 10th, when at day-break we
discovered land, bearing S.W., which on a nearer approach we found to be an
island of good height, and five leagues in circuit. I named it Norfolk
Isle, in honour of the noble family of Howard. It is situated in the
latitude of 29 deg. 2' 30" S. and longitude 168 deg. 16' E. The latter was
determined by lunar observations made on this, the preceding, and following
days; and the former by a good observation at noon, when we were about
three miles from the isle. Soon after we discovered the isle, we sounded in
twenty-two fathoms on a bank of coral sand; after this we continued to
sound, and found not less than twenty-two; or more than twenty-four fathoms
(except near the shore), and the same bottom mixed with broken shells.
After dinner a party of us embarked in two boats, and landed on the island,
without any difficulty, behind some large rocks, which lined part of the
coast on the N.E. side.

We found it uninhabited, and were undoubtedly the first that ever set foot
on it. We observed many trees and plants common at New Zealand; and, in
particular, the flax-plant, which is rather more luxuriant here than in any
part of that country; but the chief produce is a sort of spruce-pine, which
grows in great abundance, and to a large size, many of the trees being as
thick, breast high, as two men could fathom, and exceedingly straight and
tall. This pine is a sort between that which grows in New Zealand, and that
in New Caledonia; the foliage differing something from both, and the wood
not so heavy as the former, nor so light and close-grained as the latter.
It is a good deal like the Quebec pine. For about two hundred yards from
the shore, the ground is covered so thick with shrubs and plants, as hardly
to be penetrated farther inland. The woods were perfectly clear and free
from underwood, and the soil seemed rich and deep.

We found the same kind of pigeons, parrots, and parroquets as in New
Zealand, rails, and some small birds. The sea-fowl a