sgill had
arrived but just before. He informed me that the land opposite to our
station was an island, which he had been round; that on another, more to
the north, be found many _terns_ eggs; and that without the great
island, between it and the east-head, lay a cove in which were many geese;
one only of which he got, beside some young goslings.

This information of Mr Pickersgill's induced me to make up two shooting
parties next day; Mr Pickersgill and his associates going in the cutter,
and myself and the botanists in the pinnace. Mr Pickersgill went by the
N.E. side of the large island above-mentioned, which obtained the name of
Goose Island; and I went by the S.W. side. As soon as we got under the
island we found plenty of shags in the cliffs, but, without staying to
spend our time and shot upon these, we proceeded on, and presently found
sport enough, for in the south side of the island were abundance of geese.
It happened to be the moulting season; and most of them were on shore for
that purpose, and could not fly. There being a great surf, we found great
difficulty in landing, and very bad climbing over the rocks when we were
landed; so that hundreds of the geese escaped us, some into the sea, and
others up into the island. We, however, by one means or other, got sixty-
two, with which we returned on board all heartily tired; but the
acquisition we had made overbalanced every other consideration, and we sat
down with a good appetite to supper on part of what the preceding day had
produced. Mr Pickersgill and his associates had got on board some time
before us with fourteen geese; so that I was able to make distribution to
the whole crew, which was the more acceptable on account of the approaching
festival. For had not Providence thus singularly provided for us, our
Christmas cheer must have been salt beef and pork.

I now learnt that a number of the natives, in nine canoes, had been
alongside the ship, and some on board. Little address was required to
persuade them to either; for they seemed to be well enough acquainted with
Europeans, and had, amongst them, some of their knives.

The next morning, the 25th, they made us another visit. I found them to be
of the same nation I had formerly seen in Success Bay, and the same which
M. de Bougainville distinguishes by the name of Pecheras; a word which
these had, on every occasion, in their mouths. They are a little, ugly,
half-starved, beardless race. I saw not a tal