were an inch long. We saw no mosquitoes,
though in the summer months they are very troublesome.

What is called the New Zealand tea plant grew here in great abundance; so
that it was not only gathered and dried to use as tea but made excellent
brooms. It bears a small pointed leaf of a pleasant smell, and its seed
is contained in a berry, about the size of a pea, notched into five equal
parts on the top. The soil on the west and south sides of the bay is
black mould with a mixture of fine white sand and is very rich. The trees
are lofty and large, and the underwood grows so close together that in
many places it is impassable. The east side of the bay is a rich loamy
soil; but near the tops of the hills is very much encumbered with stones
and rocks: the underwood thinly placed and small. The trees on the south,
south-east, and south-west sides of the hills grow to a larger size than
those that are exposed to the opposite points; for the sides of the trees
open or exposed to the north winds are naked with few branches; while the
other sides are in a flourishing state. From this I do not infer that the
equatorial are more hurtful than the polar winds; but that the trees by
their situation were more sheltered from the one for from the other.

Wednesday 3.

A calm prevented our sailing today. The friendly interview which we had
had with the natives made me expect that they would have paid us a visit;
but we saw nothing more of them except fires in the night upon the low
land to the northward.

The result of the observations which I made here, reduced to Penguin
Island, place it in 43 degrees 21 minutes 11 seconds south latitude and
in longitude 147 degrees 33 minutes 29 seconds east, which scarcely
differs from the observations made in 1777. The variation of the compass
observed on shore was 8 degrees 38 minutes east; and on board the ship 8
degrees 29 minutes east. It was high-water at the change of the moon at
49 minutes past six in the morning. The rise was two feet eight inches.
Southerly winds, if of any continuance, make a considerable difference in
the height of the tides.

Thursday 4.

This forenoon, having a pleasant breeze at north-west, we weighed anchor
and sailed out of Adventure Bay. At noon the southernmost part of Maria's
Isles bore north 52 degrees east, about five leagues distant; Penguin
Island south 86 degrees west; and Cape Frederick Henry north 65 degrees
west. In this position we had soundings a