A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 14Kerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 14
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
its abounding in salutary vegetables. This it no doubt
owes to the superior mildness of the climate, which is represented as
highly favourable to botanical pursuits. The tea-tree and spruce, as
they were called, were found here in great plenty, as well as at Dusky
Bay; besides several species of plants in flower, which had not been
seen before. The hills consisted chiefly of argillaceous stone,
running in oblique strata, commonly dipping a little towards the
south, of a greenish-grey, or bluish, or yellowish-brown colour,
sometimes containing veins of white quartz, and sometimes a green
talcous or nephritic stone, which, as it was capable of a good polish
from its hardness, the natives used for chissels, &c. Mr F. specifies
several other mineral substances found in this neighbourhood,
particularly argillaceous strata of a rusty colour, which is inferred
to contain iron, and a black compact and ponderous basalt, of which
the natives form their pattoo-pattoos. It is unnecessary to make
remarks on the subjects now mentioned, as they must be resumed in our
account of Cook's third voyage, where we shall have to consider Mr
Anderson's report respecting them and other topics, with greater
attention, than was required for the present imperfect though valuable
notices.--E.
SECTION IX.
_Route from New Zealand to Otaheite, with an Account of some low Islands,
supposed to be the same that were seen by M. de Bougainville._
On the 7th of June, at four in the morning, the wind being more favourable,
we unmoored, and at seven weighed and put to sea, with the Adventure in
company. We had no sooner got out of the sound, than we found the wind at
south, so that we had to ply through the straits. About noon the tide of
ebb setting out in our favour, made our boards advantageous; so that, at
five o'clock in the evening. Cape Palliser, on the island of Eahei-nomauwe,
bore S.S E. 1/2 S., and Cape Koamaroo, or the S.E. point of the sound, N by
W. 3/4 W.; presently after it fell calm, and the tide of flood now making
against us, carried us at a great rate back to the north. A little before
high-water, the calm was succeeded by a breeze from the north, which soon
increased to a brisk gale. This, together with the ebb, carried us by eight
o'clock the next morning quite through the strait. Cape Palliser at this
time bore E.N.E., and at noon N. by W. distant seven leagues.[1]
This day at noon, when we attended the winding-up of the watches, the fusee
of Mr Arnold's would not turn round, so that after several unsuccessful
trials we were obliged to let it go down.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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