Page:Colnett - Voyage to the South Pacific (IA cihm 33242).djvu/87

 an hole, being o contrived, as to admit its rays through its daily coure. The hell is perfectly mooth, and when highly polihed, receives a beautiful and brilliant black.

We aw but few eals on the beach, either of the hairy or furry pecies. This circumtance, however, might be occaioned, by its not being the eaon for whelping; as thoe, which were killed by us, had ome time to go with young; but a few hundreds of them, might at any time be collected without difficulty, and form, no inconiderable addition, to the profits of a voyage.

Dampier mentions, that there is plenty of alt to be obtained here, at this eaon, but I could not find any; though that article does not appear to be abolutely neceary; as the kins will be more profitable, by drying and cleaning them, and then taking them to a China market; as I managed with the otter-kins, which I collected in a former voyage.

The rocks are covered with crabs, and there are alo a few mall hells and winkles. A large quantity of dead hells of various kinds, were wahed upon the beach; all of which were familiar to me; among the ret, were the hells of large cray-fih, but we never caught any of them alive.