Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/115

Rh Quadrupeds I saw none in the island, unless the seals and sea-lions, which were often swimming about in the bay, might be called such; but Dr. Solander and I, when we were on the top of the highest hill reached by us, observed the footsteps of a large beast imprinted on the surface of a bog, but could not with any probability guess of what kind it might be.

Land birds were very few, I saw none larger than an English blackbird, except hawks and a vulture; but waterfowl are much more plentiful. In the first bay we were in I might have shot any quantity of ducks or geese, but would not spare the time from gathering plants; in the other we shot some, but the Indians in the neighbourhood had made them shy, as well as much less plentiful; at least so we found.

Fish we saw few, nor could we with our hooks take any fit to eat: shell-fish, however, are in the greatest abundance, limpets, mussels, clams, etc., but none of them delicate, yet such as they were we did not despise them.

Insects are very scarce, and not one species hurtful or troublesome: during the whole of our stay we saw neither gnat nor mosquito, a circumstance which few, if any, uncleared countries can boast of.

Of plants there are many species, and those truly the most extraordinary I can imagine; in stature and appearance they agree a good deal with the European ones, only in general are less specious, white flowers being much more common among them than any other colour; but, to speak of them botanically, probably no botanist has ever enjoyed more pleasure in the contemplation of his favourite pursuit than did Dr. Solander and I among these plants. We have not yet examined many of them, but what we have, have proved in general so entirely different from any before described, that we are never tired of wondering at the infinite variety of creation, and admiring the infinite care with which Providence has multiplied her productions, suiting them no doubt to the various climates for which they were designed. Trees are not numerous: a birch,