Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/175

] was immediately made, and every one contented with his portion.

We were much urpried to find amongt the fih caught with the line in the coure of the night, ome harks about a fathom in length. They were of the pecies qualus cinereus. This kind of hark never ries from the bottom of the water. We never aw it approach the urface during the whole time of our tay at the Cape of Van Diemen. It does not appear to be dangerous to man; for our ailors, though they bathed here very frequently, never met with any accident. It finds ufficient food on thee coats to atisfy its voracity without attacking men: otherwie the natives of the country, who frequently dive to a great depth into the ea in quet of hell-fih, would be in perpetual danger of being devoured by thee animals.

Some mountains, which appeared to be above 500 toies in perpendicular height, were viible towards the north at a ditance of about 15,000 toies. Their ummits were covered with tall trees, whoe verdure gave additional beauty to the magnificent propect which they exhibited.

An officer belonging to our veel, who had been ent to take the oundings at the farther end of the harbour, went on hore, where he found everal huts, and near them the remains of broiled