Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/206

192 were till at a great ditance from the hips, and it was not before half an hour after nine o'clock that we arrived at the tents of obervation, from whence we were oon conveyed on board.

5th. I remained on board during the greater part of the two following days, and employed myelf with tuffing the kins of a variety of rare birds, and decribing the natural curioities which I had collected.

The want of room in our veel put me under the neceity of drying the plants, which I had preerved in paper, at the fire. As my cabin was already full, I had no other place where I could depoit ome of my pecimens of plants that had not got perfectly dry than the great cabin. Dauribeau, who acted as firt lieutenant, thought that this place ought not to be lumbered with uch ueles things as natural curioities, and ordered my two prees, with the plants they contained, to be turned out. I was obliged to appeal to the Commander, who annulled this act of authority, and ordered that the prees hould remain where I had placed them.

At low water we ound a variety of curious hells on the hore. This harbour afforded us great plenty of very fine oyters.

The eat coat of the harbour contained a quantity of pyrites in crytals of various forms. We