early australian voyages-第17部分

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　still　increasing；　I　took　in　my　main…top…sail；　being　able　to　carry　no　more　sail　than　two　courses　and　the　mizen。　　At　two　in　the　morning；　August　3rd；　it　blew　very　hard；　and　the　sea　was　much　raised；　so　that　I　furled　all　my　sails　but　my　mainsail；　though　the　wind　blew　so　hard；　we　had　pretty　clear　weather　till　noon；　but　then　the　whole　sky　was　blackened　with　thick　clouds；　and　we　had　some　rain；　which　would　last　a　quarter　of　an　hour　at　a　time；　and　then　it　would　blow　very　fierce　while　the　squalls　of　rain　were　over　our　heads；　but　as　soon　as　they　were　gone　the　wind　was　by　much　abated；　the　stress　of　the　storm　being　over；　we　sounded　several　times；　but　had　no　ground　till　eight　o'clock；　August　the　4th；　in　the　evening；　and　then　had　sixty　fathom　water；　coral　ground。　　At　ten　we　had　fifty…six　fathom；　fine　sand。　　At　twelve　we　had　fifty…five　fathom；　fine　sand；　of　a　pale　bluish　colour。　　It　was　now　pretty　moderate　weather；　yet　I　made　no　sail　till　morning；　but　then　the　wind　veering　about　to　the　south…west；　I　made　sail　and　stood　to　the　north；　and　at　eleven　o'clock　the　next　day；　August　5th；　we　saw　land　again；　at　about　ten　leagues　distant。　　This　noon　we　were　in　latitude　25　degrees　30　minutes；　and　in　the　afternoon　our　cook　died；　an　old　man；　who　had　been　sick　a　great　while；　being　infirm　before　we　came　out　of　England。

The　6th　of　August；　in　the　morning；　we　saw　an　opening　in　the　land；　and　we　ran　into　it；　and　anchored　in　seven　and　a　half　fathom　water；　two　miles　from　the　shore；　clean　sand。　　It　was　somewhat　difficult　getting　in　here；　by　reason　of　many　shoals　we　met　with；　but　I　sent　my　boat　sounding　before　me。　　The　mouth　of　this　sound；　which　I　called　Shark's　Bay；　lies　in　about　25　degrees　south　latitude；　and　our　reckoning　made　its　longitude　from　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　to　be　about　87　degrees；　which　is　less　by　one　hundred　and　ninety…five　leagues　than　is　usually　laid　down　in　our　common　draughts；　if　our　reckoning　was　right　and　our　glasses　did　not　deceive　us。　　As　soon　as　I　came　to　anchor　in　this　bay；　I　sent　my　boat　ashore　to　seek　for　fresh　water；　but　in　the　evening　my　men　returned；　having　found　none。　　The　next　morning　I　went　ashore　myself；　carrying　pickaxes　and　shovels　with　me；　to　dig　for　water；　and　axes　to　cut　wood。　　We　tried　in　several　places　for　water；　but　finding　none　after　several　trials；　nor　in　several　miles　compass；　we　left　any　further　search　for　it；　and　spending　the　rest　of　the　day　in　cutting　wood；　we　went　aboard　at　night。

The　land　is　of　an　indifferent　height；　so　that　it　may　be　seen　nine　or　ten　leagues　off。　　It　appears　at　a　distance　very　even；　but　as　you　come　nigher　you　find　there　are　many　gentle　risings；　though　none　steep　or　high。　　It　is　all　a　steep　shore　against　the　open　sea；　but　in　this　bay　or　sound　we　were　now　in；　the　land　is　low　by　the　seaside；　rising　gradually　in　with　the　land。　　The　mould　is　sand　by　the　seaside；　producing　a　large　sort　of　samphire；　which　bears　a　white　flower。　　Farther　in　the　mould　is　reddish；　a　sort　of　sand；　producing　some　grass；　plants；　and　shrubs。　　The　grass　grows　in　great　tufts　as　big　as　a　bushel；　here　and　there　a　tuft；　being　intermixed　with　much　heath；　much　of　the　kind　we　have　growing　on　our　commons　in　England。　Of　trees　or　shrubs　here　are　divers　sorts；　but　none　above　ten　feet　high；　their　bodies　about　three　feet　about；　and　five　or　six　feet　high　before　you　come　to　the　branches；　which　are　bushy；　and　composed　of　small　twigs　there　spreading　abroad；　though　thick　set　and　full　of　leaves；　which　were　mostly　long　and　narrow。　　The　colour　of　the　leaves　was　on　one　side　whitish；　and　on　the　other　green；　and　the　bark　of　the　trees　was　generally　of　the　same　colour　with　the　leaves；　of　a　pale　green。　　Some　of　these　trees　were　sweet…scented；　and　reddish　within　the　bark；　like　sassafras；　but　redder。　　Most　of　the　trees　and　shrubs　had　at　this　time　either　blossoms　or　berries　on　them。　　The　blossoms　of　the　different　sorts　of　trees　were　of　several　colours；　as　red；　white；　yellow；　etc。；　but　mostly　blue；　and　these　generally　smelt　very　sweet　and　fragrant；　as　did　some　also　of　the　rest。　　There　were　also　besides　some　plants；　herbs；　and　tall　flowers；　some　very　small　flowers　growing　on　the　ground；　that　were　sweet　and　beautiful；　and；　for　the　most　part；　unlike　any　I　had　seen　elsewhere。

There　were　but　few　land　fowls。　　We　saw　none　but　eagles　of　the　larger　sorts　of　birds；　but　five　or　six　sorts　of　small　birds。　　The　biggest　sort　of　these　were　not　bigger　than　larks；　some　no　bigger　than　wrens；　all　singing　with　great　variety　of　fine　shrill　notes；　and　we　saw　some　of　their　nests　with　young　ones　in　them。　　The　water…fowls　are　ducks　（which　had　young　ones　now；　this　being　the　beginning　of　the　spring　in　these　parts）；　curlews；　galdens；　crab…catchers；　cormorants；　gulls；　pelicans；　and　some　water…fowl；　such　as　I　have　not　seen　anywhere　besides。

The　land　animals　that　we　saw　here　were　only　a　sort　of　raccoons；　different　from　those　of　the　West　Indies；　chiefly　as　to　their　legs；　for　these　have　very　short　forelegs；　but　go　jumping　upon　them　as　the　others　do　（and　like　them　are　very　good　meat）；　and　a　sort　of　guanos；　of　the　same　shape　and　size　with　other　guanos　described；　but　differing　from　them　in　three　remarkable　particulars；　for　these　had　a　larger　and　uglier　head；　and　had　no　tail；　and　at　the　rump；　instead　of　the　tail　there；　they　had　a　stump　of　a　tail；　which　appeared　like　another　head；　but　not　really　such；　being　without　mouth　or　eyes；　yet　this　creature　seemed　by　this　means　to　have　a　head　at　each　end；　and；　which　may　be　reckoned　a　fourth　difference；　the　legs　also　seemed　all　four　of　them　to　be　fore…legs；　being　all　alike　in　shape　and　length；　and　seeming　by　the　joints　and　bending　to　be　made　as　if　they　were　to　go　indifferently　either　head　or　tail　foremost。　　They　were　speckled　black　and　yellow　like　toads；　and　had　scales　or　knobs　on　their　backs　like　those　of　crocodiles；　plated　on　to　the　skin；　or　stuck　into　it；　as　part　of　the　skin。　　They　are　very　slow　in　motion；　and　when　a　man　comes　nigh　them　they　will　stand　still　and　hiss；　not　endeavouring　to　get　away。　　Their　livers　are　also　spotted　black　and　yellow；　and　the　body；　when　opened；　hath　a　very　unsavoury　smell。　　I　did　never　see　such　ugly　creatures　anywhere　but　here。　　The　guanos　I　have　observed　to　be　very　good　meat；　and　I　have　often　eaten　of　them　with　pleasure；　but　though　I　have　eaten　of　snakes；　crocodiles；　and　alligators；　and　many　creatures　that　look　frightfully　enough；　and　there　are　but　few　I　should　have　been　afraid　to　eat　of　if　pressed　by　hunger；　yet　I　think　my　stomach　would　scarce　have　served　to　venture　upon　these　New　Holland　guanos；　both　the　looks　and　the　smell　of　them　being　so　offensive。

The　sea…fish　that　we　saw　here　（for　here　was　no　river；　land　or　pond　of　fresh　water　to　be　seen）　are　chiefly　sharks。　　There　are　abundance　of　them　in　this　particular　sound；　that　I　therefore　gave　it　the　name　of　Shark's　Bay。　　Here　are　also　skates；　thornbacks；　and　other　fish　of　the　ray　kind　（one　sort　especially　like　the　sea…devil）；　and　gar…fish；　bonetas；　etc。　　Of　shell…fish　we　got　here　mussels；　periwinkles；　limpets；　oysters；　both　of　the　pearl　kind　and　also　eating　oysters；　as　well　the　common　sort　as　long　oysters；　besides　cockles；　etc。　　The　shore　was　lined　thick　with　many　other　sorts　of　very　strange　and　beautiful　shells　for　variety　of　colour　and　shape；　most　finely　spotted　with　red；　black；　or　yellow；　etc。；　such　as　I　have　not　seen　anywhere　but　at　this　place。　　I　brought　away　a　great　many　of　them；　but　lost　all　except　a　very　few；　and　those　not　of　the　best。

There　are　also　some　green　turtle　weighing　about　two　hundred　pounds。　Of　these　we　caught　two；　which　the　water　ebbing　had　left　behind　a　ledge　of　rock　which　they　could　not　creep　over。　　These　served　all　my　company　two　days；　and　they　were　indifferent　sweet　meat。　　Of　the　sharks　we　caught　a　great　many；　which　our　men　ate　very　savourily。　Among　them　we　caught　one　which　was　eleven　feet　long。　　The　space　between　its　two　eyes　was　twenty　inches；　and　eighteen　inches　from　one　corner　of　his　mouth　to　the　other。　　Its　maw　was　like　a　leather　sack；　very　thick；　and　so　tough　that　a　sharp　knife　could　scarce　cut　it；　in　which　we　found　the　head　and　bones　of　a　hippopotamus；　the　hairy　lips　of　which　were　still　sound　and　not　putrified；　and　the　jaw　was　also　firm；　out　of　which　we　plucked　a　great　many　teeth；　two　of　them　eight　inches　long　and　as　big　as　a　man's　thumb；　small　at　one　end；　and　a　little　crooked；　the　rest　not　above　half　so　long。　　The　maw　was　full　of　jelly；　which　stank　extremely。　　However；　I　saved　for　awhile　the　teeth　and　the　shark's　jaw。　　The　flesh　of　it　was　divided　among　my　men；　and　they　took　care　that　no　waste　should　be　made　of　it。

It　was　the　7th　of　August　when　we　came　into　Shark's　Bay；　in　which　we　anchored　at　three　several　places；　and　stayed　at　the　first　of　them　（on　the　west　side　of　the　bay）　till　the　11th；　during　which　time　we　searched　about；　as　I　said；　for　fresh　water；　digging　wells；　but　to　no　purpose。　　However；　we　cut　good　store　of　firewood　at　this　first　anchoring…place；　and　my　company　were　all　here　very　well　refreshed　with　raccoons；　turtle；　shark；　and　other　fish；　and　some　fowls；　so　that　we　were　now　all　much　brisker　than　when　we　came　in　hither。　　Yet　still　I　was　for　standing　farther　into　the　bay；　partly　because　I　had　a　mind　to　increase　my　stock　of　fresh　water；　which　was　begun　to　be　low；　and　partly　for　the　sake　of　discovering　this　part　of　the　coast。　I　was　invi