upon earth, is its great hillyness; which, allowing the
woods to be cleared away, would leave it less proper for pasturage than
flat land, and still more improper for cultivation, which could never be
effected here by the plough.

The large trees which cover the hills are chiefly of two sorts. One of
them, of the size of our largest firs, grows much after their manner,
but the leaves, and small berries on their points, are much liker the
yew. It was this which supplied the place of spruce in making beer;
which we did with a strong decoction of its leaves, fermented with
treacle or sugar. And this liquor, when well prepared, was acknowledged
to be little inferior to the American spruce beer, by those who had
experience of both. The other sort of tree is not unlike a maple, and
grows often to a great size; but it only served for fuel, as the wood,
both of this and of the preceding, was found to be rather too heavy for
masts, yards, and other similar repairs.

There is a greater variety of trees on the small flat spots behind the
beaches. Amongst these are two that bear a kind of plum of the size of
prunes, the one yellow, called _karraca_, and the other black, called
_maituo_, but neither of them of a very agreeable taste, though the
natives eat both, and our people did the same. Those of the first sort
grow on small trees, always facing the sea; but the others belong to
larger trees that stand farther within the wood, and which we frequently
cut down for fuel.

A species of _philadelphus_ grows on the eminences which jut out into
the sea; and also a tree bearing flowers almost like myrtle, with
roundish spotted leaves of a disagreeable smell. We drank the leaves of
the _philadelphus_ as tea, and found that they had a pleasant taste and
smell, and might make an excellent substitute for the oriental sort.

Among other plants that were useful to us, may be reckoned wild celery,
which grows plentifully in almost every cove, especially if the natives
have ever resided there before; and one that we used to call
scurvy-grass, though entirely different from the plant to which we give
that name. This, however, is far preferable to ours for common use, and
may be known by its jagged leaves, and small clusters of white flowers
on the top. Both sorts were boiled every morning, with wheat ground in a
mill, and with portable soup, for the people's breakfast, and also
amongst their pease-soup for dinner. Sometimes they were used as