ad a pleasant day, and
the evening brought us all on board; myself and party met with good sport;
but the other party found little.
All the forenoon of the 10th, we had strong gales from the west, attended
with heavy showers of rain, and blowing in such flurries over high land, as
made it unsafe for us to get under sail. The afternoon was more moderate,
and became fair; when myself, Mr Cooper, and some others, went out in the
boats to the rocks, which lie at this entrance of the bay, to kill seals.
The weather was rather unfavourable for this sport, and the sea ran high,
so as to make landing difficult; we, however, killed ten, but could only
wait to bring away five, with which we returned on board.
In the morning of the 11th, while we were getting under sail, I sent a boat
for the other five seals. At nine o'clock we weighed with a light breeze at
south-east, and stood out to sea, taking up the boat in our way. It was
noon before we got clear of the land; at which time we observed in 45 deg. 34'
30" S.; the entrance of the bay bore S.E. by E., and Break-sea Isles (the
outermost isles that lie at the south point of the entrance of the bay,)
bore S.S.E., distant three miles; the southernmost point, or that of Five
Fingers Point, bore south 42 deg. W., and the northernmost land N.N.E. In this
situation we had a prodigious swell from S.W., which broke with great
violence on all the shores that were exposed to it.
SECTION V.
_Directions for sailing in and out of Dusky Bay, with an Account of the
adjacent Country, its Produce, and Inhabitants: Astronomical and Nautical
Observations._
As there are few places where I have been in New Zealand that afford the
necessary refreshments in such plenty as Dusky Bay, a short description of
it, and of the adjacent country, may prove of use to some future
navigators, as well as acceptable to the curious reader. For although this
country be far remote from the present trading part of the world, we can,
by no means, tell what use future ages may make of the discoveries made in
the present. The reader of this journal must already know that there are
two entrances to this bay. The south entrance is situated on the north side
of Cape West, in latitude 45 deg. 48' S. It is formed by the land of the Cape
to the south, and Five Fingers Point to the north. This point is made
remarkable by several pointed rocks lying off it, which, when viewed from
certain situations, have some rese
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