A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 15 | Page 8

refresh at, whom chance or design, might bring hither, I sent Mr Gilbert
over to Staten Land in the cutter to look for one. Appearances promised
success in a place opposite the ship. I also sent two other boats for the
lions, &c. we had killed the preceding day; and soon after I went
myself, and observed the sun's meridian altitude at the N.E. end of the
island, which gave the latitude 54° 40' 5" S. After shooting a few geese,
some other birds, and plentifully supplying ourselves with young shags,
we returned on board, laden with sea-lions, sea-bears, &c. The old lions
and bears were killed chiefly for the sake of their blubber, or fat, to
make oil of; for, except their haslets, which were tolerable, the flesh
was too rank to be eaten with any degree of relish. But the young cubs
were very palateable, and even the flesh of some of the old lionesses
was not much amiss, but that of the old males was abominable. In the
afternoon I sent some people on shore to skin and cut off the fat of
those which yet remained dead on shore, for we had already more
carcases on board than necessary; and I went myself, in another boat, to
collect birds. About ten o'clock Mr Gilbert returned from Staten Land,
where he found a good port, situated three leagues to the westward of
Cape St John, and in the direction of north, a little easterly, from the
N.E. end of the eastern island. It may be known by some small islands
lying in the entrance. The channel, which is on the east side of these
islands, is half a mile broad. The course is in S.W. by S., turning
gradually to W. by S. and W. The harbour lies nearly in this last
direction; is almost two miles in length; in some places near a mile

broad; and hath in it from fifty to ten fathoms water, a bottom of mud
and sand. Its shores are covered with wood fit for fuel; and in it are
several streams of fresh water. On the islands were sea-lions, &c. and
such an innumerable quantity of gulls as to darken the air when
disturbed, and almost to suffocate our people with their dung. This they
seemed to void in a way of defence, and it stunk worse than assafoetida,
or what is commonly called devil's dung. Our people saw several geese,
ducks, and race-horses, which is also a kind of duck. The day on which
this port was discovered occasioned my calling it New-Year's Harbour.
It would be more convenient for ships bound to the west, or round Cape
Horn, if its situation would permit them to put to sea with an easterly
and northerly wind. This inconvenience, however, is of little
consequence, since these winds are never known to be of long duration.
The southerly and westerly are the prevailing winds, so that a ship
never can be detained long in this port.[5]
[Footnote 5: "The largest of the New-Year's Islands, as we called them,
and which we now left, is about six leagues in circuit, and that under
which we lay at anchor, between three and four leagues. They are
excellent places of refreshment for a ship's crew bound on expeditions
like ours; for though the flesh of sea-lions and penguins is not the most
palateable food, yet it is infinitely more salubrious than salt meat; and
by searching the different islands, it is not improbable that a sufficient
quantity of celery and scurvy-grass might be found to supply the whole
crew, especially as we saw both the species on our excursions. Our
seamen lived several days on young shags and penguins, of which they
found the former extremely palateable, comparing them to young
pullets. They likewise roasted several little cubs of seals, but there was
a degree of softness in the meat which made it disgustful. The flesh of
young, but full-grown sea-bears, was greatly preferable, and tasted like
coarse and bad beef; but that of the old sea-lions and bears was so rank
and offensive, that we could not touch it."--G.F.]
As we could not sail in the morning of the 2d for want of wind, I sent a
party of men on shore to the island, on the same duty as before.
Towards noon we got a fresh breeze at west; but it came too late, and I
resolved to wait till the next morning, when, at four o'clock, we
weighed, with a fresh gale at N.W. by W., and stood for Cape St John,
which, at half past six, bore N. by E., distant four or five miles. This

cape, being the eastern point of Staten Land, a description of it is
unnecessary. It may, however, not