was full of water.  We got on shore as well as we could; and afterwards, with great difficulty, hauled her up upon the side of the river:  Here we contrived to stop the hole in her bottom, so as that we made a shift to get her down to the river’s mouth, where she was soon properly repaired by the carpenter.  On each side of this river there are the finest trees I ever saw, and I make no doubt but that they would supply the British navy with the best masts in the world.  Some of them are of a great height, and more than eight feet in diameter, which is proportionably more than eight yards in circumference; so that four men, joining hand in hand, could not compass them:  Among others, we found the pepper tree, or Winter’s bark, in great plenty.[23] Among these woods, notwithstanding the coldness of the climate, there are innumerable parrots, and other birds of the most beautiful plumage.  I shot every day geese and ducks enough to serve my own table and several others, and every body on board might have done the same:  We had, indeed, great plenty of fresh provisions of all kinds, for we caught as much fish every day as served the companies of both ships.  As I was much on shore here, I tracked many wild beasts in the sand, but never saw one; we also found many huts or wigwams, but never met with an Indian.  The country between this port and Cape Forward, which is distant about four leagues, is extremely fine, the soil appears to be very good, and there are no less than three pretty large rivers, besides several brooks.[24]

[Footnote 23:  “In this part may be found a considerable quantity of excellent wood, either green or dry, the latter lying along the shore on both sides the straits, which are almost covered with the trees, that, having grown on the banks, have been blown down by the high winds.  These trees are somewhat like our birch, but are of so considerable a size, that the trunks of some of them are two feet (surely an error, yards must be intended) and a half in diameter, and sixty feet in length.  Many of these we cut down for our carpenters use, and found that, when properly dried, they were very serviceable, though not fit for masts.”  The bark named Winter’s in the text, is so called after Captain Winter, who discovered it in 1567.  It was long held a specific for scurvy, and is now commended in certain cases as an article in diet-drinks.  According to the work just now quoted, the sailors often used it in pies instead of spice, and found it palateable.—­E.]

[Footnote 24:  The other account gives a very spirited description of the scenery of this agreeable spot—­but it is too long for insertion here.—­E.]