Some weeds swam by us so that we did
not doubt but we should quickly see land. On the 27th also some weeds
swam by us, and the birds that had flown along with us all the way almost
from Brazil now left us, except only 2 or 3 shearwaters. On the 28th we
saw many weeds swim by us and some whales, blowing. On the 29th we had
dark cloudy weather with much thunder, lightning, and violent rains in
the morning; but in the evening it grew fair. We saw this day a
scuttle-bone swim by us, and some of our young men a seal, as it should
seem by their description of its head. I saw also some bonetas, and some
skipjacks, a fish about 8 inches long, broad, and sizable, not much
unlike a roach; which our seamen call so from their leaping about.
ANOTHER ABROLHO SHOAL AND STORM, AND THE AUTHOR'S ARRIVAL ON PART OF NEW
HOLLAND.
The 30th of July, being still nearer the land, we saw abundance of
scuttle-bones and seaweed, more tokens that we were not far from it; and
saw also a sort of fowls, the like of which we had not seen in the whole
voyage, all the other fowls having now left us. These were as big as
lapwings; of a grey colour, black about their eyes, with red sharp bills,
long wings, their tails long and forked like swallows; and they flew
flapping their wings like lapwings.
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