430 Transactions. 



two of the brown parrakeet of New Zealand (Psittacus nestor), 

 a curious and rare bird, even in its own country. 



The long-boat had made during the morning three con- 

 secutive trips to the watering-place, which work was executed 

 with such ease and celerity that the water we were in want 

 of had been completed. The weather was still rainy in the 

 evening ; at night it cleared up, and the following morning 

 it was more passable. 



19th January. — At 8 a.m. I started in the whaleboat to 

 visit the bay of which I have already spoken, and which hence- 

 forth I will refer to under the name of ' Bay of Torrents." 

 I followed the coast northwards from our anchorage ; it offers 

 from 5 to 8 fathoms of water at a ship's length from the shore. 

 But it is necessary to avoid an isolated reef distant two cables 

 or more from the point N.E. of the entrance, and on which 

 M. Guilbert found only 10 ft. of water at high tide. . . . 

 After having followed the coast for a mile we found ourselves 

 off the south point of Torrents Bay, which is formed by a 

 narrow ridge of rocks that extend about 200 fathoms from 

 the land. A similar extension seems to take place at the N.E. 

 point ; it follows that the entrance to the basin is thereby re- 

 duced to at least half a mile in width, and the interior is thus 

 the better sheltered. Also, the sea is perfectly calm inside. 

 I found, and M. G-uilbert after me, a good bottom of mud, 

 diminishing from 45 ft. to 25 ft. from the entrance up to the 

 little bluff above the interior peninsula. Close to the shore, 

 nearly everywhere, not less than from 20 ft. to 25 ft. of water 

 is found. I recommend above all the southern bay, where 

 ships of our dimension or less will find one of the best anchorages 

 in the world, with 18 ft. to 20 ft. of water, and in front of a 

 fine beach, from which rises a gentle slope. 



Beyond the interior peninsula there is a kind of interior 

 bay, which at high water forms a large basin of 200 or 

 300 fathoms in diameter, but which dries mostly at low water, 

 90 that only a channel of 4ft. or 5ft. of water is left, formed 

 by the union of the three torrents which there discharge. I 

 went up the course of two of these streams for a distance of 

 one or two miles, and, although neither was deep, the water 

 there was as abundant as at their mouths. But, like all the 

 streams of the Oceanic isles, the courses of the streams become 

 confined, the slope rapid, and with enormous rocks which at 

 each instant encumber their beds, preventing the progress of 

 the most determined traveller. 



On the shore are found trees of an admirable height and 

 dimensions, which would be easy to work. The little margin of 

 tlat land which runs along the beach, and which has evidently 



