TENCH'S, AND OTHER ISLANDS. 65 



chiefly conspicuous from its tall trees, rising as 

 it were from the surface of the sea. It is 

 situated in lat. 1 39' S., long. 151 31' E., and 

 was discovered in 1790, by Lieut. Ball, who 

 states that it is inhabited by a stout and healthy 

 race of people. On the evening of the same 

 day, (Tench's Island being still visible,) Kerue's 

 Island, and Mathias, or Prince William Henry's, 

 Island, were seen in the N. W. The latter, 

 which is the westernmost of the two islands, is 

 large, elevated, and covered with verdure ; its 

 western extremity terminating as a long, low, 

 and well-wooded point. The three islands last 

 mentioned, appear to have been laid down with 

 extreme accuracy by Lieut. Ball. On the 16th, 

 we saw the Anchorite Islands, bearing S. W., 

 distant fifteen miles ; and found in their vicinity 

 a current, setting to the S. W. 



During a calm, in lat. 66' S., long. 140 E., 

 several logs of drift-wood were seen floating 

 within a short distance of the ship. We went 

 in a boat to the largest, and found it an entire 

 tree, more than sixty feet in length, covered 

 with weeds, barnacles, Unices, and crabs, and 

 much perforated by the ship-borer (Teredo 

 navalis.) In the water around was assembled a 

 vast number of fish, chiefly yellow-tails, (Elaga- 



VOL. II. F 



