EXPLORING PARTY IN BOATS. 121 



which, up to this point, forms nature's barrier against 

 the sea. Beyond it, the coast assumes a low and 

 treacherous character, and subsides into a deep 

 bay, called by Captain King, not without reason, 

 Disaster Bay. 



From the mast-head, from whence I hoped to get 

 a wide view of the unknown waters we were about to 

 explore, I could just see A^alentine Island, bearing 

 S.S.E. about 17 miles. Its lofty extremities alone 

 being visible, it had the appearance of two islands. 



Here, then, a really most interesting, — nay, a 

 most exciting, — portion of the duties of the survey 

 were to commence in earnest ; and it was reserved 

 for us to take up the thread of discovery reluctantly 

 abandoned by our enterprising and scientific pre- 

 decessor, at the moment when the prize was almost 

 within his grasp. *it was forthwith determined, that 

 Captain Wickham and Mr. Fitzmaurice should 

 collect the necessary materials for completing the 

 survey, and preparing the chart of the bay in the im- 

 mediate neighbourhood of the ship ; while to myself 

 the whale boat and yawl were to be entrusted ; nor 

 can I describe with what delight, all minor annoy- 

 ances forgotten, I prepared to enter upon the ex- 

 citing task of exploring waters unfurrowed by 

 any preceding keel ; and shores, on which the 

 advancing step of civilization had not yet thrown the 

 shadows of her advent, nor the voice of that Chris- 

 tianity, which walks by her side through the utter- 

 most parts of the earth, summoned the wilderness 



