LEAVE PORT GEORGE THE FOURTH. 217 



The same evening the Lynher was moved round to 

 Port George the Fourth — thus affording us an oppor- 

 tunity of welcoming all our former fellow-voyagers 

 once more on hoard the Beagle ; where we spent 

 one of those delightful evenings, known only to those 

 who have been long separated from the rest of the 

 world. 



On the 9th we left Port George the Fourth on 

 our return to Swan River, in company with the 

 Lynher, in which Lieut. Grey and his party had 

 arranged to proceed to the Mauritius. A finer port 

 than this, in some respects, can hardly be imagined. 

 Like Hanover Bay, over which, however, it possesses 

 the advantage of an easier access from the sea, it 

 affords safe anchorage, abundance of fresh water, 

 plenty of fuel, and a fine beach for the seine : but 

 the numerous islands and reefs which skirt this 

 coast greatly reduce the value of both these har- 

 bours. The Master of the Lynher told me of cer- 

 tain tidal phenomena remarked by him during his 

 protracted visit to Hanover Bay : he had noticed 

 that the hiofhest tides alwavs occurred on the fourth 

 day after the full or change of the moon, and that 

 they then attained a maximum height of twenty -five 

 feet ; while during the neaps the difference between 

 high and low water sometimes did not exceed twenty- 

 four inches ! 



Durino- the short time that we were in this neiofh- 

 bourhood, the prevailing winds were from S.E. and 

 to E. from after midnight till noon, and from W. to 



