36^ TIDAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Singular to say, at 3, p.m., I observed the latitude 

 by a meridian altitude of Venus, although a bright 

 sunny day. The result agreed with Captain King's 

 chart, placing the centre of the island in lat. 1 1° 28' 

 S. We experienced more tide here than at any 

 anchorage we had yet occupied during the passage. 

 From ] to 5, p.m., it set half an knot an hour to the 

 southward, then changed to N. W. by N., increas- 

 ing its rate to one knot by 10 o'clock, and decreas- 

 ing it to a quarter of a knot by 2, a.m., when it 

 again set to the S. S. W. The stream thus appears 

 to set nine hours N. W. by N. and three S. S. W. 

 The short duration of the latter, which is the ebb, is 

 caused by the northerly direction of the prevailing 

 current. This also was the only spot where our 

 fishermen had any success ; in a few hours several 

 dozen of a species of small red bream being caught. 



Three or four ships passing together would find 

 a secure berth about two miles N. N. E. of where 

 the Beagle anchored, where the depth is moderate, 

 with good holding ground. It has great advantage 

 in this particular over Cairncross, where but one 

 vessel could lie snug, and still greater over Turtle 

 Island, more exposed even than the former with a 

 strong tide, and where vessels ride very uneasily. 

 Moreover the supposed Boyd^in, or No. 1 isle, can be 

 left a full hour before daylight, there being nothing 

 in the way to impede a ship's progress for some 

 miles. Those who are not desirous of passing the 

 reefs off Wednesday and Hammond Islands, late 



