448 PRESERVATION ISLAND. 



vation Island, lying between the western extreme of 

 Clarke and Barren Islands ; it owes its name to the 

 preservation of the crew of a ship run ashore upon 

 it in a sinking state. The value of the shelter this 

 anchorage affords is in some measure destroved by 

 the presence of a sand-bank extending, off three 

 miles from the eastern side of Preservation Island. 

 Two small rocky islets lie a mile and a half off the 

 western side of the latter, and several ugly rocks are 

 scattered along the face of Barren Island, and as far 

 as Chappell Group ; on the outer isle of this gi'oup, 

 which is low and level, the lighthouse bearing 

 N. 60° W. fifteen miles and a half forms a very 

 conspicuous object, and is visible to the eye in clear 

 weather from the top of Preservation Island. 

 Over the northern point of the latter, towers the 

 summit of Barren Island, forming a sort of double 

 mount 2300 feet high. 



I found Preservation Island inhabited by an 

 old sealer of the name of James Monro, generally 

 known as the King of the Eastern Straitsmen. 

 Another man and three or four native women com- 

 pleted the settlement, if such a term may be applied. 

 They lived in a few rude huts on a bleak flat, with 

 scarce a tree near, but sheltered from the west by 

 some low granite hills ; a number of dogs, goats and 

 fowls constituted their live stock. In this desolate 

 place Monro had been for upwards of twenty- 

 three years ; and many others have lived in 

 similar situations an equally long period. It is 



