420 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



known, that ever landed on this desolate island. As the summer season was fast drawing to a 

 close we concluded to sail immediately to Desolation Island, and, with our tenders, the schooners 

 Atlas and Mechanic, return to Heard's Island and secure some oil. It is only about 300 miles 

 from one island to the other, so that by the first of February we had returned to the new land and 

 anchored in a small bay that we called Corinthian Harbor. The next morning we found that our 

 ship had dragged anchor and was almost aground. With much difficulty we got her into deeper 

 water, and having made her as secure as possible with heavy riding anchors, sent ashore about 

 thirty men to examine the place and kill the elephants. We remained at the island about a week, 

 our men going ashore each morning and returning to the vessel at night. There were thousands 

 of the animals upon the sandy beaches, so that there was little difficulty in getting all we wanted. 

 After securing about 500 barrels of the blubber we sailed for- Desolation Island and tried it out. 

 As soon as possible we sent word of our good luck to our agents, Messrs. Perkins & Smith, at New 

 London, Conn., and they purchased the ship Laurens, which was thoroughly equipped, and, under 

 command of Capt. Frank Smith, sailed for this land in September, 1855. The island was fully 

 explored by Captain Smith and his men, all the headlands and bays named, and a rough map 

 drawn. A full cargo of elephant oil was obtained, and in May, 1857, the Laurens arrived home at 

 New London with about 4,700 barrels of elephant oil and 500 barrels of whale oil, the entire cargo 

 being valued at $130,000." 



Heard's Island is about 300 miles to the southward of Desolation, and 2,500 miles southeast of 

 the Cape of Good Hope, in about the same latitude as the Straits of Magellan. It stretches in a 

 general direction about northwest and southeast. Its greatest length is about 20 miles, and great- 

 est breadth about 6 miles. Its area is about 80 square miles. It is of irregular form, somewhat 

 in the shape of a boot with the sole at the southeastern end. 



Near the central part of the island a snow-clad peak, known as Big Ben, rises to the height of 

 5,800 feet, while a large part of the island is covered with ice, making it difficult to transport 

 articles from one part to another. There are many sandy beaches, bluffs, and bays, appropriately 

 named by the sealers, either from some peculiar characteristics of the place or in honor of vessels 

 or sealing captains. At one extremity of the island is Cape Laurens, a perpendicular cliff of rocks 

 named in honor of the sealing bark Laurens, of New London. 



Along the northerly side of the island, commencing at the northwestern end, are Corinthian 

 Bay, Whisky Bay, and Morgan's Bay. On the west side of Corinthian Bay are perpendicular 

 cliffs. Near the extremity of these cliffs is Shanghai Beach, small in extent. On the easterly 

 side of the bay are rough rocks, called Reef Rocks. This is the principal anchorage for the ves- 

 sels, and, compared with the other bays, is well sheltered. A high headland, known as Rodger's 

 Head, separates Corinthian from Whisky Bay. The latter bay is quite exposed to the sea, so that 

 vessels must have very heavy riding gear. A few miles off shore from Whisky Bay is a small 

 cluster of rocks, called Shag Rocks, where large numbers of penguins collect. In standing in 

 toward Whisky Bay in a vessel the island appears to be divided into two parts until you pass 

 Shag Rocks. This appearance is caused by the low land from the head of the bay across to the 

 other side of the island. 



Saddle Point forms the eastern side of Whisky Bay. Morgan's Point is on the western side of 

 Morgan's Bay, a very slight indentation of the coast to the eastward of Whisky Bay. On the 

 southerly side of the island there are no bays or good anchorage for vessels, nor is there a safe 

 lauding place for boats, the whole side being very much exposed to the wind and waves. 



The hauling places tor sea-elephants on the island are the sandy beaches. There are several 

 of these on both sides of the island. The most important on the north side are Stony Beach 



