176 ST XAVIER—DEATH OF SERJEANT. May 1828. 
that a crust’of ice, about the thickness of a dollar, had been 
formed in all parts of the harbour. The water at our anchorage 
being fresh at half-tide, was, no doubt, in favour of this rapid 
congelation. Lieutenant Skyring having completed the exami- 
nation of the harbour, we left it and steered between St. Xavier 
Island and the mainland, through a fine bold channel, nearly 
four miles wide, with a depth of more than thirty fathoms. 
The land on both sides is closely wooded, and rises into high 
mountains. About dusk we stood into Port Xavier, a little 
bight, with a sandy beach, on the eastern side of the island ; 
and, at a distance of two cables’ length from the beach, anchored 
for the night in seventeen fathoms. 
“ (26th). This sandy beach extended about half a mile be- 
tween the points of the bay, and, at fifty yards from the water, 
was bounded by thick woodland, which rose with a rapid ascent 
to the height of a thousand feet. The trees were like those in 
the neighbourhood of Port Otway, and were stout and well- 
grown. A tree, large enough for a frigate’s topmast, might be 
selected close to the shore. "The Winter’s-bark tree attains here a 
greater size than I had before seen. One, which was felled by our 
wood-cutters, measured eighty-seven feet in length, and was 
three feet five inches in circumference. Al] the trees were in full 
foliage and verdure, though the season corresponded to the lat- 
ter part of November in our northern latitudes. At the south 
end of the sandy beach was a stream of fresh water, several 
yards inwidth, and various waterfalls descended from the moun- 
tains. The shore to the southward was composed of fragments 
of granite, lying at the base of a lead-coloured clay cliff, at 
least three hundred feet in height. In this cliff the mountain- 
torrents had formed deep chasms, and strewed the beach 
with its débris, and with uprooted timber. ‘The only living 
creatures seen were steamer-ducks, king-fishers, and turkey- 
buzzards. 
** While on shore, I received a melancholy message, announ- 
cing the death of Serjeant Lindsey, of the Royal Marines. 
During the last few days he had suffered from inflammation 
of the bowels, which brought his existence to a close. 
