374 CAPE GLOUCESTER—EUSTON BAY. Jan. 1830. 
mile. The land at the bottom of the bay appeared to be dis- 
tant, and much broken. Indeed, from the Week Islands to 
Cape Gloucester,(f’) there is an almost innumerable succession 
of islands and rocks, without any continued tract of Jand, 
so that channels might be found in all directions; valuable, 
no doubt, to Fuegians in their canoes, but not often to seamen 
in ships, nor even to sealers; for where the natives go with 
their canoes, seals are never found in any numbers. 
“In crossing Breaker Bay, even with a moderate wind, there 
was a very cross and awkward sea, owing, doubtless, to the 
ocean swell rolling into this deep bight. Such a swell would 
add much to the difficulty which vessels might find in getting 
out of this bay: I should therefore recommend them to avoid 
it particularly. Cape Gloucester is a most remarkable promon- 
tory, which can never be mistaken, after seeing even an indif- 
ferent sketch of it. At a distance it makes like a mountain rising 
out of the sea, but, on approaching nearer to it, a narrow neck 
of land appears. 
“We found from twenty to thirty fathoms water, at the 
distance of a mile from the cape; and saw several outlymg 
breakers about half a mile off shore. From the steep and 
rocky nature of these coasts one would not expect to find sound- 
ings until close to the land: but on every outer part of this 
coast, that we have visited, the bottom may be reached with 
the sounding line. Some natives were seen under the cape, 
who made a large fire. We stood into two bights, looking for 
anchorage, but, finding only rocks and breakers, steered along 
shore, rounded Ipswich Island, and hauled into a spacious bay, 
at the northern side of which there appeared to be several 
openings like harbours. In working across, we were agreeably 
surprised to find it a continued roadstead, open only towards 
the S.E., and having regular soundings, from twenty to four- 
teen fathoms. We anchored about a mile from the entrance of 
what seemed to be a harbour, at the N.W. corner, having 
worked up against a fresh N.W. wind. Our anchor was 
dropped in sixteen fathoms, and held well. I went directly to 
(f) And thence to the Strait of Le Maire.—R. F. 
