72 



STATEN LAND. 



[1823.] 



by almost every navigator who has visited or passed it. * It did not, 

 however, present the same appalling aspect to the scientific Captain 

 Cook that it did to the more romantic Commodore Anson. That un- 

 speakable horror and wildness mentioned by the commodore were not 

 observed by the scientific gentlemen who accompanied the captain ; on 

 the contrary, to them the land appeared to be supplied with both wood 

 and verdure ; " nor was it covered with snow ; and on the north side 

 they saw the appearance of bays and harbours." 



Even our American commodore, the brave and undaunted Porter, in 

 his account of his passage to the Pacific Ocean, in the U. S. frigate 

 Essex, in the month of February, 1813, has added the weight of his 

 testimony to the dismal side of this question. Speaking of his pas- 

 sage through the little strait that separates this island from Terra del 

 Fuego, he says, " The land we first made, and attempted to weather, 

 was Cape San Diego, on the coast of Staten Land, and the appearance 

 was dreary beyond description. Perhaps, however, the critical situa- 

 tion of the ship, the foaming of the breakers, the violence of the wind, 

 and the extreme haziness of the weather, may, all combined, have 

 served to render the appearance more dreadful. But from the impres- 

 sion made by its appearance then, and from the description given by 

 others, I am induced to believe that no part of the world presents a 

 more horrible aspect than Staten hand.'''' 



Staten Land is certainly more steril than Terra del Fuego, across 

 the strait ; being, in general, one body of craggy sharp-pointed moun- 

 tains ; with the sea surging against it on all sides, with considerable 

 violence. But there are several very good harbours on the north-east 

 side. Among the best is New-year's Harbour, so called from being 

 discovered on that day. It is readily known by some islands that lie 

 about its entrance, a little to the eastward of which is the place of in- 

 gress. It is about two miles in length, and one in breadth ; penetrating 

 the land in a direction nearly S.W. by S., then gradually turning to 

 W. by S. and W. 



Here you may have any depth of water, from thirty fathoms to five, 

 with a bottom of mud and sand. Its shores abound with wood ana 

 fresh water, and a few seal of the fur and hair kinds are frequently 

 found on the beach. Scale-fish of various sorts may be caught with 

 hook and line, and sea-fowls shot in several directions. Fresh green 

 celery in its season can be had in any quantities, together with some 

 berries of an agreeable flavour. 



The harbour of St. John's, or East Harbour, is also a fine port for 

 a ship to procure wood and water, having an easy entrance (about four 

 miles to the westward of Cape St. John's), as you may pass within half 

 a cable's length of the shore until you come to the head of the har- 

 bour, where you can anchor in four or five fathoms, mud and clay bot- 

 toms, entirely land-locked. 



This island is about twelve leagues in length, lying E.N.E. and 

 W.S.W. In breadth it is unequal, but nowhere wide. Its north- 

 eastern extremity is called Cape St. John's, lying in latitude 54° 47' S. 

 long. 63° 41' 45" W 0 ; variation per azimuth 22° 58' easterly At 

 each end of this island there are very strong tide-rips, which have the 



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