April 1828, 



DANGERS GALE WET. 



163 



a-wash, and there were breakers that showed themselves only 

 occasionalljo Along this line the surf beat very heavily, and, 

 outside, a long rolling sea prevailed, in which the ship was 

 very uneasy, 



" This line of dangers is not altogether continuous ; for 

 there is an opening about two miles wide, abreast of Parallel 

 Peak, to the southward of which is a bight, where possibly a 

 harbour may exist ; but, considering the prevalence of heavy 

 westerly gales and thick weather, if there be one, few vessels 

 would venture to run for it ; and this line must, I should 

 think, be considered as a barrier that they ought not pass. As 

 seal are found on the rocks, vessels engaged in that trade 

 might not, perhaps, be deterred by these dangers, but every 

 other would give all this extent of coast a wide berth. We ran 

 past the breakers at the distance of about a mile, having rocky 

 soundings, from thirty to twenty-three fathoms. 



" The termination of the coast line northward was a high, 

 rugged island, with a small peak at the north end. The extre- 

 mity of the main land was rather a high bluff cape, whence 

 the coast extends southward, with craggy, mountainous peaks 

 and ridges, as far as Parallel Peak. At sunset, the N.W. end 

 of Campana bore north (magnetic), distant three leagues, and 

 from the mast-head I could see very distinctly the belt of rocks 

 and breakers extending uninterruptedly to the northward, as 

 far as the end of Campana. 



" We hauled off for the night, and had light variable airs, 

 or calms, until 2 a.m. of the 12th, when a breeze from the 

 northward sprung up, and freshened so rapidly, that by noon 

 we were again reduced to a close-reefed main-topsail and 

 foresail. The gale was accompanied, as usual, by incessant rain 

 and thick weather, and a heavy confused sea kept our decks 

 always flooded, 



" The effect of this wet and miserable weather, of which we 

 had had so much since leaving Port Famine, was too manifest 

 by the state of the sick list, on which were now many patients 

 with catarrhal, pulmonary, and rheumatic complaints. The 

 gale continued undiminished until the morning of the ISth, 



M 2 



