374 



CAPE GLOUCESTER — EUSTON BAY. Jail. 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, (/) there is an almost innumerable succession 

 of islands and rocks, without any continued tract of land, 

 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 outlying- 

 breakers about half a mile ofi 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. 



