406 



STEWART HARBOUR- — DORIS COVE. Feb. 18S0. 



noticed, that there are two rocks nearly in the middle of the 

 harbour, which are just awash at high water. A heavy swell 

 is generally found outside, owing to the comparatively shallow 

 water, in which there are soundings to about three miles from 

 the Cape. In the entrances are fi*om ten to twenty fathoms, 

 therefore if the wind should baffle, or fail, an anchor may be 

 dropped at any moment. 



" In my last search among the Gilbert Islands, I found a 

 good harbour for shipping, conveniently situated for carrying 

 on the survey, in a place which otherwise I should certainly 

 have overlooked : and to that harbour I decided on proceeding. 



" For two miles to the eastward of Stewart Harbour, the 

 shore projects, and is rocky and broken, then it retreats,, 

 forming a large bay, in which are the Gilbert Islands, and 

 many rocky islets. We passed between Gilbert and Stewart 

 Islands, anchored at noon under a point at the west entrance 

 of the passage, and in the afternoon moved the Beagle to Doris 

 Cove, and there moored her. 



" I had decided to build another boat as quickly aspossible^ 

 for I found it so much the best way to anchor the vessel in a 

 safe place and then work with the boats on each side, that 

 another good one was most necessary. Our cutter required 

 too many men, and was neither so handy, nor could she pull ta 

 windward so well as a whale-boat ; and our small boat was 

 only fit for harbour duty. The weather on this coast was gene- 

 rally so thick and blov/ing, as not to admit of any thing like 

 exact surveying while the vessel was under sail : the swell 

 alone being usually too high to allow of a bearing being taken 

 within six or eight degrees : and the sun we seldom saw. If 

 caught by one of the very frequent gales, we might have been 

 blown so far to the eastward that I know not how much time 

 would have been lost in trying to regain our position. These 

 coasts, which are composed of islands, allow boats to go a long 

 distance in safety, and, from the heights near the sea, rocks 

 and breakers may be seen, and their places ascertained, much 

 better than can possibly be done at sea. For building a new 

 boat we had all the materials on board, except prepared plank ; 



