230 



PORTER\S JOURNAL. 



north end of Porter's Island, which we have called Bain* 

 bridge's Rocks. At night the weather became thick and 

 hazy ; and at ten o'clock, supposing myself nearly up with 

 Chatham Island, I hove to, with the ship's head to the S. W, 

 In the morning the Kicker Rock, which lies off the mouth 

 of Stephen's Bay, bearing E. N. E., distant about ten miles, 

 I made sail for it, and at nine A. M. anchored in Stephen's 

 Bay, in twelve fathoms water, sandy bottom, the Kicker 

 Rock bearing W. half N., Dalrymple Rock S. W. by S., the 

 west point of the bay S. W. half S., and the north point 

 N. N. E. In running in, we passed to the north of the Kicker 

 Rock, at the distance of two cables' length, and obtained 

 110 bottom with thirty fathoms of line. 



This rock is very remarkable in its appearance, and is 

 the surest mark for finding the bay. It is very high, flat on 

 the top, and from some points bears strongly the appear - 

 ance of a castle. On the western side the rock is split front 

 the summit to the base, and the part detached stands like au 

 obelisk on a very narrow base, and from its slender appear- 

 ance seems as if ready to tumble down at every breeze. 

 The bay is capacious, well sheltered from the prevailing 

 Avinds, and there is good landing on several small white 

 sandy beaches. To the northwest of our anchorage is a 

 small cove, which would afford good shelter for vessels not 

 drawing more than ten feet water. W e found here sea tur- 

 tle in the greatest abundance, and of a most excellent qua- 

 lity, of which we took on board as many as we could stow- 

 away, some of them weighing upwards of three hundred 

 weight. They were found always at low water, lying on 

 the small sandy beaches below the rocks. We killed also a 

 number of seals, the skins of which v^^ere very serviceable 

 to us as mockasons, made after the manner of those of the 

 North American Indians, and were a very good substitute 

 for shoes, of which we began to stand in need. Our sea- 

 men converted them into caps, hats, and various other arti- 

 cles of use to them. We obtained here a large quantity of 

 prickly pears, of a size far exceeding any I had hitherto met 

 with. They were found on low trees, growing among the 

 hard beds of lava which skirt tiic bay, and were gathered 

 in quantities more than sufficient for the supply of the whole 

 ship's company, some of them of the size of an orange, and 

 nearly equal to that fruit in excellence. Their juJce. when 



