378 TRAVELS IN 
the station. Being a lee port, the chances are greatly 
against their being able to work up to Table Bay, and still 
less to Sald-anha Bay, to afford any assistance in the event 
of an attack by an enemy's fleet ; which, without any inter- 
ruption or molestation, might disembark troops, and laud 
artillery, stores, and ammunition at Robben Island, or any 
of the windward bays. 
This being the case, it would seem more desirable that the 
ships of war upon the station should winter in Saldanha Bay, 
being not only a windward port with respect to Cape Town, 
but one of the best harbours, perhaps, in the whole world. 
It extends in length near fifteen miles, in the direction of the 
coast, which is about north by east, and south by west ; and 
the entrance into it is near the northern end, through a ridge 
of granite hills, moderately high. In this entrance are three 
rocky islands, two of which, named Jutten and Malagas, 
are partly without ; and the third of flat naked rock, called 
Marcus, is directly in the mouth of the passage, about three 
quarters of a mile from the northern, and a little more than 
a mile from the southern points of land, forming the entrance. 
These two points and the island being once fortified, would 
render the bay inaccessible to an enemy's fleet. To the 
southward of the entrance, and within the bay, are two other 
islands, called the Schaapen and the Mewen. Between these 
is a narrow passage into the south angle of the bay, which 
is called the Laguna, or lake, where cutters, schooners, 
fishing ships, and all kinds of small craft, to almost any 
amount, might lie as securely as in a dock. On the north 
side of these two islands is also good and safe anchorage for 
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