571 
xclth Observations on its Importance^ <^c. 
proved it to be an island, or rather a large barren rock, inhabi- 
ted only by innumerable penguins : he sounded, and in 40 fa- 
thoms found a bottom of fine black sand : he hauled in for the 
same island, till it bore E. by S. ; having sounded when in 60 
fathoms, he procured the same bottom of black sand. During 
the night, he hauled off for security to the northward, but at 
day-light next morning he again stood in for the island : he 
could now distinguish it perfectly at the distance of 3 leagues; he 
sounded in 95 fathoms, and brought up fine sand and ooze. At 
8 A. M. the weather being very clear, he could plainly distin- 
guish the mainland, bearing S. S. E., the island being distant 
from it about 3 leagues. The mainland presented itself as a 
cape, to which the coast tended in a N. E. direction, having pe- 
culiar marks, of which he took rough sketches : he stood in, and 
ran along the land as far as the point, to which he gave the name 
of North Foreland, A, PI. XII. Fig. 2. obtaining all the way re- 
gular soundings of sand and gravel, lessening gradually from 35 to 
20 fathoms ; the bottom was good and regular. He now haul- 
ed in for the cape, and proceeded, within 3 leagues, more easter- 
ly ; the island now bearing N. W., distance 7 leagues, and ob- 
serving the appearance of a good harbour, he sent a boat’s crew 
and his first mate on shore, where they planted a board with 
the Union-jack, and an appropriate inscription, with three 
cheers, taking possession in the name of the King of Great Bri- 
taim To the mainland was given at first the name of New 
South Britain ; but as that title, it was suggested, might lead to 
confusion with other places, Mr Smith changed its name to New 
South Shetland^ on account of its lying in about the same lati- 
tude as the Shetland Islands. The coast here was barren and 
rocky, and from the description I could obtain from the mate, 
I should suspect it to be chlorite-slate or schistose hornblende. 
The land was high, disposed in strata, offering projecting knots, 
dipping westerly, the highest points being covered wdth snow, 
particularly the peak of a very lofty hill marked E. in the chart, 
remarkable for a large black spot mid- way up the snowy height. 
At the place of landing the spot was barren, being stony, not of 
rounded pebbles, but of bluish-grey slaty pieces, varying in size 
from very large to very small. The harbour appeared to pro- 
ceed inland as far as the eye could reach ; and to afibrd 
