SAILING DIRECTIONS. 
379 
a northerly or a southerly wind ; since, with the former, 
she can round Van Diemen’s Land, without suffering much 
detention, or materially lengthening her voyage. 
KING GEORGE THE THIRD’S SOUND was disco- 
vered by Captain Vancouver in the year 1791, on his cele- 
brated voyage to the North-west Coast of America. It 
offers an excellent resort for vessels, and is convenient for 
all the purposes of refitting, wooding, and watering. The 
natives are friendly ; the banks of Oyster Harbour afford 
a large abundance of oysters and other shell-fish, and the 
harbours and rivers are well-stocked with fish and birds. 
There are many convenient anchorages in the sound ; the 
best place for a large ship, when it is necessary to refit the 
rigging at the same time that she is completing her wood 
and water, is Princess Royal Harbour; but for a small 
vessel, not drawing more than eleven feet. Oyster Har- 
bour is preferable, because she is secured to within one 
hundred yards of the shore, and therefore better situated for 
the protection of her people at their occupations from the 
natives, who are numerous, and will daily visit them. But, 
for a ship only wanting fuel and water, there is a sandy bay 
in the south-west corner of the sound, in which two or three 
streams of excellent water run into the sea over the sand, 
from which a ship might complete her hold in a day or two, 
by digging a well to collect it. Wood may also be procured 
at this place, but not of so large a size, or perhaps of so 
good a quality as at other parts. This bay is readily found, 
by its being the first to the westward of a rocky point, that 
projects from some remarkable bare sand hillocks, as also 
from its being the second sandy beach to the westward of 
the low flat rocky islet at the back of Seal Island. 
The anchorage is good, being a bottom of sand and 
A. 
Sect. VI 
S. Coast 
