PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
151-1 
the supposed sails proved to be only white appearances on the 
shore. Still, however, we did not despair ; we had not yet exa¬ 
mined the bason; perhaps it might contain some vessels; and, as 
we were now only about five miles from it, lieut. Downes was 
dispatched to reconnoitre, as well as to see if it was a suitable 
situation for us to refit the ship in, and fill up our wood, and as¬ 
certain what quantity of water could there be obtained. He did 
not get in until after sundown, and returned to the ship at 1 
o’clock in the morning; and, to complete our disappointment, re¬ 
ported that he had seen no vessels. The account he gave of the 
bason was such as to induce me to believe it would be a secure 
harbour for the ship, as he made a favourable report of the depth 
of water and anchorage; but as it was night, he could form but 
an imperfect notion of the form of the harbour, nor could he give 
me any account of the watering-place, as he was not able to find it. 
He was equally uninformed whether we should there be enabled 
to get wood ; I therefore, to remove all doubts in my own mind, 
determined to visit it myself; and, as the moon was now rising, 
directed my boat to be prepared, and started from the ship, arriv¬ 
ing at the bason at sunrise, which I found every thing that could 
be desired to afford perfect security for a ship of the largest size. 
The art of man could not have formed a more beautiful bason, 
which is at the entrance about three cables’ length over, and gradu¬ 
ally enlarges to five cables’ length, terminating in a round bottom. 
The whole is surrounded by high cliffs, except at the very bot¬ 
tom, where is the only landing for boats, at a small ravine, having 
three fathoms water along side of the rocks, which, from every 
side to the middle, gradually deepens to twelve fathoms, and has 
every where a clear, dark, sandy bottom, free from rocks and 
every other danger. Vessels should moor here head and stern, 
and when bound in should keep mid-channel, and choose their 
distance from the shore and depth of water ; but as they may be 
liable to be deceived, from the great height of the hills, it would 
be advisable to send in a boat to anchor a buoy at the spot where 
the ship should let go her anchor. We saw here an abundance of 
fish and green turtle, and on landing found both the sea and land 
guanas, lizards, a small gray snake, and a considerable variety 
