PORTER’S JOURNAL, 
169 
at the island of Plata; should it be in your way, look in there, 
and search the landing for marked trees, and a bottle containing 
a letter. 
If, on your way back from Albemarle, you can conveniently 
touch at Charles* island, do so, and search there for letters. 
I have the honour to be, respectfully, your obedient servant, 
(Signed) D. PORTER. 
Lieutenant John Downes , commanding the 
armed Prize-Ship. Georgiana . 
Lieutenant Downes made sail to double the south point of 
the large island, and I proceeded with my other prizes and the 
Barclay to the S.S.E, At meridian the weather cleared up, and, 
to my great surprize, I discovered first Gardner’s island, and a 
few minutes afterwards Charles* island, the latter bearing S S.W. 
We now perceived that we had passed between Barrington isl¬ 
and and a fine large island, which occupies the place given to 
Duncan’s and James’ islands on Colnet’s chart, and we were now 
convinced that no reliance whatever should be placed on Colnet’s 
survey, which has been drawn only from fancy or the incorrect 
information of others ; for no such islands as Duncan’s and 
James’ exist where he has placed them, nor has he any where 
traced an island bearing the slightest resemblance to the one , in 
question. I now bore away for Charles’ island, where I anchor¬ 
ed at 4 P. M., in 8 fathoms water, at the distance of 1J miles of 
the long sandy beach within the reef, the Devil’s Rock, or Rock 
Dismal, bearing E.N.E., and the west point of the island 
S.W. by W.; the bottom, however, appeared rocky, and on a 
closer examination of the harbour I found we should have lain in 
deeper water, with much better shelter and bottom, closer in 
shore; the prizes and Barclay followed us in, and anchored be¬ 
tween us and the beach. As soon as the ship was moored, I 
went on shore to examine the letter-box, but found no new pa¬ 
pers in it; I however saw unquestionable evidence of a vessel’s 
having been in the harbour since we had left it, for the cask of 
water, and the barrel of bread, and other articles, had been carried 
off, and no part of either remained but the hoops of the cask j 
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