PORTER’S JOURNAL. 247 
This bay I called Rodgers’ Bay, and the island forming' it 
Rodgers’ Island, in honour of commodore Rodgers. The best 
anchorage is about the middle of the bay, in twelve fathoms water, 
where you lie well in the bank, where there is little or no dan¬ 
ger of drifting off. We lay too far out, and on the edge of the 
bank, where it was very steep ; our anchor, as I before observed, 
lay in nineteen fathoms, while our stern lay in twenty-seven ; we 
were moored with our ridge to the westward, the north-west 
point of the bay bearing west by south ; the north-west point of 
Rodgers’ Island east-north-east; the south x point east by south 
J south ; the west point of the south part of Chatham Island, 
north; the east point north by east | east; Barrington Island 
north-west by west ; and Charles* Island west-south-west. The 
wind, during the day, generally blew from the south-east, but at 
night it was calm; the tides set east-north-east and north-north- 
west, along the land, and the rise and fall was about ten feet. 
We here procured an abundance of fish alongside with the 
hook and line, but were not enabled to procure more than fifty tor¬ 
toises, and they small, but of a quality far superior to those found on 
James’ Island; they were similar in appearance to those of Charles’ 
Island, very fat and delicious. The vegetable productions were 
nearly the same as those of the other islands, and the island is 
evidently of volcanic origin, but it appears to have been a long 
time since it has suffered from their ravages. Few birds were 
found on this island, and they of the same description as those 
found on the others. We found a few lizards, but no snakes or 
guanas. We killed a few seals, and saw a number of turtle, but 
caught none; and on the most diligent search could find no fresh 
water. Wood is scarce, and what is to be found is very small 
and withered; and the whole island, and every thing on it, appears 
parched up and famished for the want of rain. 
We lay here until the 8th September, in hopes of the arrival 
of lieutenant Downes, or the appearance of some stranger, as this 
is the island which all whale-ships endeavour to make, running 
down for Albemarle between it and Chatham Island. On the 8th 
-1 prepared to weigh, but, previous to quitting the bay, sent on 
shore a letter for lieutenant Downes, similar to those left at 
