1764. ward, thé wind blowing off the land very hard, and Caw fe-
November. p ^ g ,r . v— jp----' veral large .coLjinsms o f fnaoke rifiog in many places, but no
Monday 19. tree OJ. bufh, the country rcfembüng in appearance the harren
downs of England, We ©,bfery_ed alfo that the water was
frequently very ftxallow at the difiance o f Teven or .eight
miles from the Chore, for we had many times not more-than
ten fathom*
We continued to Hand along the Chore all day as near as
poflible, and in the evening we faw an illa-nd at the diftanee
Tuefday 20. of about fix leagues; in the morning we flood in for it, and
found that it correfponded with Narborough’s defcription of
Penguin ifland. As Port Defire is faid to lie about three
leagues north weft o f this ifland, I fent the boat to look for
it, and when die returned, having found it, I flood in for the
land. There were thoufands o f Teals and penguins about
the Chip, and near Penguin Ifland feveral fmaller iflands, or
rather rocks. In the evening, we faw a remarkable rock,
riling from the water like a fteeple, on the fouth fide o f the
entrance of Port Defire; this rock is an excellent mark to
know the harbour, which it would otherwife be difficult to
find. At night, there being little wind, we anchored at the
diftanee o f four or five miles from the Chore; and in the
Wednef. 21. morning, with a breeze from the land, we turned up the
harbour’s mouth; we found it very narrow, with many
rocks and Choals about it, and the moft rapid tide I had ever
known. I came to' an anchor off the harbour in nine fathom,
the entrance» o f the river being open, and bearing
W. S.W.; Penguin Ifland S.E. -J.E. diftant about three leagues;
the Steeple rock S. W. by W .; the northermoft land N. N. W .;
and two rocks, which are covered at half tide, and lie at the
fouthermoft extremity o f a reef which runs from the fame
land, N. E. by N. I mention all thefe bearings particularly,
becaufe I think it may be of importance to future navigators,
9 - efpecially
efpecially as the defcriptions that have'been given of this 1764.
plaice, by th e f e * who Jrive already vifited it, are,extremely ,November-.
defective. The wind blew very hard the greater part of this Wednef- ZI-
dajy, and there ran an ugly fea where we were ftationed, yet
I ordered out two boats to found the harbour, and attended
ifl my ctwn boat m-yfelf. We found it very narrow for near
two miles-, with a tide running at the rate of eight miles an
h our: we found a-lfo many rocks and Ihoals, but all the
danger Chows itfelf above water. When we came to the Chore,
I landcdvand walked a little way into the country, which as
far as I could, fee was all downs, without a Angle tree1 or
fh-rubi We faw the dung o f many beafts, alnd- had a glimpfe
o f four,, which ran away as foon as We came in-fight, fo that
w e could not certainly determine what they were ; but we
beliewd them to be Guanico'es, many of which we after-
.Wards faw come down to1 the water fide: they refemble our
deer,- but are much larger, the height of fome being not lefs
than thirteen hands; they are very Chy, and very fwift.
After I returned to- my boat, I went farther up the harbour,
and landed upon an ifland' that was covered with feals, of
which we; killed above fifty, and among them many that;
were larger than a- bullock,, having before half loaded our
boat with different kinds of birds-, of which, and feals, there-,
are enough to fupply the navy of England. Among the
birds one was very remarkable; the head refembled that of
art' eagle, except- that it had a large- comb upon i t ; round,
the neck there was a white ruff, ex-adtly fefembling a lady’s-
tippet; the feathers on the back were as black, as-jet-, and as
bright as the fineft poliilf could render that mineral.: the legs
were remarkably ftrong and large, the talons were like
thofe of an eagle, except that they were not fo Charp, and;
the wings, when they were extended, meafured, from point:
to point, no lefs than twelve feet.
The