1765.
January.
Tuefday 15.
in honour of the earl, who was then Fir ft Lord o f the Admiralty
; and I think it is one o f the fineft harbours in the
world. The mouth o f it is S. E. diftant feven leagues from
the low rocky ifland, which is a good mark to know it b y .
within the ifland, and at the diftance o f about two miles
from the fhore, there is between feventeen and eighteen
fathom water; and about three leagues to the weftward o f
the harbour, there is a remarkable white fandy beach, off
which a fhip may anchor till there is an opportunity to run
in. In Handing in for this fandy beach, the two low rocky
iflands, which we foundit difficult to clear when the weather
obliged us to ftand off, appear to the eaftward, and Port
Egmont is about fixteen leagues from the north end o f thefe
iflands. We moored in ten fathom, with fine holding
ground. The northermoft point o f the weftern fhore was
diftant two miles and an half, the watering-place on that
fhore bore W.,N. W. 4 W, and was diftant half a mile, and
the iflands on the eaft fide bore E. by S. and were diftant
four miles. The whole navy o f England might vide here
in perfect fepurity from ah winds- Soon- after the fhip came
to an anchor, the other boat which had remained on fhore
when Mr, Hindman put off, came on board. In the fouth-
ermoft part of the harbour there are lèverai iflands, but
there is no paffage out for a fhip; I went, however, through
in my boat, about feven leagues diftant from where tire fhip
lay, and entered a large found, which is too much expofed
to a wefterjy wind for fhips to lie in- it fafely ; and the
Matter of the Tamar, who had been round in her boat, and
entered this found from without, reported that many.fhaals
lay off it, fo that i f the harhour was ever fo good, it would
not be prudent to attempt getting in. In every part o f Port
Egmont there is frefh water in the greateft plenty, and
geefe, ducks, fnipes, and other birds are fo numerous that
2 our
our people grew tired o f them: It was a common thing for 1765.
a boat to bring off fixty or feven ty fine geefe, without ex- , Ia°uar>--
pending a fingle charge o f powder and fhor, for the men
knocked down as many as they pleafed with ftones: wood
however, is wanting here, except a little that is found adrift
along the fhore, which I imagined came, from the Streight
o f Magellan. Among other re.frefhments, which are in the
higheft degree falutary to thole who have contracted foorlm-
tie diforders,: during a long voyage, here are wild celery,
and woodfforrel, in thegreateft abundance; nor is there any
want o f mufiels, clams, cockles, and limpets: the feats and
penguins are innumerable, fo that it is impoffible to walk
upon the beach without firft driving them away : and the
-coaft abounds with fea lions, many o f which are o f an enormous
fize. We found this animal very formidable; I was
once attacked by one o f them very unexpectedly, and it was
with the utmoft difficulty that I Could difengage myfelf from
him: at other times we had many battles with them, and it
has fometimes afforded a dozen o f us an hour’s work to dispatch
one o f them; I had with me a very fine maftifF dog,
and a bite o f one o f thefe creatures almoft tore him to pieces.
Nor were thefe the only dangerous animals that we found
here, for the Matter having heen fent out one day to found
the coaft upon the fouth fhore, reported, at his return, that
four creatures o f great fiercenefs, refembting wolves, ran up
to their bellies- in the water to attack the people in his'boat,
and that as- they happened to have no fire-arms with them,
they had immediately put the boat off into deep water. The
next morning after this happened,-1 went upon the foutliefn
lhore myfelf, where we found one of the largeft fea lions I
had ever feen: as the boat’s crew were now well armed,
they immediately engaged him, and durifrg the conteft one
of' the other animals was feen running' towards usr he-was
3 V ol. 1. . H fired