progress towai'ds our destination (Chatham Island) this day
(9th). The winds appear to be much lighter and more variable,
to leeward of the archipelago, while the current is considerably
stronger.* We got pretty close to Chatham Island at
dusk, worked to windward during the night, and on the following
morning stood along the weather shore towards the
watering place.
Ilth . How remarkably different is the climate of the windward
and leeward islands of this group ! Here we were enveloped
by clouds and drizzling fog, and wore cloth clothes. At
Tagus Cove and James Island, a hot sun, nearly vertical, overpowered
u s ;—while the south side of Albemarle, Charles, and
Chatham Islands, were almost always overshadowed by clouds,
and had frequent showers of rain. We anchored close to the
watering place: hut it appeared strange to remain at anchor in
such a spot, only three cables’ lengths from a surf breaking
high upon a steep cliffy shore, with nothing but the ocean
between us and the antarctic ; and such was our position ; yet it
was a safe one, because the great south-west swell of the
Pacific is interrupted by Hood Island, and the southerly trade,
or perennial wind is so moderate, that it has neither power to
raise a sea nor to harm a vessel lying at anchor, if her ground
tackle is not defective.
The 12th was spent in filling water, washing, cutting some
wood, and bringing thirty large terrapin on board. These
animals abound hereabouts ; and some are very large, deserving
the name of elephant-tortoises. Two of our party tried to
reach the higher and thickly wooded part of the island, but
found their task impracticable, in so short a time as they could
spare, for the wood grows impenetrably thick, though none is
straight or of a large size. The upper grounds have a rich
loamy soil, lying upon rock, in which the terrapin wallow like
hogs, and may be found by dozens. This was a very hard
day’s work for so few men as were then on hoard our small
vessel. (ISth) We had some difficulty in ‘ casting,’ so as to
• It appears that the Norfolk Island of Colnett, is the north-east
extreme of Indefatigable Island.
I
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