of the coast line, caused by the heavy southerly swell, was rendered more remarkable by the black cliffs against which it was beating.
Nov. 11.On the afternoon of the llth, being in latitude 54° 18′ S., and longitude 60° W., and near the danger called Burdwood Rock on the Admiralty chart, we hove to and obtained soundings in fifty fathoms; but we could not see the rock, nor any appearance of broken water, although the weather was clear, and the sea sufficiently rough for breakers to be visible at a considerable distance. The remainder of the day was spent in sounding and surveying the Burdwood Bank, which we traced between twelve and thirteen miles to the eastward, before darkness put an end to our examination.
The least depth of water we found upon it was twenty-four fathoms, the shoal forming a narrow ridge of volcanic rock, lying nearly east and west, the soundings rapidly increasing in depth on either side of the ridge, and consisting of coarse sand, small stones, and shells. The colour of the sea was observed to be a deep brown over the bank, some large patches of seaweed (macrocystis) were seen as we approached it, and the line of the bank was marked by a rough ripple upon the surface.
Ten miles to the northward we sounded in eighty fathoms on fine black sand; and thirty miles further to the north we had no soundings with three hundred fathoms.
Nov. 12.The next morning at 6 o'clock Beauchêne Island was seen, and we hove to off Cape Pembroke at