Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 1.djvu/218

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138
RENDEZ-VOUS HARBOUR
[Chap. VI.
1840

Auckland's (my friend through my father), and is situated according to my observation at noon in lat, 50° 48′ S., and long. 166° 42″ E., by a distance of the sun and moon, I had at half-past 10 a.m. The land is of a moderate height, and from its appearance I have no doubt but it will afford a good harbour in the north end, and I should suppose lies in about the latitude of 50° 21′ S., and its greatest extent is in a N.W. and S.E. direction. This place I should suppose abounds with seals, and sorry I am that the time and the lumbered state of my ship do not allow me to examine."

Captain Bristow again visited these islands in 1807, in the ship Sarah, also belonging to Messrs. Enderby: he then took formal possession of them and landed some pigs, which have increased in numbers in a surprising manner.

I have not been able to refer to the log-book of the Sarah: but the names on the annexed survey are taken from a plan of the Island published by the Admiralty in 1823, from information derived from Captain Bristow.

The group consists of one large and several smaller islands, separated by narrow channels. The largest island is about thirty miles long, and its extreme breadth is about fifteen miles. It contains two principal harbours, whose entrances are both from the eastward, and whose heads or terminations reach within two or three miles of the western coast, and only five or six miles from each other. Rendez-vous Harbour, which is at the north extreme of the island, contains several secure an-