the extreme point of East Falkland Island. At 2 p.m. we rounded the Seal rocks, which lie off the Cape, and bore away for Port Louis. By this time the wind had freshened from the north-east, and the fog soon afterwards came over so thick that we could not see above a quarter of a mile before us; but, guided by Captain Fitzroy's excellent chart, we ran up Berkeley Sound, without hesitation, and were fortunate in hitting the narrow entrance of Port Louis, in which we anchored soon after 5 p.m. in five fathoms, nearly opposite the settlement; but without having been seen by any of the inhabitants, owing to the thick fog which prevailed.
Mr. Hallett, the purser, was sent on shore to procure a supply of fresh beef and vegetables, with which he returned in less than an hour; and although we were all greatly disappointed at our letters from England not having yet arrived, we had the high gratification of learning, that Commander Crozier, Lieutenant Bird, Mr. Smith, mate, and Mr. Mowbray, clerk in charge of the Terror, had been promoted on the day my report reached the Admiralty of our first season's operations in the southern regions—an event which gave much pleasure to all their companions, by whom they were deservedly esteemed, and there was great rejoicing on the happy occasion.
As the services of these officers were indispensable to the expedition, I appointed Commander Bird as additional commander of the Erebus, and Lieutenant Smith into the vacancy thus occasioned;