harbour whilst we were there, and from such a situation the fishery might be pursued with very great advantage.
'We arrived there in the spring of the year, November being equivalent to the latitude of Hobart Town. We found a very great difference in the temperature, amounting to about 10° of the thermometer, but still greater to our feelings, owing to the increased humidity of the atmosphere, the temperature of the dew-point being nearly the same in both places. It cannot, however, be considered severe, when we remember that in England, which is very nearly in the same latitude, the mean temperature for April, the corresponding month, is 46°.[1] Our stay was too short to justify any further remarks on the climate of these islands; but a series of well-conducted observations, continued for two or three years, could not fail to prove highly interesting and important to the advancement of meteorological science.'
Sir James Ross made the islands during a fog, and had some difficulty in rounding to the northward. 'As we opened the harbour the squalls came down the western hills with much violence, threatening to blow us out to sea again, and it required the utmost vigilance and activity of the officers and crew in beating up at times to maintain the ground we had gained. There is, however, ample space, and no concealed dangers. The belts of sea-weed which line the shore and rocks point out the shallow or dangerous parts. After five hours of hard contending with the fierce westerly squalls, we anchored at 1 p.m., November 20th, 1840, in a small cove on the west shore, in 10 fathoms.'
Captain Wilkes says—'The harbour of Sarah's Bosom is not the most secure. That of Laurie's is protected from all winds, and has a large and fine streamlet of water at its head. The rocks are covered with limpets, and small
- ↑ At the Auckland Islands, during Ross's stay, the average temperature was 45° 27′.
