at Saddle Hill Inlet (marked on another chart as Norman’s Inlet). At the head of this inlet (right hand fork) is a pass or gorge, which runs through to the West Coast, not more than three or four miles across, down which Pass anyone on that side would naturally take in order to arrive at the East Coast. I placed the case and a spade on a shelf of rocks, under an overhanging cliff close to the beach, thatching it well above and around. In front of it, facing the inlet, a board sixteen feet long (lettered), raised fifteen feet from the ground. We had some difficulty in securing it, the natural advantages not being great. A letter was left here. When abreast of the entrance to the bay on our return, we landed at the point and climbed on top of the cliff, overlooking it some 150 feet. We left here a board with the finger extended, pointing off the entrance to Perseverance Harbor, and as up the bay, Thus ended our work at Auckland Islands. As Mr Baker, the Chief Surveyor, furnished your Honor with a report in 1865, on the physical geography, geological formation and resources of these Islands, it is unnecessary for me to touch on these subjects, the more so, as I believe Mr Baker to have been accurate in his statements. I am of opinion that a man might be away on a very much worse shore than the Auckland Islands. The pigs have overrun the whole Middle Island (a finer breed of wild ones I have never seen), having these, the seals, numerous sea-birds, of wild fowl, grey duck, and widgeon, rabbits on Rose and Enderby Islands, mussels and limpets on every rock, excellent water and firewood; with a knife, and possessed of the means for making a fire, he must be a helpless fellow indeed who cannot soon provide himself with the necessaries of life. To do anything in the shape of cultivation, it would require immense labor and untiring perseverance. For apart from the work of clearing away the timber, there are the vast mounds of decayed vegetable matter, covered with mosses, to remove before the soil can be reached. It would then require careful draining and fallowing before a crop could be raised. Except on Enderby Island, the surface is everywhere very uneven, broken up by gullies and creeks. Most of the trees planted by Capt. Norman, of the Victoria, are alive, but looking sickly; whilst gazing at them, I caught myself calculating the comparative value of a thousand of them, and a single match to a cast-away. The barometer stood high, during our stay, as high as 30deg. 20min. The average temperature of the air, 55deg. Fahrenheit although the weather was fine, the clouds and mist clung most pertinaciously to the hill-tops, and I believe this to be the rule, not the exception, so that notwithstanding the heights of Mount Edin, Hooker’s Hill and others, vessels frequently do not sight the land till close under it except in S. W. weather. This haziness of atmosphere, coupled with a probable easterly current, after a long prevalence of westerly winds, has I doubt not, lured more than one vessel to destruction. We know now of two wrecks within the last three years; who can say out of the many found “missing” at Lloyds whether one or two more could not be accounted for here. It is very wise and humane to make provision for those who may be castaway here, it would be equally so to take such measures, as will lessen the risk of the vessels themselves going ashore. This might be done by warning masters of vessels homeward bound from the Australian Colonies to keep well to the southward, or by giving a warning from the Island itself, placing a powerful light on Disappointment Island or the N. W. Cape. If the labour of the convicts could be utilized these Islands are admirably adapted for the formation of a penal settlement.

We remained four days at Port Ross wind-bound, the time employed in filling up with wood and water. Thursday, 13th February, brought a change, and with the wind from the N. N. W, we run down to Campbell Island, making the land next day at 10 a.m. The wind shifted suddenly to the west, and blew a gale, just as we arrived off the entrance to Perseverance Harbor, and as it blew right out from it we were compelled to heave-to. For the next five days we had a succession of gales from W.S.W. and W.N.W. We held our own well, never loosing sight of the Island. On the 19th during a lull and a slight change of wind, we managed to make the Harbor just before dark, and brought up at the entrance, with both anchors, in eighteen fathoms water, bottom sand and shells, excellent holding ground. Hardly were the anchors down, when it blew furiously from W.S.W. and continued to do so for four days, during which time we were compelled to remain inactive, being unable to do anything even with the boats, further than landing the goats (two billies and three nannies,) abreast of us, where the feed was good on the margin of the cliffs. Perseverance Harbor (well named, although perseverance alone won’t take a ship up it) is the largest and safest of a mile wide at the mouth, it widens a little further up, runs east and west for about three miles and then trends to the S. W. for another mile and a half. The hills rise abruptly on both sides, to a considerable height between which, as through a funnel, the wind blows either straight in or out of the Harbor. Anchorage can be found all over, in from 12 to 15 fathoms.

On Monday, 24th Feb., the wind moderating we put the pigs (two boars, three sows) the case for the depot, &c., in the boats, and with a large spar, which we brought with us from Enderby Island, in tow, (Captain Gilroy being very seriously determined to leave substantial evidence of the brig’s visit), pulled up to the head of the harbor, landing opposite the Victoria’s mark, three boards forming a triangle on a staff six feet high. Not fifty yards from it we erected our spar, with the two boards fixed to the top, as at the Auckland Islands. The case and spade at its foot, raised from the ground and covered with a thick coating of thatch, well secured. A search was then made for castaways, which extended over two days. We crossed over to West or Monumental Harbor, separated from Perseverance by a range of hills, about three miles across. It is so called, I presume, from the appearance on the top of a neighboring hill of some large rocks, taking the shape of an obelisk. This bay is formed by the jutting out of the N.W. Cape, and a horseshoe bend on the south side. A vessel might lie well enough in this bend with good ground tackle, although there must be a considerable swell.