N.W. When about two miles outside of the Port, the wind again hauled to S.W., and increased to a strong breeze with showers. We kept beating about between the Traps and Stewart’s Island, with a heavy southerly swell on, till the morning of the 19th, when a light breeze sprung up from the northward. A course was then shaped for the Aucklands. We passed the Snares at noon on the 20th, and on the 21st anchored in Port Ross, at 6 p.m.

We found H.M.S. Blanche at anchor, having only arrived from the south end of the island about an hour before we came in. She had arrived at the islands on the 12th, but had been unable to do anything until a few days previous to our arrival, owing to bad weather—heavy southerly gales. She had visited the depôts on the East Coast, and intended leaving next morning for Wellington. On learning the cause of our visit, however, her departure was delayed, and arrangements made that she should steam round the West Coast with the first favorable weather, sending boats to pull close along shore.

On Saturday, the 23rd, a party, consisting of Dr M’Clure, Captain Gilroy and myself, and a boat’s crew, consisting of Mr Anglem and five men, with a boat, went on board the Blanche. At 7 a.m. she weighed and stood out of the harbor, weather very fine with a light breeze from north. The N.W. Cape was passed about one and a-half miles off, and by the aid of good telescopes, anything the size of a man could be distinctly seen. At this point the weather became cloudy, with a light shower and fresh breeze from S.W., but it cleared up before passing Disappointment Island, and continued fine during the rest of the day. After passing Disappointment Island, the steamer was headed in for the supposed scene of the wreck of the General Grant. Soundings were taken as she neared the shore—at one mile off, found bottom at 80 fathoms, and the small stoney beach where, in fine weather, a landing can be effected (described in Mr Armstrong’s report), was distinctly seen. When within three quarters of a mile of the shore, every stone on the beach could be distinctly seen, and had anything the size of a man’s hand been moving, it would have been discovered. When first getting on the West Coast, there was a breeze from S.W. which would have prevented the boats from pulling along fast enough, but as the beach was distinctly visible, it was considered unnecessary to send the boats inshore. The Blanche was then steered round the coast, at from a half to one mile off shore. The whole coast was closely watched with the telescopes, but nothing was seen to attract attention. She anchored in Carnley Harbor at dusk, for the night.

When the Blanche had been previously in Carnley Harbor, about the 20th, some of her officers heard what they supposed to be musket-shots, and a slight search was then made, but nothing discovered. Captain Montgomerie on this occasion, however, decided on making a stricter search, and for that purpose, on the morning of the 24th, boats were sent in all directions, and guns fired at intervals to attract attention. The boats returned at dark without having seen any indication of persons being about that locality. The supposed guns are easily accounted for by the peculiar concussions occasionally made by the waves in the hollow rocks.

At daylight on the 25th, she again weighed anchor and steamed round to Port Ross, where our party left her, and she proceeded to sea without dropping anchor. While steaming round the island, a running survey was made by Lieutenant Edwards, which, when published, will be sufficiently correct for all practical purposes. (All the charts in our possession are full of errors.) On the day following the departure of the Blanche, the 26th, we visited Enderby’s Island, and did some slight repairs to the house; left some medical stores, and searched the beaches for any remains which might have drifted ashore, that could indicate the fate of the missing men.

On the 27th, a party, consisting of Dr M’Clure, Mr Anglem, and myself, with five men started overland for North Harbor, taking with us a tent, and three days’ provisions, to search the beach there. We got there at 4 p.m., after a rather rough journey; searched the beach, but found nothing. Camped there for the night, and returned to the vessel at 1 p.m. next day. This ended our search.

On our return journey, while proceeding up an almost dry watercourse, we discovered what were taken for human footprints. There were two tracks, the prints in one being apparently those of a large boot, the other much smaller, measuring about seven and a half inches. They were seen in several places, but were lost altogether on emerging on the grass land at the head of the creek—the marks did not appear more than two months old. At one place we observed the tracks take into some scrub, but emerge again, as if defeated in forcing a way.

On the 28th, the day we got back to the vessel, it blew hard from E.N.E., with rain. On the 29th, the wind fell light, and hauled to the northward, with very thick weather; next day the weather cleared up, with a fine breeze from S. W. At 10 a.m., got under weigh, and shaped a course for the Bluff and arrived here on the 2nd inst., after a good run, with rather heavy weather.

The search party of the Daphne gave every satisfaction, and should there ever be occasion for another such expedition, Captain Gilroy, Mr Anglem, and their crew, would be found of great service, on account of their knowledge of the Islands. I have also to mention that, while on board the Blanche, we received every attention and kindness.

Since leaving the Bluff on our trip, I have learnt the description of boat in which the missing men left the vessel, and am of opinion that she had swamped with them before reaching their destination.

Before we left the Blanche, Captain Montgomerie called Mr Cousins—one of the original crew of the Daphne, and the person who navigated her from the islands to Invercargill—and stated, in the presence of myself, Dr M’Clure, and Captain Gilroy, that he did not consider Mr Cousins to blame in not making further search than he had done, previous to his leaving the islands with the vessel after the departure of the boat.

I append the report of the Blanche on the state of the depôts. The cask referred to therein, which was missing from Port Ross, had been broken into before the arrival of the Daphne in April last, and the articles left exposed to the weather, so that they got all destroyed, excepting a boat-compass, which I had cleaned and put into a cask, with other articles left by us.

On comparing the list of articles contained in the case at Epigwait, (No. 2 depôt), with the original list, I found that the following articles had been taken away—viz., clothing, blankets, boots, stockings, preserved meat, bread, matches, flint, steel, and tinder. The articles left by the Blanche, as particularised in Capt. Montgomerie’s report, were put in the case and securely nailed up; and our men, assisted by some of the Blanche’s, thatched the house and left everything in good repair.

ARTICLES LEFT BY THE DAPHNE.

At Port Ross.—1 gun, some caps, powder, shot, needles, twine, matches, bread, tobacco, tea and sugar; also, medical stores consisting of lint, plaster.