It was the evening of the 31st before this gale blew over, after veering to the South-West.  The barometer at the time was at 29.9, having risen to that height in the morning.  The rotatory character of this storm, which resembled those we had experienced on our former visit, induces me to enter thus into details respecting it.  These observations, too, may evince more plainly, the necessity of an anchorage at this time of the year being sheltered from both east and west winds.

FIRE ON THREE HUMMOCK ISLAND.

The fire that had been accidentally kindled on Three Hummock Island, when we were last there, was still burning.  This conflagration had almost been fatal to Mr. Bynoe, who was out in the scrubs when it burst forth, having with great difficulty forced his way among them in search of specimens for his collection of birds.  His attention was suddenly roused by the roaring of the flames as they swept down the sides of the hills, wrapping them in a sheet of fire.  The predicament in which he was placed was a most critical one, as he hardly knew which way to turn to avoid the pressing danger.  Even when, fortunately, he had taken the right direction, it was with the greatest exertion that he burst through the matted thicket and reached the water’s edge before the fire.

Our fishermen were very successful with the hook and line, taking near the rocks great numbers of fish, some of which were a species of rock cod.  Alongside the ship we only caught sharks, one of which contained thirty-six young ones.

Although the barometer remained stationery at 29.9 the weather continued so boisterous, and westerly squalls followed each other in such rapid succession, that it was the 3rd of February, before we could commence work in earnest.  On that day the ship was moved to near the south end of Hunter Island, where we found a nice quiet anchorage with scarcely any tide off a long sandy beach.

LEAVE FOR CIRCULAR HEAD.

By the 6th we completed what remained to be done of the survey of this part, and proceeded to collect the necessary soundings between Three Hummock Island, and Circular Head, anchoring under the latter the same evening.  Here we met Mr. Curr, the Company’s Superintendent, who was absent during our first visit.  From him we experienced so great hospitality, that our stay appeared shorter than it really was.  On the morning of the 9th we again left.  It was our intention to have stood over midway across the Strait in search of some islands reported by the French to be thereabouts, though all the local information we could gain on the subject tended to induce a disbelief of their existence.

HEAVY GALE.