had found a fine harbour: We immediately stood
in for it, and found it equally beyond his report
and our expectations; the entrance is about a mile
over, and every part of it is perfectly safe, the depth
of water, close to the shore, being from ten to seven
fathom. We found this harbour to consist of two
little bays on the starboard side, where ships may
anchor in great safety, and in each of which there
is a fine rivulet of fresh water. Soon after
we entered an harbour of much greater extent, which
I called Port Egmont, in honour of the earl, who was
then first lord of the Admiralty; and I think it is
one of the finest harbours in the world. The
mouth of it is S.E. distant seven leagues from the
low rocky island, which is a good mark to know it
by: Within the island, and at the distance of
about two miles from the shore, there is between seventeen
and eighteen fathom water; and about three leagues
to the westward of the harbour, there is a remarkable
white sandy beach, off which a ship may anchor till
there is an opportunity to run in. In standing
in for this sandy beach, the two low rocky islands,
which we found it difficult to clear when the weather
obliged us to stand off, appear to the eastward, and
Port Egmont is about sixteen leagues from the north
end of these islands. We moored in ten fathom,
with fine holding ground. The northermost point
of the western shore was distant two miles and a half,
the watering-place on that shore bore W.N.W.1/2 W.
and was distant half a mile, and the islands on the
east side bore E. by S. and were distant four miles.
The whole navy of England might ride here in perfect
security from all winds. Soon after the ship came
to an anchor, the other boat which had remained on
shore when Mr Hindman put off, came on board.
In the southermost part of the harbour there are several
islands, but there is no passage out for a ship; I
went, however, through in my boat, about seven leagues
distant from where the ship lay, and entered a large
sound, which is too much exposed to a westerly wind
for ships to lie in it safely; and the master, of the
Tamar, who had been round in her boat, and entered
this sound from without, reported that many shoals
lay off it, so that if the harbour was ever so good,
it would not be prudent to attempt getting in.
In every part of Port Egmont there is fresh water
in the greatest plenty, and geese, ducks, snipes,
and other birds are so numerous, that our people grew
tired of them: It was a common thing for a boat
to bring off sixty or seventy fine geese, without
expending a single charge of powder and shot, for
the men knocked down as many as they pleased with stones:
Wood, however, is wanting here, except a little that
is found adrift along the shore, which I imagined
came from the Straits of Magellan. Among other
refreshments, which are in the highest degree salutary
to those who have contracted scorbutic disorders,
during a long voyage, here are wild celery, and wood
sorrel, in the greatest abundance; nor is there any