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cocoa-nut trees, bearing about N.E.b.E. true, when in one with the point. The south-west point bears from the latter N.W.b.W. W. Close to the south-west point are two or three groves of cocoa-nut trees, (which from the sea appear as one,) planted by Capt. Cook on its discovery. From the south-west point the land trends north-east true, four miles and a quarter, forming a small bay, in the north-east part of which is the anchorage half or three-quarters of a mile from the shore, sand and coral, nine, eight, seven, and six fathoms. No turtle were seen, although Capt. Cook on his visit found a superabundance. From the north-east point of this bay the land appears to run away east into a deep bight, and then trends away again to the W.N.W. in a narrow slip, terminating in the north-west point, which bears nearly north seven miles from the south-west point. Its situation is as follows:

South-east point meridian distance from
Resolution Bay, Marquesas

18° 2'

28" W.

Making the longitude

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Latitude of south-east point

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South-west point, longitude

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UNKNOWN ISLANDS AND REEFS, named by Capt. Scott, SAMARANG

ISLETS.

September 15th, 1840.-Discovered several islets and a reef of breakers, the position of which are as follows:—

Meridian distance from north-west point of

Christmas Island to eastern breakers

Making the longitude

Latitude of ditto

Eastern islet, longitude

Ditto latitude

Western islet, longitude

Ditto latitude

North-west breakers, longitude

Ditto latitude

4° 38' 32" W.

162

17 35 W.

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These islets are a group of about a fourteen or sixteen, forming a belt round an apparently shallow lagoon; are covered with flourishing cocoa-nut and palm trees to the waters' edge. In the centre of the eastern reef is a small dry sand bank, the reef itself extends from the eastern islet nearly east, about two miles, over which the sea breaks heavily; another reef runs out from the western islet about a mile to the westward, what distance they run in that direction I did not ascertain; but at three miles from the breakers on the western reef, I sounded in nine, eight, and seven fathoms, at which time the north-west breakers were discovered from the fore-yard. By the angles that were taken, they stretch out full nine or ten miles to the north-west from the western islet: the northern edge of the north-west reef appeared from the masthead to run away about S.E.b.E. till it joined the eastern one;

broken water was observed every here and there along the whole line, with evident shoal water between it and the coral reef before mentioned.

With the strong currents we experienced in this neighbourhood a more dangerous spot to those navigating these seas, unacquainted with its existence, can scarcely exist than this group of coralline islets, with their extensive reefs. Had it not providentially fallen calm during the night, the Samarang must inevitably have been lost, with the probability of every soul on board perishing, as our course would have taken us directly on to the reef.

Currents experienced by H.M.S. Samarang, before and after discovering Samarang Islets and Reef.

Sept. 11th, off Christmas Island,

12th, latitude 2o 28' N., longitude 158° 48′
13th, latitude 3 21 N., longitude 160 22
14th, latitude 4 16 N., longitude 161
15th, Off Unknown Island

39

66

66

46

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16th, latitude 69 47' N., longitude 163°
17th, latitude 7 42 N., longitude 163

52

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current S. 849 W. 37 miles.
W., do. S. 80 W. 113
W., do. W.
W., do. S. 45 W. 10

do. none

13′ W., do. N.33 E. 50
W., do. S. 72 W. 25

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THE FRENCH WHALE FISHERY.

[Substance of the report of Captain Cecille, of the corvette Heroine.]

THE French whale fishery is carried on in two principal divisions, the most numerous of which is that on the coast of South America, in the Pacific; the other, composed of fifteen to eighteen vessels, is off the Cape of Good Hope, in the Indian Ocean, on the southern coasts of New Holland, in the bays of New Zeeland, in the Pacific Ocean. Some single ships go to the north-west coast of America and the Japan The Heroine, provided with harpoons, lances, lines, sail cloth, &c., for the wants of the whalers, sailed from Brest in July, 1837, and proceeded to Rio Janeiro, and afterwards to St. Catherines on the coast of Brazil, complaining of the impositions of the harbour dues at the former place, which amount to fifty francs per day for a vessel of

seas.

500 tons.

In the bay of St. Catherine the whale fishery is denied to foreigners, the right being exclusively held by a Portuguese. The establishment consists of several large buildings, the principal of which are the foundry in which are twenty-eight furnaces, three immense sheds, under which are thirty reservoirs each, capable of containing the oil of about seventeen whales,-an immense lodging for five or six hundred slaves employed in the establishment, then the cooperage,-the sheds for the boats and their gear,-magazines for oil,-the superintendant's house with a large garden,-a chapel and separate lodgings for the conductors of the fishery, which received about 500 whales in the year. Some opinion may be formed of the immense profit of the fishery on this coast alone, by eight establishments of this kind in the province of St. Catherine at the period of their prosperity. At present, the whales

having abandoned these parts where they underwent such prodigious destruction, everything is in ruin, and in a few years the traces of the whole establishment will be only known by its rubbish.

Many of these establishments do not pay the expense of their construction;-five or six whales are taken at this fishery in the year.

From St. Catherine the Heroine proceeded to the river Plata, and anchored at Maldonado on the 6th of September, 1837. The Elizabeth, of Nantes, had obtained for a tenth part of the produce the exclusive right of fishing in the river.

Another French whaler had lost four men by desertion, and her cooper by death, and having replaced the latter from his own vessel, Captain Cecille leaves Maldonado and Monte Video with the following caution to masters of vessels. He says, these places" should be carefully avoided by vessels commencing their fishery, unless they want to lose their men; Monte Video above all is the resort of deserters. They are only fit for those vessels which want nothing and have nothing to fear from desertion," and he gives the preference to St. Catherine on account of the facility and security of its anchorage.

Disappointed of seeing the establishment of Tristan d'Acunha, the Heroine proceeds to the Cape, where those civilities were exchanged between her officers and those of her Majesty's ship Thalia, which are always found when officers of the two services meet, and it is gratifying to find Captain Cecille acknowledging in the memoir before us, the services which were rendered to him by Rear-Admiral Campbell.

we

On the 7th of November, 1837, the Heroine left Simons Bay for Prince Edwards Island, and on the 28th, Captain Cecille says, made the land, and lying to a short distance from the north point of the westernmost island, waited for the noon observation to obtain the position of this point." Captain Cecille obtained an observation which gives the north point of the western isle in 46° 45' south, and 37° 17′ 55′′ These results differ from those of Cook, he says, who made it 8' more south, and 10' more east, and he enquires afterwards whether it was the north or the south point, considering that Cook did not stop to make observations. Captain Cecille in support of this quotes Cook, who says, "I judged that its latitude (western isle,) is, &c." which made him think that the positions of these islands are deduced from estimation.

east.

On this subject, we may just observe that Captain Cook gives the north-east and north-west coast of the southern isle, and the north-west and south-west coast of the northern one, having passed between them according to the chart in the atlas accompanying his voyages, and he lays down the north-east point of the southern isle in 46° 44' south, agreeing tolerably well with Captain Cecille's latitude, and which, under such circumstances, is rather more than might be expected. We shall now follow Captain Cecille.

"Two miles E.S.E. of the north Cape is a very elevated and remarkable rock, which I have named "the Prince." It is much darker than that on the coast off which it stands, and is visible at a great distance. From the northward its summit appears larger than its base; from the north-east it appears like a tower, and from the east it also resembles a large tower, but with the summit cut off by an inclined plane. It is at

a short distance from the coast, which appeared fit for landing on in this part. In order to examine the western shore of the island, we continued along at the distance of one or two miles from the north to the south cape. Seven miles east 27° south from "the Prince," we found before us a bank of kelp, extending at right angles from the shore about three miles. The Heroine was put about, and after working round the bank, we approached the coast again to resume our operations. In all probability there is sufficient water under this kelp. I should think so, for it appears to be of the same nature as that which surrounds the island of "Tristan d'Acunha," and the "Falkland Islands," some pieces of which are forty fathoms in length. It is not rare to find it at the depth of twenty-five to thirty fathoms, however, that may be, it is also on rocks at less depth, and I therefore did not think fit to cross this marine forest,* and time would not permit of our sending a boat to sound. We met with another bank of the same extending a mile to seaward from the eastern point. The coast which from the north cape to this point trends in a direct line, east 40° south, and west 40° north, suddenly bends to the S.S.W. We found a considerable cascade about two miles in this direction, tumbling from a steep height on to the flat shore beneath. We kept continually sounding with twelve to fifteen fathoms along our track without finding any bottom.

"The coast we passed rises abruptly towards the mountains, presenting no sandy beach, no bay, nor place for anchorage whatever, neither could we form any correct opinion of the height of this mountainous island, the summit of which was concealed by the clouds. The heights were covered with snow, and we observed much more on the southern part of the island, which is less exposed to the sun. Not a tree or bush of any sort was seen; the soil seemed dry and arid, and there appeared a green and red moss, resembling that on the Isles of Croxet, interspersed with pyramidal shaped rocks which at a distance had the appearance of trees. It was probably this deceptive appearance which induced Cook to say, "By the aid of our best glasses we were able to discern not only trees, but even the bushes on these two islands." We were I confess, for some time ourselves under the same delusion, notwithstanding we could approach sufficiently near the shore to distinguish with the naked eye the innumerable quantity of penguins which covered it. It is not surprising that Cook, who had only approached within two leagues and a half, should have been led away by the deception.

"At half-past 3 we arrived at the southern Cape. The wind which had been north-east freshened a good deal; it came from the mountains, and was icy cold; still the thermometer did not fall below 46 degrees, the barometer stood at 29.67. The weather was threatening, and we could not possibly return along the western coast before night; besides this, there was little probability of my finding ships on this coast exposed to the westerly winds, and a sea always running

Captain Cecille was perfectly right. Captain King in his directions for the coast of Patagonia, says, with reference to this subject, "avoid kelp everywhere." He had had ample experience of the danger which at various depths was sure to be lurking beneath it.-ED. 4 G

ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 9.-VOL FOR 1841.

immensely high; these considerations determined me to shape my course without loss of time, for the Isles of Croxet. The eastern island is much smaller than the one just mentioned, it has a very remarkable rock at the northern extremity, but the entire length of the island did not appear to extend beyond five miles from north to south, although longer from north-west to south-east: neither is it so elevated as the other, and but lightly covered with snow.

"I was enabled during my stay at the Cape of Good Hope to gain correcter information respecting the situation of the Islands of Croxet, which are erroneously placed on the charts, even on Horsburgh's. I had learnt that, being exposed by their situation to violent winds they had been so often the scene of disaster, that the seal fishery established there had been abandoned some years, and not only that, the fishery had ceased, but that all the materials belonging to the establishment had been left behind, a ship not daring to go there for them. The people belonging to it had been recovered with great difficulty by a government vessel, which had made two voyages from the cape,—thus saving thirteen Frenchmen which the Harmony, of Bordeaux, had been obliged to leave there. This information, together with the knowledge that the passage-vessel Bordelais,' would be there in November, and the thoughts of the danger to which she would be exposed, determined me to visit them; a presentiment hinted that I might be serviceable to the cause of humanity. The sequel proved that I had not deceived myself.

"Our voyage across to these islands (Croxet,) although short, was not without difficulty. Scarcely had we quittedPrince Edward Island,' when we were obliged to reef; the wind increased more and more during the night, so that by the morning it blew very fresh, accompanied with squalls and heavy rain. The barometer fell rapidly about threequarters of an inch,-towards mid-day it stood at 28-8 nearly, and within two hours it fell to 28-6." The gale was then at its height, the sea running very high, reduced the Heroine to storm sail, and after some boisterous weather, with hail and its general accompaniments, Capt. Cecille continues, "At 4 A.M. we perceived high land to the eastward, and soon afterwards more bearing S. 57° E., though considerably less than the first. The wind favoring us we steered for the former for the purpose of examining it: this duty owing to the very high sea, and the bad state of the weather was a difficult one, but we considered it indispensable that all the islands, offering either bay or harbour for anchorage should be visited. We were ignorant which of the four islands (that composed the group of Croxet Islands,) was Possession Island, and also in what part of it the bay of Navire lay, in which we expected to find the passage-vessel Bordelais.

"We began our task in the north-west with land which we have since found to be part of Hog Island; and running to the southward along the western shore of it a mile distant, we satisfied ourselves that it was inaccessible. Having reached its southern extreme the Twelve Apostles (a group of rocky islets) bore N. 25° E.; at the same time breakers were reported at a considerable distance bearing S. 50° E. We returned along the eastern coast of Isle Aux Cochons, and ascertained correctly that only the western coast of that island, and the Twelve Apostles offered no shelter for ships.

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