Page:Castaway on the Auckland Isles (IA castawayonauckla01musg).pdf/185

Rh empties itself into the head of the harbour, and whose source is in the hills above Black Head. These hills are from 800 to 900 feet high.

lies off the western side of the Island, and is shown on Bristow's Chart.

which must be very dangerous, is also given from the same author as lying 8 miles north of Enderby Island, and is just even with the water's edge. It was not seen by Sir James Ross, and therefore requires great caution.

—This island was discovered by Captain Fred. Hazelburgh, of the brig 'Perseverance,' belonging to Mr. Robert Campbell, of Sydney, in 1810. According to his account the island is 30 miles in circumference, the country is mountainous, and there are several good harbours, of which two on the east side are to be preferred. The southernmost of these two he named Perseverance Harbour, and in it Sir James Ross anchored in the 'Erebus' and 'Terror,' December, 1840.

The highest hill seen from the harbour is on its north side, and has an elevation of 1,500 feet.

The shores on either side are steep, and rise abruptly to between 800 and 900 feet. The hills, from being less wooded, have a more desolate appearance than those of the Auckland Islands; and though there is abundance of wood in the sheltered places, the trees are nowhere so great as in those islands. These trees especially indicate, by their prostrate position, the prevailing power of the westerly storms. This occurrence of sudden and violent rushes of wind is a remarkable characteristic phenomenon of all the islands about this latitude. This is observed at Kerguelen Land, at the Aucklands, and especially here.

Sir James Ross had been advised, when at Hobart Town, to take his ships into the harbour near the north-east point, but, from the entrance, it appeared so exposed