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1837.] very heavy sea must tumble into the bay. I am informed that a Russian store-ship rode out the season in spite of everything. The anchorage is pretty well covered by a spit, over which there is about nine feet; but there is not sufficient space in bad weather for more than three vessels, although in the present fine season the bay is spacious.

The landing is within the mouth of a small river, which carries, for a considerable distance up, from one to three quarters of a fathom, into fresh water, and is further navigable for boats or canoes (drawing three feet) several miles.

The scenery is beautiful, and my surprise is that such a favourable situation should so long have been overlooked. The Consul possesses a tract of land on which his tenant (Kellett, an Englishman) feeds cattle, makes butter, cheese, and farms to great advantage. I am certain that our men derived more nourishment from the cattle we embarked there than from any previous diet, and contrary to the general feeling, preferred it to salt, regretting its loss. I would therefore strongly advise ships of war to sacrifice much to secure these advantages.

Our attention was now directed to a very different scene. Hitherto we had enjoyed the balmy airs of the tropics, seldom too warm, never oppressive. We were no longer to bask in sunshine, but to meet the chilling blasts from Mount St. Elias, the position of which our orders required us to fix, as F 2