This island lies about 250 miles south-south-east of Tristan da Cunha. It was discovered by Portuguese navigators in the sixteenth century and received the name Diego Alvarez. In 1731 Captain Gough in the _Richmond_ sighted an island which he placed on the chart as lying to the east of Diego Alvarez and named Gough Island. For many years two separate islands were believed to exist, but now there can be no doubt they are one and the same. The name in most common usage is Gough, which seems hardly fair to its original discoverers. [Illustration: ON THE WAY TO THE SUMMIT. THE APOSTLE AND MT. ROWETT BEHIND _Photo: Dr. Macklin_] [Illustration: THE GLEN ANCHORAGE FROM THE HIGHER SLOPES _Photo: Dr. Macklin_] In 1811 it was sighted by H.M.S. _Nereus_ under Captain Heywood. He effected a landing, described as being safe and easy, and discovered the remains of two huts which apparently had been set up some time previously by sealers. The height of the summit of the island was estimated by him at 4,380 feet. American sealers landed in 1825 but soon left. Morrell visited it in the _Antarctic_ in 1829, and came to anchor in twelve to fourteen fathoms in a cove on the north side, where he was able to water his ship. H.M.S. _Royalist_ arrived in 1887, and a survey was carried out by Lieut. J. P. Rolleston from which the Admiralty Chart (2228) was made. Towards the end of the same year an American schooner, _Francis Alleyn_, left a party of five sealers for six months who met, however, with little success. Amongst them was George Comer who kept a diary. He seems to have been a keen observer very interested in natural history, and his diary contains a complete daily record of weather conditions during his stay. One of the party was frozen to death whilst attempting to cross over the island, and his grave was marked by a board bearing the inscription, “José Gomez perished in the snow.” Another sealer, the _Wild Rose_, visited the island at the beginning of 1891 and landed a party which remained for about a year. They had little luck in the sealing. A harbour known as Snug Harbour is described by one of them as being situated at the southern end of the island lying between two large rocks known as Castle and Battery Rocks, suitable, however, only for small vessels and boats. Landing is said to be not difficult, and the higher ground easily accessible at this point.