"Friday, 18th December. At 2 P.M. the first mate and party returned from Seal Island with some skins which run very small...This time the officer found remains of fires and a number of bamboo pegs, also a club. The Harrington must have been here, but where she could have lain at anchor we could not discover; if any place along this beach, it is curious that not the least signs of her are to be found--as I walked down from one end almost to the other. P.M. I sent Bond and Missing, two soldiers, to cut some more wood, doing which they were fortunate enough to discover a spring of water...I went on shore and found on clearing it with our hands that at once we got 100 gallons of very good water...In the morning a spring was found that proved equal to the watering in a few days a line of battleships. Pleased with this circumstance took a gang of hands on shore and made a good road to it, we also cleared the spring of all the dirt, roots and boughs of fallen and decayed trees that had got into it...we bailed out of it at least 2 or 3 tons of water and found the bottom to be a rock of very large stones collected together...in half an hour after it was entirely empty it was again quite full of clear good water. We now filled all our empty casks and everything on board that would hold water intending to go to sea when the wind would permit. As in this cove wood is in plenty, and the water is not above 50 yards from the seaside; a vessel of any size may be wooded and watered in two or three days and ride secure from all wind either close in or further out. It is the best place in the harbour for any vessel to lay in whether her stay is short or long...The soil of this island as far as we have penetrated is very sandy; no black mould is seen, the trees are very small and very decayed, nor does the small shrubbery grow with much vigour although pleasing to the eye; in short this cove and island can supply a ship in abundance with what is generally considered the greatest of her wants yet I fancy it would poorly pay a settler. To-day we saw a fire which I fancy could not have been more than 4 miles from Tortoise Point and perhaps 7 from the vessel.