Roach's Point, four miles from Queenstown is reached, where the mails are
landed and received, if the weather is bad, but Captain Morgan decided
to steam into Queenstown Harbor, one of the finest bays in the world,
being a sheltered basin of ten square miles, and the entrance strongly
fortified. Within the harbor are several islands occupied by barracks,
ordnance and convict depots, and powder magazines. This deep and
capacious harbor can float the navies of the world. In beauty it compares
favorably with the Bay of Naples.
Cove, or Queenstown, as Cove is called, since the visit of Queen Victoria
in 1849, has a population of less than ten thousand. It is situated on
the terraced and sheltered south side of Great Island. Here for his
health came Rev. Charles Wolfe, author of "Not a drum was heard, not a
funeral note."
In the amphitheatre-shaped town on parallel streets rise tiers of white
stone houses, relieved by spire and tower. On neighboring highest hills
are old castles, forts, and a tall white lighthouse.
One or more of Her Majesty's armored warships may always be seen within
the bay. The "Majestic" dropped anchor in the quiet harbor, and the
company's lighter came along side with passengers for Liverpool, and to
take ashore the Queenstown passengers, and the mails which, checked out,
numbered over 1600 sacks.
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