284 cook's voyage to april, 



in, we found a great number of men-of-war birds, 

 tropic birds, and two sorts of boobies, which, at 

 this time were laying their eggs, and so tame that 

 they suffered us to take them off with our hands. 

 Their nests were only a few sticks loosely put 

 together, and the tropic birds laid their eggs on 

 the ground, under the trees. These differ much 

 from the common sort, being entirely of a most 

 splendid white, slightly tinged with red, and having 

 the two long tail-feathers of a deep crimson or blood 

 colour. Of each sort our people killed a con- 

 siderable number, and though not the most delicate 

 food, they were acceptable enough to us, who had 

 been long confined on a salt diet, and who, con- 

 sequently, could not but be glad of the most indiffe- 

 rent variety. We met with vast numbers of red 

 crabs creeping about every where amongst the trees, 

 and we caught several fish that had been left in 

 holes upon the reef, when the sea retired. 



At one part of the reef, which looks into or 

 bounds the lake that is within, there was a large 

 bed of coral, almost even with the surface, which 

 afforded, perhaps, one of the most enchanting 

 prospects, that nature has any where produced, 

 Its base was fixed to the shore, but reached so far 

 in that it could not be seen ; so that it seemed to be 

 suspended in the water, which deepened so suddenly, 

 that, at the distance of a few yards, there might be 

 seven or eight fathoms. The sea was, at this time, 

 quite unruffled; and the sun, shining bright, exposed 

 the various sorts of coral, in the most beautiful order; 

 some parts branching into the water with great lux- 

 uriance; others lying collected in round balls, and in 

 various other figures ; all which were greatly height- 

 ened by spangles of the richest colours, that glowed 

 from a number of large clams, which were every where 

 interspersed. But the appearance of these was still 

 inferior to that of the multitude of fishes, that glided 

 gently along, seemingly with the most perfect 



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