1770. ROUND THE WORLD. 179 



cumference, and in general very rocky and barren. 

 On the north-west side, however, there are some 

 sandy bays, and some low land, which is covered with 

 long thin grass, and trees of the same kind with those 

 upon the main : this part also abounded with lizards 

 of a very large size, some of which we took. We 

 found also fresh water in two places : one was a run- 

 ning stream, but that was a little brackish where I 

 tasted it, which was close to the sea ; the other was a 

 standing pool, close behind the sandy beach, and this 

 was perfectly sweet and good. Notwithstanding the 

 distance of this island from the main, we saw, to our 

 great surprise, that it was sometimes visited by the 

 natives ; for we found seven or eight frames of their 

 huts, and vast heaps of shells, the fish of which we 

 supposed had been their food. We observed that all 

 these huts were built upon eminences, and entirely 

 exposed to the S. E., contrary to those which we had 

 seen upon the main ; for they were all built either 

 upon the side of a hill, or under some bushes, which 

 afforded them shelter from the wind. From these 

 huts, and their situation, we concluded that at some 

 seasons of the year the weather here is invariably 

 calm and fine ; for the inhabitants have no boat 

 which can navigate the sea to so great a distance, in 

 such weather as we had from the time of our first 

 coming upon the coast. As we saw no animals upon 

 this place but lizards, I called it Lizard Island. 

 The other two high islands, which lie at the distance 

 of four or five miles from it, are comparatively small ; 

 and near them lie three others smaller still, and low, 

 with several shoals or reefs, especially to the S. E. : 

 there is, however, a clear passage from Cape Flattery 

 to these islands, and even quite to the outward reefs, 

 leaving Lizard Island to the north-west, and the others 

 to the south-east. 



At two in the afternoon, there being no hope of 

 clear weather, we set out from Lizard Island to return 

 to the ship, and in our way landed upon the low sandy 



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