MODE OF CONDUCTING IT. 85 



various officers in the neig'liboiirhood of the different 

 anchorag-es^ cutting- up the gTound^ and filling- up 

 any g-aps which niig'ht otherwise have been left in 

 the new charts. 



The summit of a very small rocky island^ near 

 the anchorag-e^ named by Captain Stanley^ Mouna 

 Islet^ formed the first station. Dunk Island^ eig'ht 

 or nine miles in circumference^ is well wooded^— 

 it has two conspicuous peaks^ one of which (the 

 N.W. one)^ is 857 feet in heig'ht. Our excursions 

 were confined to the vicinity of the watering* place 

 and the bay in Avhich it is situated. The shores are 

 rocky on one side and sandy on the other^ where a 

 low point runs out to the westward. At their 

 junction^ and under a sloping- hill with larg*e patches 

 of brushy a small stream of fresh water^ running- 

 out over the beach^ furnished a supply for the ship^ 

 although the boats could approach the place closely 

 only at hig"h water. 



Among* the most interesting* objects of natural 

 history^ are two birds^ one a new and handsome fly- 

 catcher^ Monarcha leiicotis, the other a swallow, 

 which Mr. Gould informs me is also an Indian 

 species. Great numbers of butterflies frequent the 

 neig'hbourhood of the watering* place, — one of these 

 {Papllio Urvillianus) is of g*reat size and splendour, 

 with dark purple wing-s, broadly marg'ined Avith 

 ultramarine, but from its habit of flying* hig-h among* 

 the trees I did not succeed in catching* one. An 

 enormous spider, beautifully varieg*ated with black 



