196 NO PASSAGE TO THE EASTWARD. 



made himself as conspicuous as on former occasions^ 

 and none shouted more loudly or wished to attract 

 more attention to himself. Unfortunately his 

 eloquence was quite thrown away upon us^ nor 

 had his threatening* g-estures the desired effect of 

 inducing* us to leave the place and proceed to 

 sea. 



J^lne 20th. — I returned to the ship after a short 

 cruize in the pinnace sent awa}^ with Lieutenant 

 Simpson to ascertain whether a passag*e for the 

 ship to the eastward existed between Piron Island 

 and South-east Island. Independently of numerous 

 detached coral patches^ the channel was found to he 

 completely blocked up by a reef stretching* across 

 from one island to the other^ beyond which^ sepa- 

 rated by an extensive tract of shoal water^ a heavy 

 surf was breaking* on what is probably an outer 

 barrier. Man}^ snakes were seen on the surface of 

 the water^ and large shoals of skipjacks (Carcmx) 

 playing* about in long* extended lines occasionally 

 presented the appearance of a breaking* reef. The 

 fish were attended by flocks of terns and noddies^ 

 the former the beautiful Sterna melanauchen. 



June 21st, — Landed on the neighbouring* Obser- 

 vation Reef^ and spent some hours there searching* 

 for shells^ but nearly all were Torres Strait species. 

 The reef is marg-ined with blocks of coral^ but the 

 centre is mostly smooth and covered with sand part 

 of which dries at low water j the rise and fall^ 

 ascertahied by a tide-pole set up here^ was only 



