UNABLE TO FIND ANCHORAGE. 249 



the smooth and moderately deep water inside, but it 

 was not judg'ed safe for us to follow^ so the pinnace 

 was hoisted in-board^ and the ship kept under 

 weio-h all nio-ht. 



Aug. 6th, — We passed out to sea to the southward 

 by a wide and clear channel between the Duperre 

 and Jomard Islands. The former are five in num- 

 ber^ all uninhabited^ small^ low^ and thickly covered 

 with trees. They extend over a space of about six 

 miles on the northern marg'in of a larg-e atoll or 

 annular reef extending- eleven miles in one direction 

 and seven in another^ with several openings leading* 

 into the interior^ which forms a navigable basin 

 afterwards called Bramble Haven. Inside the 

 greatest depth found Avas twenty fathoms^ with 

 numerous small coral patches shewing themselves so 

 clearly as easily to be avoided^ — outside_, the water 

 suddenly deepens to no bottom with one hundred 

 fathoms of line^ at the distance of a mile from its 

 edge. 



For several days we continued makino; traverses 

 off and on the line of barrier reefs extendino* to the 

 westward^ obtaining negative soundings^ and occa- 

 sionally communicating by signal Avith the Bramble^ 

 which was meanwhile doing the in-shore part of the 

 Avork. The next islet seen Avas He Lejeune of D'Ur- 

 ville, situated in lat. WlV S. and long. 15r 50' E., 

 eio'ht miles to the AvestAvard of the nearest of the 

 Duperre group^ Avith a Avide intervening passage. 

 The sea face of the barrier noAV becomes continuous 



