60 VOYAGE TO THE 



and south-west direction, — is one mile and three 

 quarters long, and one mile wide. No living things, 

 1825. birds excepted, were seen upon the island ; but its 

 environs appeared to abound in fish, and sharks were 

 very numerous. The water was so clear over the 

 coral, that the bottom was distinctly seen when no 

 soundings could be had with thirty fathoms of line; 

 in twenty-four fathoms, the shape of the rocks at 

 the bottom was clearly distinguished. The coral- 

 lines were of various colours, principally white, sul- 

 phur, and lilac, and formed into all manner of 

 shapes, giving a lively and variegated appearance to 

 the bottom ; but they soon lost their colour after 

 being detached. 



By the soundings round this little island it ap- 

 peared, for a certain distance, to take the shape of a 

 truncated cone having its base downwards. The 

 north-eastern and south-western extremities are fur- 

 nished with points which project under water with 

 less inclination than the sides of the island, and 

 break the sea before it can reach the barrier to the 

 little lagoon formed within. It is singular that 

 these buttresses are opposed to the only two quar- 

 ters whence their structure has to apprehend danger ; 

 that on the north-east, from the constant action of 

 the trade-wind, and that on the other extremity, 

 from the long rolling swell from the south-west, so 

 prevalent in these latitudes ; and it is worthy of ob- 

 servation,, that this barrier, which has the most pow- 

 erful enemy to oppose, is carried out much farther, 

 and with less abruptness, than the other. 



The sand-mounds raised upon the barrier are con- 

 fined to the eastern and north-western sides of the 

 lagoon, the south-western part being left low, and 



