PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 205 



middle. Besides the clumps of trees at the extre- co- 

 mities, which at a distance have the appearance of v — *— 

 banyan trees, there are several clusters of palms ; a iS. 

 distinction which I would recommend to the atten- 

 tion of commanders of vessels ; as, besides assisting 

 them in identifying the islands, it will enable them 

 to estimate their distance from them with tolerable 

 precision. 



We left Serle Island on the morning of the 22d, 

 and at sunset hove to in the parallel of Whitsunday 

 Island. This island, discovered by Captain Wallis 

 in 1767, is situated forty miles to the westward of 

 the place he has assigned to it, and we consequently 

 ran to the westward all the next day, in expectation 

 of seeing it, but it was not reported from the mast- 

 head until late in the evening. In the morning of 

 the 23d the boats succeeded in landing, though with 

 some difficulty ; and found indubitable proofs of the 

 island having been thickly inhabited ; but no natives 

 were seen. Under a large clump of trees we observed 

 several huts, eight feet by three, thatched with dried 

 palm leaves, the doors of which were so low that it 

 was necessary to crawl upon the ground to enter the 

 apartments within. Near these dwellings were some 

 sheds and several piles of chewed pandanus nuts. 



The island was traversed in various directions by 

 well trodden pathways : not far from the huts were 

 several reservoirs of water cut about eighteen inches 

 into the coral, and about five feet from the general 

 surface of the soil ; the water in them was fresh, but 

 from neglect the reservoirs were nearly filled with 

 decayed leaves, and emitted a putrid smell. In 

 another direction we saw several slabs of coral placed 

 erect, to denote burial places ; and near the opening 



