22 COOK'S SECOND VOYAGE JULY, 



more than twenty in number, who were armed with 

 clubs and spears ; but the moment he set his foot on 

 shore, they retired to the woods. He left on the 

 rocks some medals, nails, and a knife ; which they, 

 no doubt, found, as some were seen near the place 

 afterwards. This island is not quite a league in 

 length, in the direction of N. E. and S. W. and not 

 half that in breadth. It is covered with wood, and 

 surrounded by a reef of coral rocks, which, in some 

 places, extend two miles from the shore. It seems to 

 be too small to contain many inhabitants ; and pro- 

 bably the few whom we saw may have come from 

 some isle in the neighbourhood to fish for turtle ; as 

 many were seen near this reef, and occasioned that 

 name to be given to the island, which is situated in 

 latitude 19 D 48' South, longitude 178° 2' West. 



Seeing breakers to the S. S. W., which I was 

 desirous of knowing the extent of before night, I left 

 Turtle isle, and stood for them. At two o'clock we 

 found they were occasioned by a coral bank of about 

 four or five leagues in circuit. By the bearing we 

 had taken, we knew these to be the same breakers we 

 had seen the preceding evening. Hardly any part 

 of this bank or reef is above water at the reflux of the 

 waves. The heads of some rocks are to be seen near 

 the edge of the reefi where it is the shoalest ; for in 

 the middle is deep water. In short, this bank wants 

 only a few little islets to make it exactly like one of 

 the half-drowned isles so often mentioned. It lies 

 S. W. from Turtle island, about five or six miles, 

 and the channel between it and the reef of that isle 

 is three miles over. Seeing no more shoals or islands, 

 and thinking there might be turtle on this bank, two 

 boats were properly equipped and sent thither \ but 

 returned without having seen one. 



The boats were now hoisted in, and we made sail 

 to the west, with a brisk gale at east, which con- 

 tinued till the 9th, when we had, for a few hours, a 

 breeze at N. W. attended with squalls of rain. This 



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