T H E P A C I F I C O C E A N. 215 



fity of procuring, from this ifland, fome food for the cattle; '777* 

 otherwife we mud have lofl them. 



What is comprehended under tlie name of Palmerilon's 

 liland, is a group of fmall iflots, of which there are, in 

 the whole, nine or ten, lying in a circular direction, and 

 conncifted together by a reef of coral rocks. The boats firfl 

 examined the South Eafternmoftof the iflots which compofe 

 this group ; and, failing there, ran down to the fccond, 

 where we had the fatisfacT;ion to fee them land. I then 

 bore down with the fhips, till abreaft of the place, and 

 there we kept {landing off and on. For no bottom was to 

 be found to anchor upon ; which was not of much confe- 

 queftce, as the party who had landed from our boats, were 

 the only human beings upon the iiland. 



About one o'clock, one of the boats came on board, laden 

 with fcurvy-grafsand young cocoa-nut trees ; which, at this 

 time, was a feaft for the cattle. The fame boat brought a 

 meflage from Mr. Gore, who commanded the party, in- 

 forming me, that there vvas plenty of fuch produce upon 

 the ifland, as alfo of the ivharra tree, and fome cocoa-nuts. 

 This determined me to get a good fupply of thefe articles, 

 before I quitted this ftation ; and, before evening, I went 

 afliore in a fmall boat, accompanied by Captain Gierke. 



We found every body hard at work, and the landing 

 place to be in a fmall creek, formed by the reef, of fome- 

 thing more than a boat's length in every direction, and co- 

 vered from the force of the fea, by rocks projecting out on 

 each fide of it. The ifland is fcarcely a mile in circuit; and 

 not above three feet higher than the level of the fea. It ap- 

 peared to be compofed entirely of a coral fand, with a fmall 

 mixture of blackilh mould, produced from rotten vege- 

 tables. 



