THE PACIFIC OCEAN. A 6x 



Southernmoft point, in a North Raft direction ; but its 1780 



breadth no where exceeds two miles. From the Weftern- 

 moft extremity, the land trends to the South Eaft for about 

 four miles ; and oppofite to this part of the coaft there is 

 an ifland, called, by Monfieur D'Apres *, Little Condore., which 

 runs two miles in the fame direction. This polition of the 

 two iflands affords a fafe and commodious harbour, the en- 

 trance into which is from the North Weft. The diftance 

 between the two oppofite coafts is three quarters of a mile, 

 exclufive of a border of coral rock, which runs down along 

 each fide, extending about one hundred yards from the 

 more. The anchorage is very good, from eleven to five fa- 

 thoms water, but the bottom is fo foft and clayey, that we 

 found great difficulty in weighing our anchors. Toward 

 the bottom of the harbour there is mallow water for about 

 half a mile, beyond which the two iflands approach fo near 

 each other, as to leave only a pafTage at high water for 

 boats. The mod convenient place for watering is at- a 

 beach on the Eaftern fide, where there is a fmall flrea'm. 

 which furnifhed us with fourteen or fifteen tons of water 

 a day. 



This ifland, both with refpect to animal and vegetable 

 productions, is confidcrably improved fince the time when 

 Dampier vilited it. Neither that writer, nor the compiler 

 of the Eaft India Directory, make mention of any other 

 quadrupeds than hogs, which are faid to be very fcarce, 

 lizards, and the guanoes ; and the latter, on the authority 

 of Monfieur Cedier, a French engineer, who furveyed the 

 ifland about the year i;qo, fays, that none of the fruits 

 and efculent plants, fo common in the other parts of India, 



* Neptune Oriental. 



ar-2 



January. 



