46 Voyage of the Novara. 



southern shore. One of the zoologists, conceiving this minor 

 expedition would fui'nish him with an excellent opportunity for 

 examining some of the lower orders of marine life, attached 

 himself to it. The frigate now put about, and coasted down 

 the west side southwards. Seen from a distance the vegeta- 

 tion seemed quite of a European character. The eminences 

 varied in elevation from 250 to 300 feet. Judging from the 

 direction of the foliage on the trees, the S. W. monsoon seems 

 to commit great ravages. Everywhere along the coast, but 

 more especially on the south side, serpentine cropped out — 

 giving little promise of fertility. At many spots the cocoa- 

 palms disappeared entirely ; a circumstance which must ever 

 interfere materially with the settlement of this island by a 

 people to whom the most profuse natural treasures are worth- 

 less and unknown, beyond wealth in cocoa-nuts. 



Near the southern point we were suddenly alarmed at no- 

 ticing an alteration in the colour of the sea, which led us to 

 suspect the proximity of a sand bank. Nevertheless a boat, 

 lowered to try for soundings, found no bottom at 45 fathoms. 

 In fact, the water was found to be transfused with an enor- 

 mous mass of crustacece, and small brownish filaments of 4V to 

 tV of an inch in length, occasionally collected into a knot, 

 which rendered it cloudy and muddy, and at once explained 

 a phenomenon at first sight so unexpected. Towards 5 p. m. 

 we passed the southern point of the island, and somewhat later 

 discovered a well-sheltered anchorage on the S. E. side of the 

 island. 



