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expected Norwegian colony. The clouds now parted disclosing the 

 summit of the island, an unknown region which, with good fortune, 

 we hoped to explore within the next few days. Through a glass 

 the distant mountains appeared covered with vegetation, with a few 

 rocks to the northeast reflecting the sunlight, and a black lateral 

 crater below the summit. Close at hand the waves broke high 

 against a little island at the entrance of Academy Bay. Inde- 

 fatigable looked very green, except for the trunks of cacti which 

 dotted the landscape with a deep brown. 



Fig. 9. Cocos Island. The Nourmahal at Wafer Bay. 

 (Photograph by E. R. Sanborn.) 



Sea cliffs surmounted by cactus form the southern boundary of 

 Academy Bay. They would seem to be the outward projection of 

 a small escarpment, and had an aspect more precipitous than any 

 other coastal formation noted on Indefatigable. The bay ends 

 landwise in deep crevices and an im])enetrable mangrove swamp. 

 On landing, my first impressions of the island were of a hawk 



