A GROUP OF CORAL ISLANDS. 271 



ference between that and Radack. We there- 

 fore continued our course due west, in the 

 direction of the Pescadore Islands, to obtain 

 ocular demonstration that these and the Udi- 

 rik group are not one and the same ; an opinion 

 which is still entertained by some persons, on 

 the ground that the discoverers of the former 

 have mistaken their longitude. 



We continued our course due west throuo-h- 

 out the day, with very fine weather, and having 

 a man constantly upon the look-out from the 

 mast-head. During the night we had the be- 

 nefit of the full moon ; we then carried but little 

 sail ; but at break of day we again set all our 

 top-sails. 



At noon, the watch called from the tops that 

 land was right ahead of us. It soon came in 

 sight, and proved to be a group of low, thickly- 

 wooded coral islands, forming, as usual, a 

 circle round a basin. At one o'clock in the 

 afternoon we reached within three miles of 

 them, and had, from the mast-head, a clear 

 view of their whole extent. While occupied 

 in surveying them, we doubled their most 

 southern point, at a distance of only half a 



