90 A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 
this opening, it is found that the distance between 
the easternmost island, or that first seen, and the 
S. E. land, is only twenty-eight miles, and between 
it and the other island still less, oa no more than 
twenty-six miles and a half. 
A boat landed to-day again on the east coast, 
which they found to be more barren, if possible, than 
where we landed on the 7th inst. From the minera- 
logical specimens brought off, it appeared to consist, 
like that to the southward, of limestone, in some 
pieces of which were found fossil shells, flint, and 
agate ; several pieces of madrepore were also brought 
on board. A pile of loose stones was erected on the 
top of a hill, near where the boat landed, under which 
was buried a quart bottle, containing a slip of paper 
intimating our being off this coast on such a date. 
The dip and variation of the magnetic needle was, 
as might naturally be expected from recent observ- 
ations, found to be less here than to the southward ; 
the latter was only 115° W. Whilst the boat was on 
shore, we sounded in one hundred and seventy 
fathoms water (soft mud), being at the time not more 
than two miles and a half, or three miles at most, 
from the land. It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to 
remark, that the soundings and the formation of the 
coast corresponded, as I have always observed to 
be the case before, in the latter being bold, and in 
some places precipitous. 
Monday, 16th.— Whilst we were sounding this 
afternoon, a boat was made fast to the deep-sea-line, 
in order to try the force and direction of a tide or 
current that seemed to exist; the result of the trial 
