1.56 FROM RADACK TO 



at seven o'clock the sailor at the top-mast-head 

 gave the news, that he saw land direct before 

 us : according to Arrowsmith's chart, it would lie 

 much more to the east of us. At eight o'clock 

 we distinctly saw several islands overgrown with 

 low bushes, visible only from five to six miles' dis- 

 tance, and they may, therefore, become more dan- 

 gerous to the navigator than the groups lately 

 discovered by us, which are at least covered 

 •with high trees, and give timely warning of every 

 danger. At noon w^e had sailed round the southern 

 point of the little group, and were under the lee 

 of it, in very calm water, from whence we could 

 clearly overlook it. A coral reef here also forms 

 a circle ; the eastern side of which consists of 

 nothing but small islands. The extent, as well as 

 the geographical situation of the group on Arrow- 

 smith's chart very little agrees with our observ- 

 ations. The frigate Cornwallis gives the extent of 

 the group from N. to S. at thirty miles ; we, on the 

 contrary, found it only thirteen miles and a half: 

 our longitudes also differ. According to our ob- 

 servation, the group lies 191° 0' 9,5"^ consequently 

 twenty minutes more to the west than is given by 

 the English frigate : the latitudes nearly agree. 

 When we were, at noon, at the southern point of 

 the group, we found the latitude 14° 39' '2d'\ 

 We approached under the lee of the reef within a 

 couple of hundred fathoms. I sent Lieutenant 

 Schischmareff, with a boat, to examine whether we 



