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 through 

 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 



