86 PROGRESS TO THE NORTHWARD. 



than a mile inland. Beyond, the country appeared 

 to subside into the same dull level which is the 

 characteristic feature of what we have yet seen of 

 this coast, thickly studded with timber of a much 

 finer growth than the stunted productions of Roe- 

 buck Bay. Behind the cliffy parts of the coast the 

 land assumed a more fertile appearance ; and this 

 seemed an almost invariable law in the natural 

 history of this new world. 



Five miles to the northward of Point Coulomb, 

 we passed a reef, lying a mile from the shore, with 

 seven fathoms one mile seaward of it. The land 

 now trended to the eastward, and formed a large 

 bay, the south point of which we rounded at half 

 past four, P.M. The mangroves grew right down to 

 the water's edge, and the spring tides appear to 

 inundate the country to a very considerable extent, 

 the land here being lower than any we had yet seen. 

 We anchored, at half past eight, in six and a-half 

 fathoms, and I ran below to find how our wounded 

 messmate had borne the day. 



From my usual post, the mast-head, I traced 

 the shore from point to point of Carnot Bay, 

 so named after the celebrated French consul and 

 engineer. A very low sandy point bore N. 67°, 

 E. 6 miles. Sand banks and breakers completely 

 fortified its shores, and efibctually forbid all ap- 

 proach, except under the most favourable circum- 

 stances. 



The several French names with which Commo- 



