354 CLAREMONT JSLES. 



rim which rose on all sides was quite black, 

 but white when broken ; the highest part being 

 about three feet above the water. The nature of 

 the bottom within the reef was a white sand mixed 

 with small pieces of dead coral : without, we found 

 on either side soft green sandy mud with shells, the 

 inclination of the bottom on which the reef rests, 

 being only one degree, we may fairly infer it to be 

 superimposed on a most extensive basis. 



July 7. — To-day being Sunday we did not pro- 

 ceed further then No. 4 of the Claremont Isles, 

 a low rocky group encircled by coral reefs, to 

 give the ship's company a run on shore during 

 the afternoon ; in order to remind them of its 

 being a day of rest appointed by the Lord. When 

 we anchored, we found, contrary to the usual 

 north-westerly tendency of the current, a tide 

 setting S. S. W. three quarters of a knot an hour, 

 this lasted for a space of four hours, when it 

 changed, and ran N. N. W. from half to three 

 quarters of a knot during the remainder of our 

 stay. The wind was moderate from E. S. E. 



July 8. — We weighed at 6, a. m , and about 

 the same hour in the evening again anchored 

 under Restoration Island. The ship's track during 

 the day followed the trend of the land, keeping 

 about seven miles from it, except when opposite 

 Cape Direction, where we were about half that dis- 

 tance from the shore. We found little to add to 

 Captain King's chart, with the exception of some 



