316 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



' Lark ' Passage. There I began to have my eyes opened, 

 and to get an explanation of the formation of the coral 

 flat reefs. So that was most satisfactory ; on the -weather 

 side of one of these reefs we got a glimpse of the corals, 

 which were simply wonderful in the way of coloring, 

 nothing like it have I ever seen. I wish one could get 

 a photograph or a picture of such a brilliantly gaudy 

 reef, but that is hopeless. While we were laid up at 

 Cairns we also lost a set of very low tides on which I 

 had depended to get some such fine photographs as those 

 of Kent. 



We are anchored for the night just under the lee 

 of the thin line of the outer reef, upon which the surf 

 is thundering. To-morrow morning we intend to go out- 

 side if the sea is not too heavy and do a little sounding 

 and deep towing. We set up the sounding machine to- 

 day and are ready to use it now. I shall depute Max to 

 run it, for I hardly trust any of the men. They are none 

 of them very handy and the boat men especially are 

 pretty awkward, and my only safety lies in having Max 

 at hand ready to take hold. 



As we were off Cooktown we saw the missionary 

 steamer, John Williams, go into the harbor. She has 

 just come from New Guinea, and we hope to pick up 

 quite a lot of New Guinea curios when we put into Cook- 

 town, which will be as soon as the weather compels us 

 to do so. We are going to try and examine all the reefs 

 within fifty miles of Cooktown before we refill our water 

 tanks and lay in the last supply of ice we shall indulge 

 in till we get on board the Ocampo for Hong-Kong. 



" May 9th — Cooktown. Got here last night after a 

 few hours of work only and the rest fighting against 

 the trades. After all, the Admiralty was right — this is 



