4 VOYAGE OF H.M.8. ' ALERT. 



supplies. We accordingly sailed from Singapore on the 5th Feb- 

 ruary, 1882, and steered for the Seychelle Islands, touching on the 

 way at Colombo. 



On the 4th of March we reached Bird Island, the most northerly 

 of the Scychelle group ; and as we remained at anchor there until 

 the following morning, we had an opportunity, among other things, 

 for exploring the island and accomplishing some dredging-work in 

 the shallow water about the ship. On the next day we steamed 

 over to Mahe, the chief island of the group. After some days spent 

 here in provisioning and coaling the ship, during which time our 

 boats did some useful dredging in the channel between Mahe and 

 St. Anne's Islands, we steamed over to the Amirante group, the most 

 northerly of which is only about a day's run from Mahe. We had 

 orders to make a survey of the Amirantes, and, as far as time would 

 permit, of the other coral islands which extend thence in an irregular 

 chain southward towards Madagascar. 



The Amirante group consists altogether of twenty-one low coral 

 islets, resting, with the exception of He des Eoches (which is sepa- 

 rated by a deep channel), on an extensive coral bank, which is 89 

 miles in length, with an average breadth of 19 miles, and whose 

 long axis lies in a N.N.E. and S.S.W. direction. It is included be- 

 tween the limits of 4° 50|' and 6° V2\' S. lat., and 53° 45' and 

 52° 50|' E. long., and is thus about 700 miles distant from the 

 nearest part of the East-African coast. Some of the islets and 

 sand-cays of which it is composed, and which are included in the 

 above enumeration, are so arranged in clusters that for all practical 

 purposes the group may be regarded as consisting of nine islets, 

 which have been named African, Eagle, Darros, Des Eoches, Poivre, 

 Etoile, Marie Louise, Des Neufs, and Boudeuse Islands. 



From the Amirantes we moved over to Alphonse Island, which 

 occupies an isolated position GO miles S.W. by S. of the southern 

 extremity of the Amirante Bank ; and thence proceeded to Pro- 

 vidence Island, which is about 240 miles from the Amirantes in 

 a S.W. by S. direction, and about 200 miles from Cape Amber, in 

 Madagascar. After a short stay at each of these islands, we steamed 

 over to the Glorioso group, which consists of three islands, also of 

 coral formation, and situated about 120 miles W. by N. of the 

 northern extremity of Madagascar. Every effort was made to 

 investigate the fauna and flora of these islands as far as time and 

 other circumstances would permit, so that sufficient materials were 

 accumulated to connect their natural history with that of Seychelles 

 to the northward and Madagascar to the southward. 



With our departure from the Glorioso Islands the surveying opera- 

 tions of the ' Alert ' were brought to a close. On the 12th of May 

 we reached Mozambique, whence, after a stay of a few days, we 

 proceeded on our homeward voyage, stopping en route at AlgoaBay, 

 Simon's Bay, Cape of Good Hope, St. Helena, and Fayal (in the 

 Azores), and arrived in Plymouth Sound on the 3rd of September, 

 1882, after an absence of nearly four years. 



