2$0 VOYA&E IX SEARCH 



and the middle of the north-weft channel of 

 Carteret's Harbour weft io north. 



Only a hundred meters nearer to Cecoa-nut 

 Ifland, we fhould have lain as fnug as in the 

 beft fheltered harbour. A lliip may here anchor 

 \rithin a little diftance of the land, fince at 

 twenty meters from the fhore there are five 

 fathoms, and farther oft' the depth of water in- 

 creafes very fuddenly. 



We landed on Cocoa-nut Ifland, in order to 

 fpend there the reft of the day. This little 

 ifland, the moft elevated fpots of which are not 

 more than a hundred and fifty meters in perpen- 

 dicular height' above the level of the lea, is 

 formed of calcareous ftones of an extraordi- 

 nary whitcnefs. Rifen from the bofom of the 

 deep, time has effected little change in the 

 madreportc which enter into its compofition ; 

 they may be difcovcrcd even on the rocks the 

 moft expofed to the inclemency of the weather. 

 It is terminated to the lbuth-eaft and to the 

 north-calt by a fhoal of the fame kind of ftone. 

 There is, between it and I^eigh's Ifland, a fufri- 

 cient depth of water to afford a pnffage to fhips. 



A great deal of vaia having fallen during the 

 night, there wrote from the middle of the woods 

 {0 conftderablc a humidity, that at every inftant 

 clow's were feen forming there : thefc clouds, 

 which iilued principally from the lowcft fixa- 

 tions. 



