26o VOVAGE IN SEARCH 



in the intention of (laying there at lead: a fort- 

 night ; but the heavy rains determined him to 

 quit this anchorage much fooner. 



The greatcit activity had been exerted in ob- 

 taining the necefTary fupply of wood and water ; 

 and on the morning of the 24th we made every 

 preparation for failing. 



The water that we took on board at Carteret's 

 Harbour was very good, and had been procured 

 with much fecility. It was eafy to convey it into 

 the launch, by means of wooden troughs : the 

 only trouble attending this was to dip it up from 

 a meter below the trough. 



The wood was cut on Cocoa-nut Ifland, and 

 the conveyance of it was lefs difficult, as the 

 boat could come to the very edge of the fhore. 

 It may not be improper to remark, that the 



od which we took in at Carteret's Harbour, 

 tilled our (hip with a prodigious quantity of fcor- 

 pions, and a great number of fcolopendr^e of the 

 fpecics called fcokpemlra vwfitans. Thcfc in- 

 fects were extremely troublefome to us. 



The tents of the obfervatorv had been erected 

 to no pnrpofe on Cocoa-nut Ifland, the conti- 

 nual rains not having allovcd the aftronomers to 

 make one tingle obfervation : it is difficult to form 

 an idea of the vaif quanti 4 y of rain that fell; it 

 was a torrent, pouring down alraoft without in- 

 termiflion. 



4 The 



