292 AUSTRALIA TO TORRES STRAITS CHAP, xn 



were at the mast-head saw, as they thought, land all round 

 us, on which we immediately came to an anchor, resolved to 

 go ashore, and from the hills see whether it was so or not. 



The point we went on 1 was sandy and very barren, so 

 it afforded very few plants or anything else worth our 

 observation. The sand itself, indeed, with which the whole 

 country in a manner was covered, was infinitely fine and 

 white, but until a glass-house is built here that could be 

 turned to no account. We had the satisfaction, however, 

 to see that what was taken for land round us proved only a 

 number of islands. 



11th. The captain went to-day to one of the islands, 2 

 which proved to be five leagues from "the ship. I went 

 with him. We passed over two very large shoals, on which 

 we saw great plenty of turtle, but we had too much wind 

 to strike any. The island itself was high ; we ascended 

 the hill, and from the top saw plainly the grand reef still 

 extending itself parallel with the shore at about the distance 

 of three leagues from us, or eight from the main. Through 

 it were several channels exactly similar to those we had 

 seen in the islands ; through one of these, which seemed 

 most easy, we determined to go. To ascertain, however, 

 the practicability of it, we resolved to stay upon the island 

 all night, and at daybreak send a boat to sound one of 

 them, which was accordingly done. We slept under the 

 shade of a bush that grew upon the beach very comfortably. 



12th. Great part of yesterday and all this morning till 

 the boat returned I employed in searching the island. On 

 it I found some few plants which I had not before seen. 

 The island itself was small and barren ; there was, however, 

 one small tract of woodland which abounded very much 

 with large lizards, some of which I took. Distant as this 

 isle was from the main, the Indians had been here in their 

 poor embarkations, a sure sign that some part of the year 

 must have very settled fine weather. We saw seven or 

 eight frames of their huts, and vast piles of shells, the fish 

 of which had, I suppose, been their food. All the houses 



1 Cape Flattery. 2 Lizard Island. 



