AUG. 1770 EAGLE ISLAND COOK'S PASSAGE 293 



were built upon the tops of eminences, exposed entirely to 

 the S.E., contrary to those of the main, which are commonly 

 placed under some bushes or hillside to break the wind. 

 The officer who went in the boat returned with an account 

 that the sea broke vastly high upon the reef, and that the 

 swell was so great in the opening that he could not go into 

 it to sound ; this was sufficient to assure us of a safe passage 

 out ; so we got into the boat to return to the ship in high 

 spirits, thinking our dangers now at an end, as we had a 

 passage open for us to the main sea. On our return we 

 went ashore on a low island, 1 where we shot many birds : 

 on it was the nest of an eagle, the young ones of which we 

 killed ; and another I knew not of what bird, built on the 

 ground, of a most enormous magnitude : it was in circum- 

 ference 2 6 feet, and in height 2 feet 8 inches,' built of sticks. 2 

 The only bird I have seen in this country capable of build- 

 ing such a nest seems to be the pelican. The Indians had 

 been here likewise and lived upon turtle, as we could plainly 

 see by the heaps of callipashes [carapaces] piled up in many 

 parts of the island. Our master, who had been sent to leeward 

 to examine that passage, went ashore upon a low island, where 

 he slept ; such great plenty of turtle had the Indians had 

 when there, that they had hung up the fins with the meat 

 left on them on trees, where the sun had dried them so well 

 that our seamen eat them heartily. He saw also two spots 

 clear of grass, which had lately been dug up; they were 

 about seven feet long and shaped like a grave, for which 

 indeed he took them. 



13th. Ship stood out for the opening 3 we had seen in 

 the reef, and about two o'clock passed through it ; it was 

 about half a mile wide. As soon as the ship was well within 

 it, we had no ground with 100 fathoms of line, so became in 

 an instant quite easy, being once more in the main ocean, 

 and subsequently freed from all fears of shoals, etc. 



I4:th. For the first time these three months we were this 



1 Eagle Island. 



2 No doubt the nest of the Jungle bird, a species of Megapodium. 

 3 Cook's passage. 



