FLORIDA. 279 



long way farther on round tlie point wliicli we 1 ad to clear 

 before tlie ship's liead eould be brought round so as to get 

 to the anchorage. In the middle of this reef there is a 

 dome-shaped rock HO or 70 feet above the water, covered 

 with trees, which had a very pretty effect. Some of the 

 highest hills have a good deal of wood upon them. 



Before six P M. we had entered the Gulf of Ml)()li in 

 Florida Island, and drojjpcd anchor in Port Wiseman ; so 

 Mboli Harbour was named at the liishop's suggestion, in 

 compliment to our gallant Commodore. There is a good 

 deal of shallow water in the gulf, and patches of reef. The 

 ' Southern Cross,' which had shown us the entrance into the 

 port, remained outside, intending to l)eat about all night, in 

 order to be i-eady next morning early to touch at several 

 villages on the coast we had observed in [)assing. We could 

 very well see the farther end of tlie gulf, wliich was not 

 much more than a mile from our anchorage. The gulf, 

 measuring it on the side of the point wliich we passed, is 

 not, I think, more than five or six miles in dejjth. Scarce 

 had we anchored when we were suri'ounded by a great 

 number of canoes, among whicli I observed two large ones, 

 the one carrying twenty-two men and ihe other eighteen ; 

 the object of course was barter. These canoes, instead of 

 being alike, or nearly so, at both ends, as tnose we had seen, 

 elsewhere, had oidy one of tlieii- ends tei'minating in a high 

 point. I saw two canoes in each of whi<'h the bow was 

 about ten feet high. I luive never seen a sail to a canoe in 

 the New Hebrides, or the Solomon Islands. These canoes, 



