THE MONTEBELLO GROUP. 207 



causes heavy ripplings. We noticed that a hill, 

 lying nine miles to the south-west of Bezout Island, 

 called in the chart Round-backed Hill, bearing 

 between S. 5° E., and S. 15" E., clears the reefs on 

 either side the channel ; and that the same hill 

 bearing S. 24° W. leads between Bezout and De- 

 lambre, and S. 8° W. clears the reef off the eastern 

 side of the latter. 



From Delambre we proceeded to the Montebello 

 Islands, principally in order to set at rest two points 

 of great interest, namely, the position of Ritchie's 

 Reef, and of the long lost Tryal Rocks. On the 31st, 

 in the afternoon, we anchored in 6 fathoms on the 

 eastern side of Tremouille Island, a cliffy islet off the 

 south-east end of which bore S. 42" E. two miles. 

 The tide was ebbing and setting to the N. N. E. 

 two knots an hour. We found the Montebello 

 Group to be confined by a coral reef encircling it. 

 The two principal islands are Tremouille and 

 Hermite Islands. The fact that these and their 

 neighbours are not separated in the charts fully 

 evinced the necessity of our visit. Leaving a boat 

 to examine them, the ship proceeded towards the 

 northern end of Barrow's Island, being anxious to 

 avoid the southerly winds to which the anchorage off 

 Tremouille is exposed. These usually commenced at 

 midnight, blowing from south-west, freshening and 

 veering to south by 8 a. m., and by about 10 mode- 

 rating at S. S. E. On our way to Barrow's Island 

 they were so violent as to cause the ship to drive with 



