THE CALVADOS GROUP. 239 



foamed all around. What the final result was, we 

 could not clearlj'' make out. 



Many water snakes were seen here, swimming- 

 ahout on the surface ; and one of two chasing- each 

 other and playing about the ship was shot by 

 Captain Stanley from his cabin window, and brought 

 on board. It appeared to be of the genus Hypotrophis, 

 and measured 87 J inches in length ; it had a pair 

 of minute poison fangs on each side of the upper 

 jaw ; the colour was a dirty greenish with numerous 

 pale narrow bands. 



July IQth. — The pinnace having returned yester- 

 day and reported a clear passage for the ship to 

 the westward close in-shore, we got under weigh and 

 returned on the same hne by which we had come 

 out, anchoring for the night in 19 fathoms water, 

 under Observation Reef II. Next day we rounded 

 Brierly Island from the eastward, passed between 

 it and Joannet Island, and after running a few miles 

 further to the westward, anchored in 30 fathoms — 

 15 miles W.N.W. from Brierly Island, and two 

 miles from the nearest of the Calvados Group. In 

 passing" Brierly Island the place appeared to be 

 deserted. We saw a single canoe hauled up on the 

 beach, but no natives. 



On July 18th, after standing to the westward 

 32 miles, we hauled out south, and anchored in 22 

 fathoms, about eight miles from the nearest of the 

 Calvados. We remained at this anchorage for the 

 next three days. One day we were visited by a 



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