242 DUCHATEAU ISLANDS. 



seen to form a remarkable peak, 518 feet in height, 

 to which the name of Eddystone was appHed ; and 

 still further to the left He Keal, of D'Urville's chart, 

 shoots up to the height of 554 feet, as a solitary 

 rocky island with rugged outline and an abruptly 

 peaked summit. 



July 23rd. — Yesterday we were prevented from 

 reaching our intended anchorage at the Duch^teau 

 Isles by a strong easterly tide, the wind at the same 

 time being too light to allow us to stem it. To-day 

 the ship was moved closer in, and moored in a 

 convenient berth in 13 fathoms, half a mile north 

 from the middle island. 



We remained here for eleven days, thus affording 

 good opportunities for examining the group. The 

 Duchateau Isles are three low, wooded, coral islets, 

 the largest of which is only three-fourths of a mile 

 in lenofth. The two eastern islands are connected 

 by a reef, partly dry at low water, and separated 

 by a narrow passage from the smaller reef, sur- 

 rounding the western island. The southern, or wind- 

 ward margin of these reefs, presents a similarity to 

 the barrier class by rising up suddenly from an 

 unknoT\Ti depth, with constant and very heavy 

 breakers, but the northern, and at present the 

 leeward portion, extends only a little way, with 

 irregular and not well defined outline, and anchor- 

 age near it in from twelve to fifteen fathoms. The 

 three islands agree in presenting the same physical 

 characters. They are margined by a beach of 



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