292 AUSTRALIA TO TORRES STRAITS CHAP, XII 
were at the mast-head saw, as they thought, land all round 
us, on which we immediately came to an anchor, resolved to 
go ashore, and from the hills see whether it was so or not. 
The point we went on’ was sandy and very barren, so 
it afforded very few plants or anything else worth our 
observation. The sand itself, indeed, with which the whole 
country in a manner was covered, was infinitely fine and 
white, but until a glass-house is built here that could be 
turned to no account. We had the satisfaction, however, 
to see that what was taken for land round us proved only a 
number of islands. 
11th, The captain went to-day to one of the islands,’ 
which proved to be five leagues from the ship. I went 
with him. We passed over two very large shoals, on which 
we saw great plenty of turtle, but we had too much wind 
to strike any. The island itself was high; we ascended 
the hill, and from the top saw plainly the grand reef still 
extending itself parallel with the shore at about the distance 
of three leagues from us, or eight from the main. Through 
it were several channels exactly similar to those we had 
seen in the islands; through one of these, which seemed 
most easy, we determined to go. To ascertain, however, 
the practicability of it, we resolved to stay upon the island 
all night, and at daybreak send a boat to sound one of 
them, which was accordingly done. We slept under the 
shade of a bush that grew upon the beach very comfortably. 
12th. Great part of yesterday and all this morning till 
the boat returned I employed in searching the island. On 
it I found some few plants which I had not before seen. 
The island itself was small and barren; there was, however, 
one small tract of woodland which abounded very much 
with large lizards, some of which I took. Distant as this 
isle was from the main, the Indians had been here in their 
poor embarkations, a sure sign that some part of the year 
must have very settled fine weather. We saw seven or 
eight frames of their huts, and vast piles of shells, the fish 
of which had, I suppose, been their food. All the houses 
1 Cape Flattery. 2 Lizard Island. 
