18 ANCHOR FOUL. 



was like it. What an inconceivable amount of 

 animal life must be here scattered over the bottom 

 of the sea, to say nothing of that moving through 

 its waters, and this through spaces of hundreds of 

 miles. Every corner and crevice, every point occu- 

 pied by living beings, which, as they become more 

 minute, increase in tenfold abundance. 



Feb. 7. — In attempting to weigh the anchor this 

 morning, we found the cable had caught under 

 some ledge of coral rock, and after carrying away 

 the messenger as well as several tackles, we were 

 obliged to wait till the ship swung to the turn of 

 tide, when we weighed and let go in a better place. 

 I took the opportunity of landing on the reef with 

 Captain Blackwood, but we did not observe any- 

 thing new. 



Feb. 8. — We sailed with a fresh breeze, tracing 

 the continuation of the reefs to the northward, and 

 were obliged to make a tack or two in order to wea- 

 ther a point projecting farther to the eastward than 

 usual ; after which we stood out to the north-east 

 for a few miles, when no reefs being in sight, we 

 sounded and found no ground with 200 fathoms. 

 We then stood back and anchored among the reefs, 

 to leeward of those last seen, in 17 fathoms, with 

 a very strong tide running in from the east. 



Feb. 9. — In trying to weigh this morning, we 

 again found the anchor or cable foul among the 

 rocks of the bottom, and applying all our force, 

 split the inner starboard hawse-pipe. Passing the 



