126 RAINE'S ISLET. 



over a barren and desolate country, very sandy, and 

 having low ranges of hills, covered with short 

 scrubby woods. The rocks of Cape Grenville were 

 the same as those of Sir C. Hardy's Islands. Alto- 

 gether the excursion was a most uninteresting one, 

 with nothing to repay the discomfort of a two days' 

 beat back to the ship, in an open boat, against 

 a strong breeze, and a short tumbling sea. Sir C. 

 Hardy's Islands were a frequent resort with us the 

 following year, while the beacon was being built on 

 Raine's Islet, and we formed dams to catch the rain 

 water at the mouths of the two principal valleys of 

 the middle island, from which we procured a toler- 

 able supply of that necessary article. During our first 

 cruise we landed a sow and a boar, which, on our 

 return, had produced a fine litter of young pigs, but 

 I am afraid they were all shot at that time. The 

 place, however, was well adapted to them, as the 

 pork was excellent. 



July 29,1848. — I landed with Captain Blackwood 

 and a party on Raine's Islet, where we spent the 

 afternoon and night. Raine's Islet is about J 000 

 yards long, by 500 wide, and in no part rises 

 more than 20 feet above high-water mark. It is 

 formed of a plateau of calcareous sandstone, which 

 has a little cliff all round, four or five feet high, 

 outside of which is a belt of loose sand, forming a 

 low ridge between it and the sea. Some mounds 

 of loose sand also rest upon the stone, especially at 

 its western end. The length of the island runs 



