NIGHTS OUTSIDE THE BARRIER. 131 



inside the reefs is not yet attained. The Fly was 

 obliged to anchor about twelve miles off in the 

 S.W. inside the line of the Barrier. 



August 1. — We anchored in the Pandora en- 

 trance, where H.M.S. Pandora was lost in 1791, 

 on her return from Tahiti, with part of the mu- 

 tineers of the Bounty. There is a large sand bank 

 here, on which the crew of that vessel were saved. 

 Many dead turtle were found here also lying on their 

 bellies, so that it appears they come up on these 

 banks to die on the land. 



August 3, 4, 5, 1843. — During this time we were 

 running down to the north, outside the reefs, and 

 not being able to find any opening were obliged to 

 stand out to sea every afternoon and beat to wind- 

 ward, in order to get a sufficiently large and clear 

 space in which to spend the night. The S.E. trade 

 wind was blowing very strongly, with a heavy sea 

 running, so that, with a known danger on one side, 

 and many unknown but very probable ones on the 

 other, we passed but an anxious time of it. The 

 opening by which we at last got inside on the morn- 

 ing of the 5th, was by no means an inviting one, 

 since it was encumbered by small patches, the ends 

 of which overlapping, seemed almost completely to 

 block the passage with a continuous line of foam. 

 On getting among them, we found the patches 

 small, and by winding through them, we soon passed 

 into smooth water and good anchoring ground, and 



k 2 



