A VOYAGE TO 
pletely do the rocks fiirround the iiland, that it was not 
eafy to find a place even to iaP.d a man. At length, how- 
ever, they fucceeded, having difcovCiTd at the fouth-weft 
end, a fmali opening in a reef that runs acrofs 2 bay. Here 
the people, proviiions an.i iiores v/ere all put on lilcrS 
in perfe6i: fafety. The Commandant wrote in high 
fpirits at the promiiing appearance of his new territory ; 
and fubfequent accounts have proved, that the opinion he 
then formed was not erroneous. He defcribed Norfolk 
I Hand as one entire wood, or rather as a garden over- 
run with the nobleft pines, in flrraightnefs, lize, and 
magnitude," far fuperior to any he had ever feen. No- 
thing can exceed the fertility of its foil. Wherever it 
has been lince examined, a rich black mould has been 
found to the depth of five or fix feet : and the grain 
and garden feeds which have been fown, fuch only 
excepted as were damaged in the carriage, or by the 
weevil, have vegetated with the utmoft luxuriance. To 
prevent repetitions, it may perhaps be heft: to unite in 
this place the accounts v/hich have been received of 
this iiland, though many of them will eafily be per- 
ceived to be greatly pofterior to this firft return of the 
Supply. 
Norfolk Iiland is about feven leagues in circumfe- 
rence, and if not originally formed, like many other 
fmall iflands, by the eruption of volcanic matter from the 
4 bed 
