GREAT BANDA. 
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islands, many of which were either unknown or in- 
correctly laid down on the charts ; so a running survey 
was made of this archipelago. Three days of most 
pleasant cruising followed, during which frequent 
soundings and trawlings were onward, and on the 
29tli September the volcanic group of Banda was in 
sight, covered with an unusually dense and brilliant 
green vegetation, indicating that we had passed 
beyond the range of the hot dry winds from the 
plains of Central Australia. 
As we proceed, on passing the shores of Great 
Banda, composed seemingly of a series of perpen- 
dicular crags from 200 to 300 feet high, covered 
with luxuriant vegetation hanging down in festoons 
of bright green unfading verdure to the water’s 
edge, a beautiful sheet of water is disclosed, like 
an inland lake, showing up the northern shores, 
covered with dense matted masses of foliage, while 
scattered about ahead are two or three small islands, 
with the swell chafing their abrupt sides as they rise 
out of the bright blue sea, which is only ruffled here 
and there by light breezes, or flecked by shadows from 
the fleecy clouds that slowly cross the sky. 
Banda is a lovely little spot, its three islands inclos- 
ing a secure harbour, from which no outlet is visible, 
and with waters so transparent that living corals, 
and even the minutest objects, are plainly seen on the 
volcanic sand at a depth of seven or eight fathoms. 
We anchored within the circle formed by these 
