PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
145 
CHAPTEK VII. 
Quit Gambier Islands — Visit Lord Flood’s Island — Water-Spout — Clermont Tonnere — De- 
scription of the Island and Natives, Canoe, &c. — Serle Island — Whitsunday Island — 
Lagoon Island — Thrum Cap Island— Egmont Island — Discover Barrow Island; Descrip- 
tion of it — Carysfort Island — Discover Cockburn Island — Osnaburgh Island — Find the 
Wreck of the Matilda— Bligh’s Lagoon Island — Discovery of Byam Martin Island — 
Meet a Party of Chain Islanders there— Mystery attached to their History— Take two 
of them on board the Ship — Gloucester Island — See Bow Island. 
On the morning of the 13th of January we weighed from Gambier cHAP. 
Islands, and deepened the water so much that, after quitting our 
anchorage, we could get no soundings with the hand-lines until near jan. 
the bar, which was plainly distinguished by its colour long before we 
came upon it. There was not less than seven fathoms where we 
passed, and yet the sea, which rolled in heavily from the S. W., all 
hut broke, notwithstanding the wind had been blowing strong in the 
opposite direction for a week before. This effect of the prevalent south- 
westerly gales in the high latitudes, which is felt many hundred miles 
from the place whence it proceeds, occasions a material obstacle to 
landing upon the low islands, by rolling in upon the shore, in an oppo- 
*^ite direction to the trade wind, and thereby making it more dangerous 
to land on the lee-side of the island than on the other. In the Gambier 
groupe there are several small sandy islands at the S. W . extremity of 
the chain that surrounds it, over which the sea broke so heavily that 
they were entirely lost amidst the foam. I named them Wolfe Islands, 
after Mr. James Wolfe, one of the midshipmen of the ship. We passed 
them tolerably close, admiring the grand scene which they presented, and 
then stood on a northerly course with the intention of visiting Lord 
Hood’s Island. 
u 
