98 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
1818. 
April 29 , 
May 1. 
interesting to examine, but we had formed very 
sanguine expectations of discovering something 
of much greater importance at the bottom of the 
bay, and we were naturally anxious to reach it 
as soon as possible. 
On constructing the chart of this part of the 
coast, it appeared that the land to the eastward 
of this anchorage, is an isthmus four or five miles m 
breadth, separating the body of water from the 
bottom of Mountnorris Bay. The peninsula thus 
formed was honoured by the appellation of Co- 
bourg, after His Royal Highness Prince Leopold. 
During the day large smokes were observed 
on the south horizon, without any appearance of 
land near them. 
On our way out we anchored under one of 
Sir George Hope’s Islands, which, on the occa- 
sion of our landing upon it the next morning, 
(1st May,) was called May-day Island : it is 
about two miles long, and nearly the same dis- 
tance across ; its formation appears to have been 
originally of sand that has accumulated upon a 
rocky basis, and has gradually grown into an 
island ; it is thickly covered with a forest of dwarf 
trees and impenetrable brush-wood. Some 
recent impressions of a human foot on the sand 
below high-water mark were seen, and several 
old fire-places, and one or two of more recent 
