326 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROP1CAL 
14 . 
15. 
During the night we had lightning from the 
N.W., and the next day the wind was so light 
that we did not make much progress ; an an- 
chorage was occupied during the ensuing night 
to the eastward of Point Biggs, half a mile to the 
northward of a small rocky island, in ten fathoms 
and a half, muddy bottom. Every succeeding 
day, the weather was getting more and more 
unfavourable for our purpose ; which increased 
my anxiety to escape from this labyrinth of 
islands and shoals ; for we had evidently no time 
to spare, in order to leave the coast before the 
rainy season should commence. 
The whole of this gulf is admirably formed 
for the trepang fishery, and the animal is ex- 
tremely abundant among the reefs. Both fish 
and turtle are plentiful, the latter are of very 
large size ; none, however, were taken to deter- 
mine its species. We have seen very few in- 
habitants on this part of the coast, but at this 
season they are doubtless divided into small de- 
tached parties, for the greater facility of pro- 
curing sustenance, and of making their reservoirs 
of water, wherever they may be, last longer. 
The next day, after an ineffectual attempt to 
pass out through the islands in the vicinity of 
Cape Voltaire, we anchored about mid-way be- 
tween three of high flat-topped form; and at 
