182 
SURVEY OP THE INTERTROPICAL 
1822. of our procuring more turtles from the beach, 
Jan. 21. induced me to remain here a few days to 
perform some trifling repairs that could not 
be effected at sea. We were also prevented 
from moving, from the unfavourable state of the 
weather; for it was blowing a gale of wind all 
the time we remained ; but as our people were 
living upon fresh food, the time was not consi- 
dered as lost. The next morning fifty turtles 
were turned, but as we could not convey them 
all on board, forty were left on shore upon their 
backs for the night: upon landing the next 
morning they were all found dead, having killed 
themselves by their exertions to escape, and 
from their exposure to the heat of the sun, 
which was so great during the day, that I did 
not send any of the people on shore. We found, 
however, no difficulty in procuring more, some 
of which weighed four hundred weight. 
The shore of this bay is fronted by a rocky 
reef, covered with shell-fish, of which the prin- 
cipal sorts were species of troclms, chama, conus, 
voluta, cj/prcea, buccinum, ostrea, mytilus, and 
patella ; among the latter was the large one of 
King George’s Sound. Upon the beaches to wind- 
ward of the cape, we found varieties of sponge 
and coral ; and beche de mer were observed 
in the crevices of the rocks, but were neither 
