12 fr COOK *s VOYAGE. 
mailer in the yaw] to leeward, to found between the low illands 
and the main. In my way, I palled over a reef of coral rock 
and fand, which lies about two leagues from the illand, and I 
left another to leeward, which lies about three miles from it : 
on che north part of the reef, to the leeward, there is a low 
fandy illand, with trees upon it ; and upon the reef which we 
palTed over, we faw feveral turtle : we chafed one or two, but 
having little time to fpare, and the wind blowing frelh, we 
did not take any. 
About one o’dcck we reached the illand, and immediately 
afcended the higheft hill, with a mixture of hope and fear, 
proportioned to the importance of our bufinefs, .and the uncer- 
tainty of the event : when I looked round, I difcovered a reef 
of rocks, lying between two and three leagues without the 
illands, and extending in a line N. W. and S. E. farther than 
I could fee, upon which the fea broke in a dreadful furl ; this 
however made me think that there were qo lhoals beyond them, 
and I conceived hopes of getting without thefe, as I perceived 
feveral breaks, or openings, in the reef, and deep water be- 
tween that and the illands. I continued upon this hill till 
fun fet, but the weather was fo hazy during the whole time 
that I came down much difappointed. After refledt ng upon 
what I had feen, and comparing the inteliige ce I had gained 
with what I expedled, I determined to Hay upon the illand all 
night, hoping that the morning might be clearer, and afford 
me a more diftindt and comprehensive view. Wg therefore 
took up our lodging under the Ihelter q! a bulli, which grew 
upon the beach, and at three in the morning, having fen t the 
pinnace with one of the mates, whpm I had brought out with 
me, to found between the illands and the reefs, and examine 
what appeared to be a channel through them, I climbed the 
hill a fecor.d time ; but to my great difappointment found 
the weather much more hazy than it had been the day before. 
About noon the pinnace returned, having been as far as the 
reef, and found between fifteen and twenty- eight fathom of 
water ; but it blew fo hard that the mate did not dare to ven- 
ture into one of the channels, which he faid appeared to him, 
to be very narrow : this however did not dilcourage me, for I 
judged from his defeription of the place he had been at, that 
he. had feen it to difadvantage. While I was bufy in my fur- 
vey, Mr. Banks was attentive to his favourite purluit, and 
picked up feveral plants which he had not befoie feen. We 
found the illand, which is vifible at twelve leagues dillance. to 
be about eight leagues in circumference, and in general very 
rocky and barren. On the north well fide, howev er, there are 
fome fandy bays, and feme low land, which is covered with 
long thin graft, and trees of the fame kind wrh thofe upon 
the main : this part alfo abounded with lizards of a very large 
