THE PACIFIC OCEAN, 
215 
where we had the fatisfa&ion to fee them land. 1 then 
hore down with the fhips, till abreaft of the place, and 
there we kept handing off and on. For no bottom was to 
be found to anchor upon ; which was not of much confe- 
quence, as the party who had landed from our boats, were 
the only human beings upon the ifland. 
About one o’clock, one of the boats came on hoard, laden 
with fcurvy-grafs and young cocoa-nut trees ; which, at 
this time, was a feaft for the cattle. The fame boat 
brought a meffage from Mr. Gore, who commanded the 
party, informing me, that there was plenty of fuch pro¬ 
duce upon the illand, as alfo of the wharra tree, and fome 
cocoa-nuts. This determined me to get a good fupply 
of thefe articles, before I quitted this ftation; and, before 
evening, I went afhore in a fmall boat, accompanied by 
Captain Clerke. 
We found every body hard at work, and the landing 
place to be in a fmall creek, formed by the reef, of fome- 
thing more than a boat’s length in every direction, and co¬ 
vered from the force of the fea, by rocks projecting out on 
each fide of it. The ifland is fcarcely a mile in circuit; and 
not above three feet higher than the level of the fea. It 
appeared to be compofed entirely of a coral fand, with a 
fmall mixture of blackifh mould, produced from rotten ve¬ 
getables. Notwithflanding this poor foil, it is covered with 
trees and bufhes of the fame kind as at Wenooa-ette, though 
with lefs variety ; and amongft thefe are fome cocoa palms. 
Upon the trees or bullies that front the fea, or even farther 
in, we found a great number of men of war birds, Tropic 
birds, and two forts of boobies, which, at this time, were 
laying their eggs, and fo tame, that they fuffered us to take 
them off with our hands. Their nefts were only a few 
flicks 
