2 l6 
A VOYAGE TO 
1777. Hicks loofely put together; and the Tropic birds laid their 
A | ,nl '_, eggs on the ground, under the trees. Thefe differ much 
from the common fort, being entirely of a molt fplendid 
white, llightly tinged with red, and haying the two long 
tail-feathers of a deep crimfon or blood colour. Of each 
fort, our people killed a confiderable number ; and, though 
not the moft delicate food, they were acceptable enough to 
us who had been long confined to a fait diet, and who, 
confequently, could not but be glad of the moft indifferent 
variety. We met with valt numbers of red crabs, creeping 
about, every where amongfi: the trees; and we caught fe- 
veral fifth that had been left in holes upon the reef, when 
the lea retired. 
At one part of the reef, which looks into, or bounds, the 
lake that is within, there was a large bed of coral, almoft 
even with the furface, which afforded, perhaps, one of the 
moil enchanting prof peels, that Nature has, any where, 
produced. Its bale was fixed to the lhore, but reached fo 
far in, that it could not be feen; fo that it feemed to be 
fufpended in the water, which deepened fo fuddenly, that, 
at the dilfance of a few yards, there might be feven or 
eight fathoms. The fea was, at this time, quite unruffled ; 
and the fun, finning bright, expofed the various forts of 
coral, in the molt beautiful order; fome parts branching 
into the water with great luxuriance ; others lying col¬ 
lected in round balls, and in various other figures ; all 
which w T ere greatly heightened by fpangles of the richeft 
colours, that glowed from a number of large clams, which 
were every where interfperfed. But the appearance of 
thefe was ftill inferior to that of the multitude of fillies, 
that glided gently along, feemingly with the moft perfect 
fecurity. The colours of the different forts were the molt 
beautiful 
