A VOYAGE TO 
the wood, no other bird, befides one or two of the cuckoos 
that were feen at Wenooa-ette. 
Upon the whole, we did not fpend our time unprofitably 
at this laft illot; for we got there about twelve hundred 
cocoa-nuts, which were equally divided amongft the whole 
crew; and were, doubtlefs, of great ufe to them, both on 
account of the juice and of the kernel. A fhip, therefore, 
palling this way, if the weather be moderate, may expedt 
to fucceed as we did. But there is no water upon either of 
the iilots where we landed. Were that article to be had, 
and a paffage could be got into the lake, as we may call 
it, furrounded by the reef, where a Blip could anchor, I 
fhould prefer this to any of the inhabited illands, if the 
only want were refrelhment. For the quantity of' §fh 
that might be procured, would be fufjacient; and the peo¬ 
ple might roam about, unmolefted by the petulance of any 
inhabitants. 
The nine or ten low iilots, comprehended under the 
name of P aimer fton’s Illand, may be reckoned the heads 
or fummits of the reef of coral rock, that connects them 
together, covered only with a thin coat of fand, yet clothed, 
as already obferved, with trees and plants, mo ft of which 
are of the fame forts that are found on the low grounds of 
the high Hlands of this ocean. 
There are different opinions, amongft ingenious theorifts, 
concerning the formation of fuch low illands as Palmer- 
fton’s. Some will have it, that, in remote times, thefe little 
feparate heads or iilots were joined, and formed one conti¬ 
nued and more elevated tradt of land, which the fea, in the 
revolution of ages, has walhed away, leaving only the 
higher grounds ; which, in time, alfo, will, according to 
this theory, lhare the fame fate. Another conjecture is, 
that 
