Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/350

292 were at the mast-head saw, as they thought, land all round us, on which we immediately came to an anchor, resolved to go ashore, and from the hills see whether it was so or not.

The point we went on was sandy and very barren, so it afforded very few plants or anything else worth our observation. The sand itself, indeed, with which the whole country in a manner was covered, was infinitely fine and white, but until a glass-house is built here that could be turned to no account. We had the satisfaction, however, to see that what was taken for land round us proved only a number of islands.

11th. The captain went to-day to one of the islands, which proved to be five leagues from the ship. I went with him. We passed over two very large shoals, on which we saw great plenty of turtle, but we had too much wind to strike any. The island itself was high; we ascended the hill, and from the top saw plainly the grand reef still extending itself parallel with the shore at about the distance of three leagues from us, or eight from the main. Through it were several channels exactly similar to those we had seen in the islands; through one of these, which seemed most easy, we determined to go. To ascertain, however, the practicability of it, we resolved to stay upon the island all night, and at daybreak send a boat to sound one of them, which was accordingly done. We slept under the shade of a bush that grew upon the beach very comfortably.

12th. Great part of yesterday and all this morning till the boat returned I employed in searching the island. On it I found some few plants which I had not before seen. The island itself was small and barren; there was, however, one small tract of woodland which abounded very much with large lizards, some of which I took. Distant as this isle was from the main, the Indians had been here in their poor embarkations, a sure sign that some part of the year must have very settled fine weather. We saw seven or eight frames of their huts, and vast piles of shells, the fish of which had, I suppose, been their food. All the houses