Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/303

] black mud, mixed with calcareous sand. We were about 200 toises from the island of Cocos.

The north-west point of New Ireland bore west 12° north, distant about 25,000 toises, and the south-east point of the same island bore south 31° east, at the same distance.

The middle of the passage, on the north-west of Carteret harbour, bore west 10° north.

At the distance of about fifty toises from the island of Coccs, we would have been in a harbour well defended on all sides. There is anchorage at a very small distance from the land; for about ten toises from the shore there are five fathoms of water, and, as the distance increases, the depth increases very rapidly.

We went on shore, on the island of Cocos, to pass the rest of the day. That little island, the highest part of which is not above seventy-five toises above the level of the sea, is formed of very white calcareous stones. Having risen from under the water, time has not much altered the form of the madrepores, which enter into its composition. They may be traced even on the rocks, which are the most exposed to the injuries of the air. The island is terminated on the south-east, and on the north-west, by the same kind of stones. About mid-way between it and Laig