The island, according to Mr. Whidbey's account, is about 4 leagues in circuit, with several detached rocks and islets scattered around its shores. Off the S.W. point they extend to the greatest distance, nearly 2 miles, and would be dangerous if they were not sufficiently high to be seen and avoided. The tops of these surrounding islands are generally covered with trees; the lower parts consist of a belt of white barren rock to the water's edge.

The island itself is very high, sufficiently so to be seen at more than 20 leagues distant; and Vancouver says that he lost sight of it at 46 miles W.N.W., not from sinking below the horizon, but from being obscured by haze. The West side is the highest, showing in the form of a round hill, descending the northern extremity, which appears like a detached islet when bearing to the eastward. From this quarter the southern part appears to rise abruptly from the sea, in steep rugged cliffs, to a considerable height. The northern side is indented into small bays, with rocks and islets lying near them. The shores are chiefly composed of broken cliffy perpendicular precipices, beyond which the surface rises unevenly to the summit of the island, the whole composed of one rude connected thicket of small trees, near the shore; but on the more elevated and interior parts of the island are many large spreading trees, among which are cocoa-nut trees, but not in such abundance as to distinguish the island.

Colnett and Wafer speak in high terms of the beautiful appearance of the island. Colnett was here in July, 1793. He says it is Otaheite on a small scale, but without the advantage of its climate or hospitality of its inhabitants. Vancouver, who came here in January, 1795, gives a different opinion :-"This island cannot be considered as having a pleasant appearance in any one point of view; for although its inland surface is much diversified by hills and valleys, yet the only low land of any extent that we were certain it possesses is in the bottom of the two bays (on the N.E. side), each of which form the extremity of one of these valleys, bounded by craggy precipices, from the foot of which extends a narrow slip of low flat land that terminates in a beach at the water side, resembling more the dreary prospect exhibited at the heads of the several branches of sea we had so recently explored on the N.W. coast of America, than anything else I could compare them to."

The one great advantage which Cocos Island offers, is the abundance of fresh water. Apparently it is quite pure, and is very easily to be procured at those points to which vessels can resort. Fish are abundant around the shores, but would not take bait; sharks in large shoals, and very voracious, are among the number. Fowl of the oceanic kind visit the island, and afford tolerable food. The cocoa-nuts, also, have been of great service to earlier navigators.* All the trees for fuel have been cut, and there are no cocoa-nut trees remaining which are accessible. Pigs are abundant.

Chatham Bay is the easternmost anchorage on the island. Vancouver moored here in 33 fathoms, sand and gravel, good holding ground and free from rocks. The East point of the bay, which is a small conical islet close to the N.E. extreme

Colnett states that his men drank an excessive quantity of the milk, which did not intoxicate, but so benumbed them that they were unable to move without assistance; this continued for four or five days.-Voyage to the South Seas, pp. 67-8.

of the island, bears N. 51° E., half a mile distant; West point of the bay, S. 75° W.; a steep rocky islet lying off it from S. 87° W. to N. 66° N.; and the watering place at the mouth of a very fine stream emptying itself over a sandy beach, S. 13° W., about three-quarters of a mile distant. Outside this the water deepens almost immediately. This bay is quite open to the North, and Colnett states that though he found the prevalent winds to be from South and West, he had it frequently strong from N.E. and North.

Wafer's Bay, as it is named in Colnett's plan, is to the westward of the former, and one mile distant from the N.E. point; it may be easily known by a small rugged, barren rock, about the size of a large boat, bearing West of the body of the bay about 5 or 6 miles. The bay also lies East and West, but is not adapted for vessels of above 200 tons; it is nearly sheltered from all winds. Vancouver says it is certainly not so eligible a situation for procuring the good things the island affords as the bay to the eastward, although a more copious stream of water flows into it.

Vancouver considered it (January)
Colnett, who stayed longer, ex-
Flies, too, were very abundant

The climate of the island is humid. temperate and salubrious, but had heavy rains. perienced almost constant and very heavy rain. and annoying.

The tide is an important object in anchoring here. The time of high water is about 2 10′, rising and falling from 16 to 18 feet. The ebb sets to the East at the rate of 4 or 5 knots. The flood, which is weaker, runs to the West. They are uninfluenced by currents. The current around is strong and irregular, but generally setting to the north-eastward at the rate of 2 knots.

DUNCAN ISLAND, PASSION ISLAND, GALLEGO ISLAND (?)-To the West of the Galapagos some islands have been announced under the above names. The particulars and positions are extremely doubtful, and whether any or all of them exist, or whether they are all identical, is equally open to question. The first was discovered in 1787, it is said, by Capt. Duncan, in a merchant vessel. He says the island is small and rocky, in lat. 6° N., lon. 35° W. of Valparaiso, or 106° W. of Greenwich. Admiral Krusenstern says it is probably the same island discovered by Capt. Dubocage, in La Découverte, of Havre, at the commencement of the last century, on Good Friday, and hence he named it L'Ile de la Passion. This circumstance is noticed by Le Barbinais, who made a voyage to the South Seas in 1714. On Espinosa's chart it is placed in lat. 16° 54′ N., lon. 109° W. These three sites vary so much from each other that Admiral Krusenstern was induced to erase all but the first, which must also be regarded as very deficient in authenticity.

WALKER'S ISLANDS.-A wide extent of ocean intervenes in this belt of latitude between the positions of the foregoing doubtful islands and that of the isolated cluster which are named as above. From a notice preserved by Mr.

See Dampier, vol. i. p. 111; Viage de la Descubierta et Atrevida, 1791; Vancouver's Voyage Round the World, vol. iii. pp. 364-367; Colnett's Voyage to the South Seas, pp. 66-74; Purdy's Ethiopic Memoir, 1824; Morrell's Voyages, p. 91; United Service Journal, vol. v. part ii. p. 732.

CHRISTMAS ISLAND-WASHINGTON ISLAND.

1049

Purdy, they were discovered by Capt. Walker, in 1814, and consist of a group of small, low, and well-wooded islands. Their lat. is 3° 34′ N., lon. 149° 15′ W. On some charts they are marked as Low Woody Islands.*

CHRISTMAS ISLAND, a coral lagoon island, was discovered by Capt. Cook, in the Resolution and Discovery, on Wednesday, December 24th, 1777. He remained here till January 2nd ensuing, and observed an eclipse of the sun, and from the season gave it the name. It is, like all other islands of the same nature, a belt of low land, enclosing a lagoon, which, however, in this case is very shallow. The entrance into it is on the N.W. side, and was divided into two channels, fit only for boats, by a small island, on which Cook landed his instruments, and planted some cocoa-nuts, yams, and melon seeds. Here he also left a memorial of his visit.

The low land is covered with stunted bushes, and a few cocoa-nut and palm trees here and there. From the S.E. to the S.W. points of the island the coast runs N.W. by W. W. 25.8 miles. A deep bay, however, runs to the northward from a point of land about 13 miles from the S.E. point, near which are two conspicuous cocoa-nut trees, bearing about N.E. by E., true, when in one with the point. Close to the S.W. point are two or three groves of cocoanut trees (which from the sea appear as one), planted by Capt. Cook on its discovery. From the S.W. point the land trends N.E., true, 4 miles, forming a small bay, in the N.E. part of which is anchorage, half or three-quarters of a mile from the shore, sand and coral, 9, 8, 7, and 6 fathoms. No turtle were seen by Capt. Scott, September, 1840, although Cook found an abundance. From the N.E. point of this bay the land appears to run away East into a narrow bight, and then trends to the W.N.W. in a slip, terminating in the N.W. point, which bears nearly North 7 miles from the S.W. point.†

The island does not afford any fresh water. Cook's party dug without success in several parts of it, consequently it is uninhabited, except by flocks of sea-birds, who here lay their eggs under the low trees in parts of the island. They also caught abundance of fish. Though a vessel on its shore may be seen from most parts of it, it was still large enough for some of Cook's sailors to lose themselves on it, and to be recovered only after great privations.

Capt. Scott, R.N., confirms Cook's position of the island. Cook places the small islet in lat. 1° 59' N., lon. 157° 30′ W.; variation, 6° 22' E. (1778).‡

According to Capt. Scott, its S.E. point is in lat. 1° 40′ 34" N., lon.157° 13′ 53′′; S.W. point, lat. 1° 51' 54" N., lon. 157° 38' 57" W.; N.W. point, lat. 1° 59' 30", lon. 157° 30′ 3′′ W.; S.E. point, meridian distance from Resolution Bay, Marquesas, 18° 2′ 28′′ W.

WASHINGTON ISLAND was discovered by Capt. Edmund Fanning, on board the American ship Betsy, in 1798, the day after he had discovered the island bearing his name to the S.E. It has also been called New York Island

• Krusenstern's Supplement, p. 115.

+ Capt. Scott, R.N., H.M.S. Samarang, 1840. See Cook's Third Voyage, vol ii. pp. 180-189.

on the charts. According to Capt. Wilkes, it is in lat. 4° 41′ 35′′ N., lon. 160° 15′ 37′′ W., very nearly the position originally assigned. It is 3 miles long by 1 miles broad, and is entirely covered with cocoa-nut and other trees, exhibiting a most luxuriant growth. There is a reef off its eastern point, which extends for half a mile. At the western end a coral ledge extends 2 miles in a N.W. by W. direction, on which the water appears much discoloured, but the sea was not seen to break upon it, except close to the point of the island. It is elevated about 10 feet above the sea. The surf is very heavy, and the island affords no anchorage.

FANNING'S ISLAND, as before stated, bears the name of its discoverer. Its position, according to Capt. Tromelin, is in lat. 3° 53′ N., lon. 158° 23′ W.; but as the original position of Washington Island is nearly correct, perhaps the mean of the three observations by its discoverer may also be so-lat. 3° 48′ N., lon. 158° 47'.

According to the account of the voyage of Capt. Fanning, published in 1834, the group consists of three islands, of which two are 9 miles long, and the third 6 miles. They were inhabited, and were lower than Washington Island, and a coral ledge extends 1 miles along the western side of the island, under the shelter of which he thought that a vessel might water.

Capt. Legoarant de Tromelin visited them in 1828, in command of the royal corvette La Bayonaise. The ship watered here, and a very detailed description is given of the islands, which, however, does not at all accord with that of Mr. Fanning. According to Capt. Tromelin, there is but a single island of about 5 miles in diameter, of nearly a round form, little elevated above the sea, and nearly entirely covered with cocoa-nut trees. The island encircles a lagoon, 3 miles broad, communicating with the sea by a passage 100 to 150 yards wide; but the interior of the lagoon is obstructed by coral banks to the surface of the water, leaving only a small space clear near the entrance. A large quantity of fish of various sorts is found in the lagoon. The island is abundantly provided with excellent water, and firewood may be also procured.

It is not improbable but that this may be the American Isles, stated by Kotzebue to have been discovered by Capt. Mather, of the American, in 1814, 28' more to the West. It is singular that Capt. Hudson, of the U.S. Exploring vessel Peacock, should be satisfied that there is no other island than Washington Island hereabouts. He states that he diligently sought for eight days the positions where five islands have been reported to exist, but no land was seen, Capt. Fanning's discoveries appear to be quite authentic, and there are the Samarang Isles to the westward, discovered in 1840. Perhaps the strong and various currents hereabouts may have led to some confusion.

PALMYRA ISLAND was discovered, November 7, 1802, by an American. vessel of the name, during her passage from Juan Fernandez to Manila. According to the description of her commander, Capt. Sawle, it is uninhabited, flat, and has a lagoon in its centre 7 miles long, in which the tide regularly ebbs and flows. The island is 14 miles in extent from East to West, and about

half that in breadth. The Palmyra anchored on the N.W. side of the island in 20 fathoms, at three-quarters of a mile off shore.* Abundance of turtle were found, but no fresh water. Lat. 5° 50' N., lon. 162° 23′ W.

The SAMARANG ISLES were discovered by Capt. Scott, in H.M.S. Samarang, September 15th, 1840. They are a group of about fourteen or sixteen, forming a belt round an apparently shallow lagoon, and are covered with flourishing cocoa-nut and palm trees to the water's edge. In the centre of the eastern reef is a small dry sand-bank; the reef itself extends from the eastern islet nearly East, about 2 miles, over which the sea breaks heavily. Another reef runs out from the western islet, about a mile to the westward; what distance they run in that direction was not ascertained, but at 3 miles from the breakers on the western reef soundings were obtained in 9, 8, and 7 fathoms, at which time the N.W. breakers were discovered from the foreyard. By the angles that were taken they stretch out full 9 or 10 miles to the N.W. from the western islet; the northern edge of the N.W. reef appeared from the mast-head to run away about S.E. by E. till it joined the eastern one. Broken water was observed here and there along the whole line, with evident shoal water between it and the coral reef before mentioned.

With the strong currents experienced by the Samarang in this neighbourhood, a more dangerous spot to those navigating these seas, unacquainted with its existence, can scarcely exist than this group of coralline islets, with their extensive reefs. Had it not providentially fallen calm during the night, the Samarang must inevitably have been lost, with the probability of every soul on board perishing, as her course would have taken directly on to the reef.

The eastern breakers are in lat. 4° 56′ 15′′ N., lon. 162° 17′ 35′′; and the West islet is in lat. 4° 55′ 9′′, lon. 162° 22′ 20′′.

GILBERT ARCHIPELAGO.

In this group there is considerable confusion of names. This arises from the fact of their disjointed discovery, the name applied to one portion of an island. not being extended to the whole. In the subsequent descriptions we have endeavoured to reconcile these discrepancies, which will best explain themselves.

The first island discovered was the easternmost, Byron Island, so named from the commander, who saw it June 3, 1765. The next were the northern groups discovered by the ships Scarborough and Charlotte, commanded by Capts. Marshall and Gilbert. There is a loose account of this discovery given in Governor Phillip's Voyage, in 1788. The next authority in order is a chart contained in Dalrymple's Collection, drawn by Roger Simpson and George Bass, officers of the Nautilus, under Capt. Bishop. In the Table of Positions, by John Purdy, p. 153, is an account of some of the islands seen by the brig Elizabeth, about 1809. In 1824 Capt. Duperrey visited and explored many of them; but by far the most

Hunter's Historical Journal, p. 247.

They may be the same as Prospect Island.-Krusenstern's Supplement, p. 163.
Nautical Magazine, September, 1841, pp. 190-1.

§ Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay. Loudon, 1789.