of the sharks, which are very numerous in this harbour. It is high water, full and change, at 6' 8'; springs rise 3 feet. The station on the North side of Ten Fathom Hole is in lat. 27° 5′ 35′′, lon. 142° 11′ 31"; variation, 1° 8' E.

Some ISLANDS, three in number, have been placed on the parallel of 30°, which, though differing 3° in longitude, Admiral Krusenstern is inclined to believe but the same island. He places it in lon. 143°.

SAN MATEO; MOOR ISLAND; SYLPH ROCK.-The second of these, seen by Capt. Moor, is placed in lat. 31° 27', lon. 145° 40', on the authority of Mr. Arrowsmith. Espinosa's chart calls it San Mateo. It is possible that they may be the same as the Sylph Rock, discovered by M. Dobell, formerly Russian consul-general at Manila, in 1812; but, as he had no instruments to determine the longitude astronomically, an error of 3° may be introduced. Another island has been placed in lat. 31° 30′, lon. 140° 0'. These may all be identical.

PONAFIDIN ISLAND; ST. PETER'S ISLAND.-In 1820 Lieutenant Ponafidin, of the Russian navy, discovered, in lat. 30° 29', lon. 140° 6', an island apparently formed of three hummocks, to which he gave the name of Three Hills Island, but his own is preferable. It is most probably the same as that discovered the following year by Lieutenant Povalichin, also of the Russian navy, in lat. 30° 31′ 45′′ N., lon. 140° 24′ 40′′ E.; this is described to be in the form of a truncated cone. The mean of these two officers' positions is lat. 30° 30′ 30′′ N., lon. 140° 15′ E.

DISAPPOINTMENT ISLAND; ROSARIO ISLAND.-Rosario Island is a small and tolerably high island, surrounded by numerous isolated rocks, which make it appear as if composed of several islands, which has been supposed by several Spanish navigators. Its position was ascertained, September 25, 1813, in the Spanish corvette, La Fidelidad, as lat. 27° 6′, lon. 140° 35′; the pilot placed it 20' farther North. It has also been placed a degree to the westward. It is almost certain that the Disappointment Island seen on board the Nautilus, in 1801, in lat. 27° 15′ N., lon. 139° 25′, is one and the same island with Rosario.

DOUGLAS REEF, or PARECE VELA; NAUTILUS ROCKS, or VELA.-Douglas Reef was discovered, September 15, 1789, by Capt. Douglas, and is 5 miles in extent in a W.N.W. and E.S.E. direction, in lat. 20° 37′ N., lon. 136° 10′. These rocks, and those seen by Capt. Bishop in the Nautilus, in 1796, in lat. 20° 15', lon. 136° 54', are probably the same as those named Parece Vela and Vela, by the older Spanish navigators. The rocks seen by the Nautilus, like all bare rocks, appear like a vessel under sail, and thus might have been called Vela (a sail), or Parece Vela (a sail in sight!). On Anson's chart these hold the same relative position as the Douglas and Nautilus Reefs, and therefore the name of Parece Vela has been added to the discovery of Capt. Douglas, and Vela to that of Capt. Bishop.

An American discovery has been announced as lying half a degree to the North

of these. It is possible that this may form the North extreme of a very extensive reef, of which Douglas Reef forms the West end, and Capt. Bishop's discovery the eastern extremity.

BISHOP ROCKS, discovered by Capt. Bishop, in the Nautilus, in 1796. They do not appear to have been seen since. Lat. 25° 20′, lon. 131° 15′.

RASA ISLAND; KENDRICK ISLAND.-The first of these is a small, low island, covered with bushes, and surrounded with rocks, 4 or 5 miles long in a N.W. and S.E. direction. It was called Rasa (flat) on board the Spanish frigate Magellan, in 1815, but it had been seen in 1807 by the French frigate La Cannonière. The latitude is 24° 26′ 40′′, and the mean of the two longitudes 130° 40' E.

Kendrick Island was discovered by an English captain of the name, in lat. 24°35′, lon. 134° 0'. It is low, and about 2 leagues in length. It is not impossible but that it may be identical with Rasa, but this cannot be decided without further examination.

He

BORODINO ISLES were discovered by Lieutenant Ponafidin, in 1820. places them in lat. 25° 56′, lon. 131° 15'. They are two in number, extending about 4 leagues North and South, are low, sandy, and uninhabited.

MONTAUK ISLAND (?), HARBOUR ISLAND, BUNGALOW ISLAND, and CROWN ISLAND. We will close the descriptions of this portion of the Pacific with these reported islands, which, lying to the South of Japan, appertain more to the navigation of the China Sea than that of the Pacific. The three latter islands are placed on Arrowsmith's chart, but the authority is not named: Harbour Island in lat. 28° 36', lon. 130° 0'; Bungalow Island in the same longitude, lat. 28° 36′; and Crown Island in lat. 27° 50′, lon. 129o 5'.

A singular statement has been made respecting these islands-that they form but portions of one large island. The ship Montauk, Capt. M'Michael, on her passage from Sydney to Shanghae, is stated to have coasted on the East side of this island, approaching sometimes within 10 or 15 miles of the shore. It is high in the middle and at the North end, where the appearance is of a coast of cliffs, with a number of small islands close along shore; the South end being low, with a reef all around. In the southern portion there is the appearance of an opening, as of the fancied channel between the parts taken for Crown and Bungalow Islands; but no such channel exists. Smoke was seen in several places; and at night many lights, as from fishing-boats.

We give this statement as it appeared in a London newspaper of August 3, 1850,

CHAPTER XXXV.

THE CORAL SEA, AUSTRALIA, ETC.

In this the concluding chapter of the descriptions our remarks must be brief. The region it embraces is a very important one, and therefore requires, to elucidate it fully, a considerable amount of detail, which the bulk of this volume will not admit of. Moreover, as a great portion of the Australian navigation is confined to its own localities, our remarks need not extend beyond pointing out those dangers which a ship passing to or from the Pacific to its principal ports will encounter. All beyond this is left for a future work.

THE CORAL SEA.

The north-eastern coast of Australia, and the adjacent sea, are the most dangerous parts of the Pacific. From its character, Capt. Flinders proposed, in the second volume of his voyage, that it should be called the "Coral Sea," a most appropriate and expressive name, now generally recognised. Admiral Krusenstern was the first to use it, and in so doing expresses his admiration of the man whose indefatigable exertions and high scientific attainments have placed Australian hydrography in the eminent position it holds.

The limits of the Coral Sea, as proposed by Capt. Flinders, are the South coast of New Guinea and the Louisiade to the northward; to the West, the northern part of Australia, from Torres Strait to Sandy Cape; southward, from the latter point to the Isle of Pines, South of New Caledonia, which may be taken as its eastern limit.

The LOUISIA DE ARCHIPELAGO has been before alluded to (page 1018), and the North side of it described. The South side, at first very cursorily examined by Bougainville, has been more minutely examined by D'Urville in 1840, and by our Admiralty surveyors, the lamented Capt. Stanley and Lieutenant Yule, in the Rattlesnake and Bramble.

ADELE ISLAND, a small coral bank, crowned with a tuft of trees, marks the S.E. extremity of this archipelago, and is in lat. 11° 25', lon. 154° 34'. It is connected with Cape Deliverance, lat. 11° 23′ 25′′, lon. 154° 16′, on Rossel Island, by a continuous line of coral reefs. The whole of this southern coast is protected by an almost impenetrable line of coral reef without any opening; but, unlike the dangerous labyrinth off the coast of Australia, it has no outlying dangers. Coasting along its outer edge is therefore not attended with any danger. Now, therefore, that the surveys of Torres Strait and its channels have been surveyed, and will soon be before the world, this coast offers an easy and safe line of approach to that important strait. ILE SUD-EST, or South-East Island, is very high, and its South side is protected by the coral barrier reef. Two openings

were found through this reef by the Bramble, between the S.E. point and the Conde Peninsula (lat. 11° 39′, lon. 153° 37′), through either of which there is a clear channel to the sea. The reef continues, though its edges were not all examined by D'Urville, to the Duchâteau Islands, lat. 11° 15' S., lon. 152° 28. There is very good anchorage under the lee of these islands, and here the continuous line of barrier reef appears to terminate, leaving clear passages between the reefs which surround the islands and groups forming the S.W. part of the Louisiade. The Duchâteau Islands are not permanently inhabited, but are only visited occasionally for the purpose of obtaining turtle. While the Bramble was here they came off in great numbers from the larger islands, bringing cocoa-nuts and yams in great quantities for barter.

At Ouessant Island, lat. 11° 10′, lon. 151° 20', the barrier reef trends more to the N.W., and to the northward is the S. E. Cape of New Guinea, in lat. 10° 42', lon. 151° 9'. The Brumer Islands lie in lat. 10° 48′, lon. 150° 36'. There is anchorage here under their lee, and the natives will bring yams and cocoa-nuts for barter. There is also anchorage at Dufaure Island, lat. 10° 34' S., lon. 150° 0'; the natives were friendly and similar to those to the eastward. To the northward of this is Bougainville's Cul de Sac de l'Orangerie; and here, when the weather is clear, the magnificent range of mountains which form the axis of this portion of New Guinea becomes visible. Many of the peaks are as high as that of Teneriffe, and they follow the general trend of the coast to the North and East.

It will be needless to follow the detail of the coast to the westward, as all information respecting it can only be useful in connexion with the description of Torres Strait; suffice it to say, that, at Cape Rodney, lat. 10° 15', lon. 148° 31', and Point Hood, lat. 10° 7', lon. 147° 50', the coast bears to the northward, forming an extensive bight, whose West extreme will be found at the narrowest part of Torres Strait.

The BARRIER REEFS of the Australian coast, it would be a fruitless task to endeavour to describe in few words. Their wonderful intricacy, and extremely dangerous character, can be best appreciated by an inspection of the charts. All remarks will be reserved for another place; and we shall proceed to enumerate those detached dangers and shoals which bestrew the Coral Sea. But previous to doing so, it is proper to state that their positions and character do not all rest on equally good evidence. And a very minute, connected, and extensive examination must be made before it can be said that the dangers of this sea are properly and fully understood.

FARQUIAR GROUP.-This is a collection of islands and reefs occupying a large space, parts of which have been discovered at separate times, and reported as distinct dangers. The entire group consists of seven low sandy islets, connected by reefs, three of which are covered with bushes. It was discovered, in 1821, on board the French ship Le Trois Frères, commanded by M. Tregrosse, in company with the English brig Jessie. At the eastern part of the group these islets are on the meridian of 151° 47', and that at the West end is in lat. 17° 39′, lon. 151° 27'. There is no doubt but that the dry bank discovered by Lieutenant Vine, in lat. 17° 45', lon. 151° 40', is a portion of it. A reef has also been stated to

have been discovered by Capt. John Lihou, R.N., in the Zenobia, in 1823, in lat. 17° 25' S., lon. 151° 45', extending 46 miles in a N.N.E. and S.S. W. direction; this is evidently the same as the Governor Farquhar group, which may reach as far as the Alert Shoal.

TREGROSSE ISLETS.-Two small islets, discovered by Capt. Tregrosse, as above, to the West of the Farquhar group, the westernmost in lat. 17° 42', lon. 150° 43′. The westernmost reef is in lat. 17° 44', lon. 150° 32'. M. Tregrosse steered through a passage 5 or 6 miles wide, which appeared safe.

A DANGEROUS REEF lies in lat. 16° 52', lon. 149° 50′, according to Capt. T. B. Simpson.

The OSPREY SHOAL, discovered in 1844, lies in lat. 14° 42', lon. 146° 30'.

The Two SHOALS of BOUGAINVILLE are dangerous, and were first seen by that navigator, June 6, 1768. The first is in lat. 15° 17', lon. 147° 57'; the second in lat. 15° 35', lon. 148° 6'.

DIANA BANKS are a small sandy islet, awash, and surrounded with rocks, also discovered by Bougainville. Lat. 15° 41', lon. 150° 25′.

MELLISH BANKS and KAYS, discovered in 1812, by Capt. A. Bristow. The highest part of this is about 8 feet above water. It is quite steep-to, no bottom being found in many parts within a ship's length of the breakers. Numerous sea-birds, boobies, &c., on it. The centre is in lat. 17° 16', lon. 156° 12′ E. It is most likely identical with Young's Reef.

ALERT SHOAL was discovered by Capt. Brodie, of the Alert, October 4, 1817. It is composed of two sandy islets, surrounded by a dangerous shoal, which extends a long distance to the South. Lat. 17° 2' S., lon. 151° 49′ E.

BAMPTON SHOAL was discovered June 2, 1793, by the vessels Shah Hormuzeer and Chesterfield. It is of a horse-shoe form, of a very considerable extent, a line of sand-hills and breakers, having an opening to the S. E., leading to an extensive enclosed bay, with 30 to 80 fathoms in it. At the S.W. end are two small islands with trees, called the Avon Isles. They are in lat. 19° 30′ S., and lon. 158° 10'.

DAVID REEF is in lat. 19° 20′, lon. 151° 0', according to the chart.

HORSE-SHOE SHOAL.-A discovery of Lieutenant Vine. Its northern extreme is in lat. 20° 5' S., lon. 51° 50'. The convex side is to the southward, extending 15 miles to the South and East.

FREDERICK REEF, 18 leagues in extent, a curve, the convexity facing the South, discovered, in 1812, by a vessel whose name it bears. Lat. 20° 45', lon. 154° 15' E.

MINERVA SHOAL.-A bank seen by the vessel whose name it bears, July 8, 1818; the depth found was not less than 8 and 10 fathoms, but there is no doubt that there are some spots which might be dangerous. When on the shoalest part the ship was directly between the Booby and Bellona Shoals, as marked on Flinders' chart. Lat. 20° 41', lon. 159° 30'.

BOOBY SHOAL. A discovery of Lieutenant Ball, in the Supply, 1790. Lat. 21° 2′, lon. 159° 2′ E.

BALL SHOAL, another discovery of the same period, in lat. 21° 0', lon. 160° 36'.