As the whole part of this coast is skirted by dangerous coral reefs, the greatest attention should be paid to the lead, and the ship ought to be put about the instant that the water shoals to eight, seven, or six fathoms. On running in for the west end of Herbert's Island, on the morning of the 11th of October, we passed over a coral ledge having nine fathoms on it. The west point of Herbert's Island bore at this time south 8º 40' west, distant four or five miles. Before and after passing this we had from thirty to sixty fathoms; whether it was shoaler than nine fathoms at any place, was not ascertained, but the circumstance is deserving of notice, and ought to teach the necessity of constant vigilance, when near coral reefs.
[Sidenote: Montgomery islands.]
The cluster of islands to the northward of Port Melville lies between 26º 54' and 27º 4-1/2' north, the north end of the northern one being in longitude 127º 57' east, or 19' east of the observatory. It does not appear that there is any good anchorage about them; and there are dangerous reefs off the south and south-western ones.
[Sidenote: Hope Point.]
The north end of the Great Loo-choo lies in 26º 52-1/2' north, and this is probably within one, or at most two miles of the truth. We observed in 27º 00' 15" north, at which time the northern extreme bore east 59º south, nine miles by estimation, an inference which was checked by the distance run on a direct course afterwards. The longitude is 128º 9' east, or 31' east of the observatory.
[Sidenote: Sidmouth Point.]
The coast from the north point runs south-east by east, with some minor deviations, nearly four leagues: great pains were taken to ascertain this precisely, as the former charts not only place it many miles further north, but make the coast at this end lie east and west. The north-east point lies in 26º 47' north, and longitude 128º 18' east, or 40' east of the observatory. The latitude was determined by the meridian altitude of Sirius and an altitude of Polaris, so near daylight that the horizon was well defined; but as this point, off which there is a small island, was some miles north of the ship at the time of observation, the above latitude may err possibly two miles. It was intended to have examined two islands which lie to the north-eastward of the north point, but a strong current in the night carried us so far to leeward, that we could not effect this object; the situation, therefore, of these two islands, may perhaps not be accurately laid down in the chart.
[Sidenote: Barrow's Bay.]
The deep indenture about the middle of the east side of the island is unsafe to enter during the north-east monsoon: as the wind, however, had westing in it, we sailed up to within three or four miles of the top, carrying from thirty to twenty fathoms water; but when about to haul in for the north side, where there appeared to be a bay, we shoaled suddenly from twenty-four to eight fathoms: the helm was instantly put down, and when head to wind, we had only five fathoms. While in stays the water was observed to wash on a rock not a hundred yards to leeward of us, on which we must infallibly have struck, had we bore up instead of tacking.
[Sidenote: South-east coast dangerous.]