A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

During the night we steered W. by N., in order to pass the north of the island above-mentioned. Atday-break the next morning, we discovered land right a-head, distant about two miles; so that daylightadvised us of our danger but just in time. This proved another of these low or half-drownedislands, or rather a large coral shoal of about twenty leagues in circuit. A very small part of it wasland, which consisted of little islets ranged along the north side, and connected by sand-banks andbreakers. These islets were clothed with wood, among which the cocoa-nut trees were onlydistinguishable. We ranged the south side of this isle or shoal at the distance of one or two milesfrom the coral-bank, against which the sea broke in a dreadful surf. In the middle is a large lake orinland sea, in which was a canoe under sail.This island, which I named after Captain Furneaux, lies in the latitude of 17° 5', longitude 143° 16'W. The situation is nearly the same that is assigned for one of those discovered by Bougainville. Imust here observe, that amongst these low and half-drowned isles (which are numerous in this partof the ocean,) Mr Bougainville's discoveries cannot be known to that degree of accuracy which isnecessary to distinguish them from others. We were obliged to have recourse to his chart for thelatitudes and longitudes of the isles he discovered, as neither the one nor the other is mentioned inhis narrative. Without waiting to examine this island we continued to steer to the west, all sails set,till six o'clock in the evening, when we shortened sail to three top-sails, and at nine brought-to.The next morning at four a.m. we made sail, and at daybreak saw another of these low islands,situated in the latitude of 17° 4', longitude 144° 30' W., which obtained the name of AdventureIsland. M. de Bougainville very properly calls this cluster of low overflowed isles the DangerousArchipelago. The smoothness of the sea sufficiently convinced us that we were surrounded by them,and how necessary it was to proceed with the utmost caution, especially in the night.At five o'clock p.m. we again saw land, bearing S.W. by S., which we afterwards found to be ChainIsland, discovered in my former voyage. But as I was not sure of it at this time, and being desirousof avoiding the delay which lying by in the night occasioned, I hoisted out the cutter, and mannedher with an officer and seven men, with orders to keep as far a-head of the ships, with a light at hermasthead, as a signal could be distinguished, which she was to make in case she met with anydanger. In this manner we continued to run all night; and, at six o'clock the next morning, I calledher on board, and hoisted her in. For it did not appear she would be wanted again for this purpose, aswe had now a large swell from the south, a sure sign that we were clear of the low islands; thereforeI steered for Otaheite without being apprehensive of meeting with any danger.[9][9] This is a very fit place for the following curious observations on the formation of thelow islands spoken of in the text. "All the low isles seem to me to be a production of thesea, or rather its inhabitants, the polype-like animals forming the lithophytes. Theseanimalcules raise their habitation gradually from a small base, always spreading more andmore, in proportion as the structure grows higher. The materials are a kind of lime mixedwith some animal substance. I have seen these large structures in all stages, and of variousextent. Near Turtle-Island, we found, at a few miles distance, and to leeward of it, aconsiderable large circular reef, over which the sea broke every where, and no part of itwas above water; it included a large deep lagoon. To the east and north-east of the Society-Isles, are a great many isles, which, in some parts, are above water; in others, the elevatedparts are connected by reefs, some of which, are dry at low-water, and others are constantlyunder water. The elevated parts consist of a soil formed by a sand of shells and coral rocks,mixed with a light black mould, produced from putrified vegetables, and the dung of seafowls;and are commonly covered by cocoa-nut trees and other shrubs, and a fewantiscorbutic plants. The lower parts have only a few shrubs, and the above plants; othersstill lower, are washed by the sea at high-water. All these isles are connected, and include alagoon in the middle, which is full of the finest fish; and sometimes there is an opening,admitting a boat, or canoe, in the reef, but I never saw or heard of an opening that wouldadmit a ship. The reef, or the first origin of these cells, is formed by the animalcules