uns in W., and W.N.W., about two miles. Its breadth is one mile
and a quarter, for more than half its length, above which it is only
half a mile. The depth of water, which is forty-five fathoms at the
entrance, varies, as we proceed farther in, from thirty to five and
four fathoms. The shores are steep; and the bottom is every where a fine
dark sand, except in some places close to the shore, where there are
beds of sea-weed, which always grows on rocky ground. The head of the
harbour lies open only to two points of the compass; and even these are
covered by islands in the offing, so that no sea can fall in to hurt a
ship. The appearances on shore confirmed this; for we found grass
growing close to high-water mark, which is a sure sign of a pacific
harbour.[113] It is high-water here, at the full and change days, about
ten o'clock; and the tide rises and falls about four feet.

[Footnote 111: Cape Francois, for reasons already assigned.--D.]

[Footnote 112: If there could be the least doubt remaining, of the
identity of the Baie de l'Oiseau and Christmas Harbour, the circumstance
of the perforated rock, which divides it from another bay to the south,
would amount to a strict demonstration. For Monsieur de Pages had
observed this discriminating mark before Captain Cook. His words are as
follows:--"L'on vit que la cote de l'Est, voisine du Cap Francois, avoit
deux baies; elles etoient separees par une pointe tres reconnoissable
par sa forme, _qui representoit une porte cochere, au travers de
laquelle l'on voyoit le jour_."--Voyages du M. de Pages, vol. ii. p. 67.
Every one knows how exactly the form of a _porte cochere_, or arched
gateway, corresponds with that of the arch of a bridge. It is very
satisfactory to find the two navigators, neither of whom knew any thing
of the other's description, adopting the same idea; which both proves
that they had the same uncommon object before their eyes, and that they
made an accurate report.--D.]

[Footnote 113: In the last note, we saw how remarkably Monsieur de Pages
and Captain Cook agree about the appearance of the south point of the
harbour; I shall here subjoin another quotation from the former,
containing his account of the harbour itself, in which the reader may
trace the same distinguishing features observed by Captain Cook in the
foregoing paragraph.

"Le 6, l'on mit a terre dans la premiere baie a l'Est du Cap Francois, &
l'on prit possession de ces contrees. Ce mouilla