et above
the sea-level; and its appearance was so promising that it was resolved
to heave-to the ship for the night and give the place a thorough
examination on the following day. The vessel was accordingly hove
about, with her head off the shore; sail was shortened to the three
topsails, jib, and spanker, the main-yard was laid aback, and then all
hands, except the officer of the watch and a couple of hands to look
out, were allowed to go below for the night.

At daybreak on the following morning the _Flying Cloud_ was once more
hove about and headed for the land under the same canvas which she had
carried during the night, one hand being sent into the main-chains with
the sounding-lead. Soundings, in twenty-five fathoms, were struck at a
distance of about eight miles from the island; and thenceforward the
water shoaled pretty regularly up to a mile from the shore, at which
point a depth of five fathoms was met with. This was on the south side
of the island, about two miles from its westernmost extremity, and
abreast of an inlet which had previously been discovered with the aid of
the ship's telescope. The vessel was now again hove-to, and, a hasty
breakfast having been despatched, the gig was lowered and manned; and
Ned, accompanied by Rogers, and supplied with a sounding-line and
compass, was despatched in her to make a thorough examination of the
place.

The boat pulled in, and at length entered the inlet, passing abruptly
from the open sea into the shelter afforded by a bold rocky headland
about one hundred and fifty feet in height, round the base of which, and
over a short projecting reef, the heavy ground-swell dashed and swirled
and seethed in snow-white foam with a hoarse, thunderous, never-ceasing
roar. This inlet extended in a north-west direction for a distance of a
mile and a quarter, its width decreasing from half a mile at the
entrance to rather over a quarter of a mile at its inner extremity, with
a tolerably regular depth of five and a half fathoms, until within half
a mile of its inner end, where the water shoaled to four and a quarter
fathoms. The scenery was very striking and beautiful--a sheer
precipitous cliff, varying from one hundred and fifty to three hundred
feet in height, towering out of the clear translucent water on their
larboard hand as they passed in, whilst on their starboard hand the
ground sloped gently upward from the water's-edge for a distance of
about a mile and a half inl