his island, to both
ships, about three hundred turtles, weighing, one with another, about
ninety or a hundred pounds. They were all of the green kind, and
perhaps as good as any in the world. We also caught, with hook and
line, as much fish as we could consume during our stay. They consisted
principally of cavallies of different sizes, large and small snappers,
and a few of two sorts of rock-fish, one with numerous spots of blue,
and the other with whitish streaks scattered about.

The soil of this island, in some places, is light and black, evidently
composed of decayed vegetables, the dung of birds, and sand. There
are other places again, where nothing but marine productions, such as
broken coral stones and shells are to be seen. These are deposited in
long narrow ridges, lying in a parallel direction with the sea-coast,
not unlike a ploughed field, and must have been thrown up by the
waves, though, at this time, they do not reach within a mile of some
of these places. This seems to furnish an incontestible proof that the
island has been produced by accessions from the sea, and is in a state
of increase; for not only the broken pieces of coral, but many of the
shells, are too heavy and large to have been brought by any birds,
from the beach, to the places where they now lie. Not a drop of fresh
water was any where found, though frequently dug for. We met with
several ponds of salt water, which had no visible communication with
the sea, and must, therefore, in all probability, be filled by the
water filtrating through the sand in high tides. One of the lost men
found some salt on the S.E. part of the island. But though this was an
article of which we were in want, a man who could lose himself, as
he did, and not know whether he was travelling east, west, north, or
south, was not to be depended upon as a fit guide to conduct us to the
place.

There were not the smallest traces of any human being having ever been
here before us; and, indeed, should any one be so unfortunate as to be
accidentally driven upon the island, or left there, it is hard to
say, that he could be able to prolong existence. There is, indeed,
abundance of birds and fish, but no visible means of allaying thirst,
nor any vegetable that could supply the place of bread, or correct the
bad effects of an animal diet, which, in all probability, would soon
prove fatal alone. On the few cocoa-trees upon the island, the number
of which did not exceed thirty,