sland, was to procure wood, water, and refreshments; during the time
necessary for the boats to explore a passage through the innumerable
reefs and banks, which occupy this part of the Strait.

Messieurs Bampton and Alt remained here seventeen days; being afraid to
move with the strong south-east winds which blew during the greater part
of the time. Turn-again Island is flat, low, and swampy; and about three
miles in length, by half that space in breadth. (Mr. Bampton's chart
makes it the double of these dimensions; and, generally, the islands in
it exceed the description of the journal in about the same proportion:
the journal seems to be the preferable authority.) The reefs which
surround Turn-again Island, extend a great distance to the east and west;
particularly in the latter direction, where there are many dry sand
banks. The island is mostly over-run with mangroves; and at the top of
the flood, the wood cutters were obliged to work in the water; and were,
at all times, exceedingly annoyed with musketoes. The island is said, in
the journal, to be in 9 deg. 34; south and 140 deg. 55' east; which is 3' to the
south and 1 deg. 24' west of its situation in the chart of captain Bligh.

No other refreshment than small quantities of fish, crabs, and
shell-fish, being procurable here, the ships crews were further reduced
in their short allowance. With respect to fresh water, their situation
was still worse: None could be obtained upon Turn-again Island; and had
not captain Bampton ingeniously contrived a _still_, their state would
have been truly deplorable. He caused a cover, with a hole in the centre,
to be fitted by the carpenter upon a large cooking pot; and over the hole
he funded an inverted tea kettle, with the spout cut off. To the stump of
the spout, was fitted a part of the tube of a speaking trumpet; and this
was lengthened by a gun barrel, which passed through a cask of salt
water, serving as a cooler. From this machine, good fresh water, to the
amount of twenty-five to forty gallons per day, was procured; and
obtained a preference to that contained in the few casks remaining in the
Hormuzeer.

By Aug. 20., when the weather had become more moderate, the boats had
sounded amongst the reefs in all directions; but there appeared to be no
practicable passage out of this labyrinth, except to the north-west. In
that direction the ships proceeded three hours, in from 6 to 3 fathoms.
Next afternoon, they steered west