ream of fresh water; and, though there were several creeks, the
only opening of any consequence was forty-three miles from Depuch Island.
From its abounding with oysters we named it Oyster Inlet. Across the
mouth of it lies an islet, just within the north-eastern end of which
there was a sufficient depth for the Beagle. The formation of the island
was a reddish porous sandstone. At a native fire-place I found a piece of
quartz and a large pearl oyster-shell. The tide rose here 15 feet near
full moon.

THE GEOGRAPHE SHOALS.

The only outlying dangers on this extent of coast were the Geographe
Shoals, two rocky patches some distance from each other. The outer one
was thirteen miles from the main, and bore North 22 degrees East
twenty-three miles from Depuch Island.

TURTLE ISLANDS.

The shore fronting the north Turtle Island projects, leaving a space of
only ten miles between, of which, on account of the shoals, only a small
portion lying near the island is navigable. Nearly opposite the latter is
another opening, of some extent at high-water; but from the impediments
that offered to our examining it, we named it Breaker Inlet. During
spring tides it must carry a large body of water over the very low land
it intersects.

The South Turtle Isle is a mere bank of sand and white coral; the
northern is about half a mile across, of the same formation precisely as
the low isles of Forestier Group. It is fronted on all sides with a coral
reef extending off from a mile to a mile and a half, which dries at
low-water, leaving an abrupt wall of from two to three feet at the outer
edge, with pools between it and the island, in which several luckless
turtles, who had deferred leaving until too late, were found. Though we
only took what was required for our own consumption, the number that
could have been here obtained was enormous.

In the course of four hours thirty green turtles were brought on board,
one of which, and not the largest, weighed 385 pounds. A small hawk's
bill, the first and only one seen, was also taken. On this part of the
coast grows a peculiar small kind of weed, on which they feed; it was
first seen near Depuch Island. I have been informed that the turtles at
Ascension Island, when fresh caught, have a large ball of a curious kind
of weed in their stomach, and that as soon as it is consumed, they become
watery and lose their flavour. Though many diligent inquiries have been
made after this weed, it appears