it. Beyond the lakes was a range of rocky hills, that
bounded our masthead view. The bight is fronted by a crowded range of
sandy islets, from which we did not extricate ourselves until the next
day.

Having passed out between two sandy islets, our course was held to the
northward, outside of a range of islets, and parallel to the mainland;
which was soon afterwards lost to view by trending to the eastward. At
one o'clock we passed round a larger and a more elevated island, as well
as of a more rocky character than those to the southward; and then
steered to the eastward, towards the next projecting point of the main,
named after my friend Richard Preston, Esquire, on our way to which we
left a small island about one mile to the northward of our track. In the
evening, we steered close round Cape Preston, but were disappointed in an
attempt to find anchorage near it, from the rocky state of the bottom, so
that the night was passed under sail, which, considering the number of
low islets scattered about, was running a dangerous risk, and this was
increased by encountering a severe squall of wind from the South-East,
which blew so insufferably hot that the thermometer stood at 89 degrees,
having been at 91 degrees all the previous day.

February 24.

The next morning it was calm and sultry; at ten o'clock we anchored near
a small sandy isle in the centre of the bay, until the sea-breeze set in,
which was taken immediate advantage of; and after weighing the course was
directed towards a steep rocky head, forming the South-West point of an
island, subsequently called Enderby Island, after a very old and valued
friend. On our way we had to pass round a sandy islet and a rocky reef of
considerable extent; after which we anchored off a sandy beach to the
eastward of Rocky Head.

Soon after anchoring the sky became black and clouded over the land to
the South-East, and assumed a very threatening appearance; heavy, dense
clouds, in which streams of vivid forked lightning momentarily appeared,
were rolling rapidly towards us, and made us fear a repetition of last
night's storm; the stream-anchor, the only resource we had, was therefore
dropped; and, with the topmast struck, we awaited the bursting of the
storm with much anxiety, and just cause of alarm for the safety of the
vessel: the clouds continued to roll towards us, but just as the storm
was on the point of bursting, the clouds suddenly dispersed and in half
an hour the n