, to make the south side of the Pandora's Entrance, which
I had not seen in the Investigator. Soon after eight o'clock, breakers
came in sight; and we stood off and on till noon, to fix their latitude
and longitude, and ascertain our position with respect to Murray's
Islands before entering the Strait. The sun was vertical and therefore
difficult to be observed; but in taking Mr. Aken's observation on one
side and mine on the other, which differed only 31/2', the mean latitude
10 deg. 01/2', could not be far wrong. The reef in sight was shown by this
observation to be on the south side of the Pandora's Entrance, as I
wished; and its north end will lie in 10 deg. 59' south, and longitude by the
time keeper 144 deg. 40' east. We bore away so soon as the observation was
obtained, and in passing close round the north end, got soundings at two
casts, in 7 and 5 fathoms.

This reef lies N. N. E. and S. S. W., and is about seven miles long with
a breadth from one to three miles; its form is nearly that of a boot, and
the outer edges are probably dry at low tide; but there was a
considerable space within, where the water looked blue, as if very deep.
The origin of that class of islands which abound in the Great Ocean,
under the names of Bow, Lagoon, etc., may here be traced. The exterior
bank of coral will, in the course of years, become land, as in them;
whilst the interior water will preserve its depth to a longer period, and
form a lagoon, with no other outlet than perhaps one or two little
openings for canoes or boats. In Mr. Dalrymple's chart of the Pandora's
track, there is a dry bank marked on the north-west part of the reef; but
this commencement of the metamorphosis was not visible to us, probably
from its being covered by the tide, for it was then near high water. In
some future age, when Boot Island shall be visited, this little remark,
it it live so long, may be of some interest to the geographer.

[NORTH COAST. TORRES' STRAIT.]

I hauled up under the lee side of the reef, intending to anchor and go in
a boat to sound the deep water within; but not finding any ground with 70
fathoms at a mile off, we bore away at two o'clock to make Murray's
Islands. At three, breakers were seen four or five miles to the
southward, and others, perhaps on the same reef, about three miles W. S.
W. from them; in half an hour the largest of Murray's Islands came in
sight to the W. by N.; and our course being continued to six o'clock, t