?4 8URYE� OF THE lNTERTROI?ICAL ?s?s. quarter of a mile in diameter; they a?e so low Feb. ?. as not to be visible from our deck at a greater distance than seve/? miles. Their summits are crowned with a slight shrubby vegetation,. the bright verdure of which, sepemted from the dark ' blue colour of the se? by their glittering sandy beaches, formed a pleasing contrast to the dull,. monotonous appearance of the main land. These islets are in fact only the dry parts of a ?sho?l, on which the sand has accumulated, and formed a soil to receive and nourish the seeds of plants, which have either been drifted on shore by the tide, or been. brought by birds.from the .con- tinent. At.sunset we anchored under the land, but - soon afterwards the wind blew so fresh, that the fluke of our a?chor broke, and we were obliged to drop another; which was the last we pos- sessed, besides a small stream anchor that was too light to use, excepting in a calm ?a The next morning being fine, and favourable for another search after our lost anchor (the re- covery of which from our last night's misfortune had become of very great.consequence) we bore up along the shore, and soon arrived at the spot; but after some time spent in the search, without success, we .were at last obliged to relinquish the attempt,. and gave up all hope ?
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