BAMPTON’S SHOAL is laid down in the shape of a horse-shoe, of not less than forty-five miles in extent; on the north-east end are two islets with trees.  The AVON ISLES are probably near its south-west extremity:  they were seen by Mr. Sumner, Master of the ship Avon, September 18, 1823; and are described by him as being three-quarters of a mile in circumference, twenty feet high, and the sea between them twenty fathoms deep.  At four miles North East by North from them the vessel sounded in twelve fathoms, and at the same time saw a reef ten or fifteen miles to the South-East, with deep water between it and the islets.  A boat landed on the south-westernmost islet, and found it inhabited only by birds, but clothed with shrubs and wild grapes.  By observation, these islands were found to lie in latitude 19 degrees 40 minutes, and longitude 158 degrees 6 minutes.

A reef is laid down in M. Krusenstern’s Atlas of the Pacific Ocean (1824) in latitude 17 degrees, and longitude 156 degrees, and is there called MELLISH REEF.

A REEF was seen by the ship FREDERICK, the north-east extremity of which is laid down in latitude 20 degrees 44 minutes, and longitude 150 degrees 32 minutes; it is of semi-circular shape, and extends as far south as 21 degrees 2 minutes, and appears to be nearly twenty miles wide.

VINE’S HORSE-SHOE SHOAL; its northernmost end is in latitude 20 degrees 5 minutes, and longitude 151 degrees 50 minutes:  it presents its convex, or outer edge, to the Southward, and extends as far as fifteen miles to the South and East.

DIANA’S BANK is placed in latitude 15 degrees 38 minutes, and longitude 150 degrees 28 minutes. (Horsburgh volume 2 page 509.)

BETWEEN the parallels of 16 degrees 50 minutes and 17 degrees 45 minutes, and the meridians of 150 degrees 30 minutes and 152 degrees 30 minutes, there are several very extensive reefs, various parts of which have been seen, according to the following accounts.

Lieutenant Vine saw a DRY BANK in latitude 17 degrees 46 minutes, and longitude 151 degrees 40 minutes.  See the account of the shoal described by M. Tregrosse.

Mr. Brodie, Commander of the brig Alert, in October, 1817, saw A REEF extending for a considerable distance in a North-East and South-West direction.  The Alert ran along the reef for twenty-five miles:  about the centre Mr. Brodie saw two sand islets in latitude 17 degrees 2 minutes, and longitude 151 degrees 49 minutes.

LIHOU’S SHOAL, probably a part of the above reefs seen by Lieutenant Vine and from the Alert, lies in latitude 17 degrees 25 minutes, and longitude 151 degrees 45 minutes:  it is forty-six miles in length, and lies North-North-East and South-South-West.

A very extensive RANGE OF SHOALS and ISLETS was seen by M. Tregrosse, of the French brig Les Trois Freres, in company with the brig Jessie, in 1821, according to the subjoined account.