WATER-SPOUTS.

It was the evening of the 5th before all was again clear overhead.  In the morning, however, we shifted our berth, which had been a mile from the south extreme of the detached cluster of islets forming the north-east end of Easter Group.  Several small water-spouts formed near the ship as we were about to weigh, which induced us to wait a little until they passed.

On the 8th we bore away for the northern group in 26 and 27 fathoms; the space between was named Middle Passage.

WALLABY ISLANDS.

Passing outside of a patch of breakers, lying two miles to the northward of the eastern islet, we hauled up south-east, and by feeling our way with the boats got the ship into a snug harbour on the south-east side of the highest island of the Abrolhos, which was afterwards named East Wallaby Island; another large one, named West Wallaby Island, lying two miles to the West-South-West with three small flat islets just between.  To these we gave the name of Pigeon Islands, the common bronze-winged pigeon being found there in great numbers.  The harbour we named Recruit Harbour, from its affording fresh supplies of the small kangaroo, in addition to the fish found everywhere else.  Like the other ports in the Abrolhos, it is full of coral patches; the south point of north Pigeon Island, in one with a bare sandhill on the South-East point of West Wallaby Island, bearing South 50 degrees West, leads into the harbour clear of the spit on the north-west side and some coral patches on the east.  In entering we had 7 and 8 fathoms, but the depth inside is 11 and 12; it is perfectly sheltered on all sides.

These islands, after the others, of which the greatest height is 12 feet, appear of considerable altitude; though the loftiest point rising on the north-east extreme of East Wallaby Island, measures no more than 50 feet.  This island is upwards of a mile each way; whilst the west one is two miles and a half long, and one broad.  In the centre of the eastern is a low flat, with hills rising all around, with the exception of the south side.

FLAG HILL.

The loftiest, which is called Flag Hill, is, as I have mentioned, on the north-eastern extreme, and has a long finger-shaped point running out from its foot in a north-east direction, to which we gave the name of Fish Point, from the number of snappers we caught there.  They were so voracious that they even allowed themselves to be taken with a small bit of paper for a bait.  Flag Hill is a rock formed of sand and comminuted shells; while the flat which stretches to the south-west from its foot is of limestone formation.  In it we found a kind of cavern, about 15 feet deep, with a sloping entrance, in which was some slightly brackish water, that in percolating through the roof had formed a number of stalactites.

A reef, which dries in patches at low-water, connects the east and west Wallaby Islands.  On the south-west point of the latter are some sandhills 30 feet high; and on that side also is a dense scrub, in which the mutton birds burrow, so that it forms rather troublesome walking.