was Banks’ Island, extending from S. 14 deg.  E. to 62 deg.  W., two or three leagues; with a high hill upon it named Mount Augustus, which bore S. 4 deg.  E:* Another large island, named Mulgrave’s, extended from behind the last to a cluster of rocks, whose extreme bore W. 5 deg.  N. The nearest land, bearing S. 24 deg.  E., one mile and a half, was the north-westernmost of three small isles; and to this, the second lieutenant was sent, for the purpose of taking possession of all the islands seen in the Strait, for HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY GEORGE III., with the ceremonies used on such occasions:  the name bestowed upon the whole was CLARENCE’S ARCHIPELAGO.

[* This mountain, in latitude 10 deg. 12’ south, longitude 142 deg. 13’ east, was seen by captain Bligh from the Bounty’s launch, and marked in his chart, (Voyage, etc. p. 220.) It appears to be the same island indistinctly laid down by captain Cook, in latitude 10 deg. 10’, longitude 141 deg. 14’; and is, also, one of those, to which the term Hoge Landt is applied in Thevenot’s chart of 1663.]

North Possession Island was found to be little else than a mass of rocks surrounded by a reef; but it was covered with a variety of trees and shrubs.  Amongst them was a cluster of cocoa-nut trees, bearing a small, but delicious, fruit; and the tree bearing a plum, such as had been seen at Dalrymple’s Island.  Besides these, the botanists found the peeha and nono of Taheity; and two new plants, of the size of the common mulberry.  One, of the class polyadelphia, bears a scarlet, bell-shaped flower, large as the China rose; the other was a species of erythrina, bearing clusters of butterfly-shaped flowers, of a light yellow, tinged with purple:  both were entirely destitute of leaves, and their woods remarkably brittle.

There did not appear to be any fixed inhabitants upon Possession Island; but from a fire which had been recently extinguished, and the shells and bones of turtle scattered around, it was supposed to have been visited not many days before.  The bushes were full of small, green ants; which proved exceedingly troublesome to those who had sufficient hardihood to penetrate their retreats.  Another, and larger species of ant, was black; and made its nest by bending and fixing together the leaves, in a round form, so as to be impenetrable to the wet.  These, and a small kind of lizard, were all the animals found upon the island.

Sept. 17.  The boats led to the westward, steering for a passage between Mulgrave’s and Jervis’ Islands; but seeing it full of rocks and shoals, the vessels anchored a little within the entrance, in 10 fathoms, coarse ground; until the boats should sound ahead.  The latitude here was 10 deg. 2’, and longitude 142 deg. 03’.  The flood tide, from the E. N. E., was found to set through between the islands, at the rate of four miles an hour; and the breeze being fresh, and bottom bad, the situation was considered to be very unsafe.