This turtle had been recently wounded between the shoulders with a kind of peg; which circumstance, together with some pieces of canoes, a wooden image resembling a man, and a fresh cocoa-nut, found in Ball-Bay, induced me to suppose that there is a considerable island undiscovered, not far from the eastward of Norfolk-Island.  The Indian-corn sown during the last and present month, was now all up, and likely to do well.

I set off at day-light in the morning of the 15th, and went to the western or rocky point.  The entangled state of the woods on this part of the island, were worse, if possible, than any where else, but the soil and general appearance was much the same.  From Point-Ross to Rocky-Point, the shore is inaccessible; consisting altogether of steep cliffs, which rise perpendicular from the sea.  I returned at sun-set, much fatigued, and my cloaths, as usual on these excursions, were torn from my back.

As the houses and tents were surrounded by a thick wood, I set the men to make an opening to the sea-side, by cutting down the trees and piling up the timber.

In the course of this month, we saw a great number of whales and thrashers, some of which came close to the reef:  indeed, on our first landing here, I found the entire skeletons of two whales, which had every appearance of having been driven on shore, and the flesh destroyed by rats and birds.

On counting some of the plants of barley, I found one grain produced 124 stalks; this pleasing prospect induced me to set about building a granary of eighteen feet long by twelve feet wide; and I set the sawyers and carpenters to work in sawing wood for that purpose:  some of the labourers were ordered to assist them in placing the granary on posts, others were employed in making shingles to cover it with, and the rest were digging a cellar under the surgeon’s house, for stowing provisions:  the women were employed in picking grubs off the Indian corn.

In the beginning of October, we found a sensible alteration in the weather, it being very warm, except the mornings and evenings, which were still cold:  gales of wind were less frequent, and the landing was better in general than it had been for two months back.  Some heavy rain fell on the 3d, which lodged the barley, that had been some time in ear, and the rats got to it, so that our return was likely to be but small.

The Indian corn, which was about eight inches high, suffered greatly from the grub-worm, which got into the plant and cut it off close to the ground, destroying forty or fifty plants in the course of one night, which obliged me to keep the women constantly employed in picking them off:  every other remedy was tried; such as sprinkling ashes, and lye of ashes round the roots, but with no good effect.