We saw six or seven water snakes (Hydrus) this day, all about three feet long, of a dirty yellow colour, with black stripes, the head black, they were furnished with fins like an eel, were of a very graceful form, and moved on the water exactly like a snake, with the head a little elevated; when they dived they turned up on their backs before they sank:  we caught one of these snakes, also a moth and butterfly.  A large bat (Pteropus ?) flew about the vessel this evening and pitched several times on the boat astern.  I once struck it as it passed me, it appeared much fatigued; we were 150 miles from the main and thirty from the nearest small sandy island.

Sharks.

We caught two sharks today; the sailors said that they saw fourteen or fifteen little sharks swimming round one of these, and that when the bait was thrown into the water and made a noise some of these swam into her mouth:  directly after they had told me this the shark was caught.  I had it opened and four young ones were found inside, two had never left the uterus, for they were attached to it at the time, the other two were not so attached, and were larger than the former, and swam well and strongly when put into the water:  whether or not they had ever left the mother I cannot of course say.  I have preserved two in spirits, one that was attached and one that was not; two intestinal worms were found in the stomach of one of the sharks.

CHAPTER 4.  HANOVER BAY.

NEW AND DANGEROUS SHOAL.

November 29.

This morning at twenty minutes after nine, when in latitude 15 degrees 26 minutes 32 seconds and longitude 121 degrees 55 east, we suddenly made the very unpleasant discovery that we were in the midst of shoals, owing to some negligence in our lookout.  This was not found out until we were hemmed in between two, one lying not more than fifty fathoms from our larboard quarter, and the other about three times the distance on the starboard beam.  I went up to the mast-head, and distinctly saw the rocks, not more than two or three feet under water on the larboard side.  We fortunately passed through this danger without accident; and, directly we cleared it, found bottom at twenty-five fathoms, coarse sand and shells.

Red island.

December 2.

I was called at four A.M. to keep my watch, and, as soon as I had ascertained that the men composing it were all present and at their stations, I went up aloft, and as I anticipated a speck of land soon appeared above the horizon.  This was Red Island.  Other points shortly rose behind it:  hill after hill came up into view, at a distance looking like islands, which indeed many of them were; but, on a nearer approach, the parts connecting the others became visible, and the mainland of this vast insular continent gradually revealed itself to our anxious eyes.

Making the land.