Island, a cliffy islet off the south-east end of which bore South 42
degrees East two miles. The tide was ebbing and setting to the
North-North-East two knots an hour. We found the Montebello Group to be
confined by a coral reef encircling it. The two principal islands are
Tremouille and Hermite Islands. The fact that these and their neighbours
are not separated in the charts fully evinced the necessity of our visit.
Leaving a boat to examine them, the ship proceeded towards the northern
end of Barrow's Island, being anxious to avoid the southerly winds to
which the anchorage off Tremouille is exposed. These usually commenced at
midnight, blowing from south-west, freshening and veering to south by 8
A.M., and by about 10 moderating at South-South-East. On our way to
Barrow's Island they were so violent as to cause the ship to drive with
two anchors ahead, there appearing to be no holding ground, but simply a
coating of sand over a rocky ledge. During the prevalence of these winds
the temperature varied from 66 to 76 degrees.

Near Barrow's Island, on our passage, I shot (from the quarter-boat) the
largest sea-snake ever killed. It is figured and described in the
Appendix, by Mr. J.E. Gray, as Hydrus major, and measured eight feet one
inch in length, by three inches broad; the colour was a dark yellow:
several smaller ones striped brown and white were also seen.

BARROW'S ISLAND.

We found that from the Montebello Group a long series of reefs and small
islands, the largest and most central of which is called Lowendal,
extends towards Barrow's Island, leaving a winding channel* along the
north side of the latter. Near the centre of the western side of the reef
is a cluster which proved to be the long-lost Tryal Rocks; the middle and
largest of which is in latitude 20 degrees 35 minutes South and longitude