At two o'clock some of the Montalivet Islands were seen; and before three o'clock, an island was seen bearing South, which proved, as we stood towards it, to be the northernmost of a group lying off the north-west end of Bigge's Island; they were seen last year from Cape Pond, and also from the summit of the hills over Careening Bay.
July 19 to 21.
At daylight (19th) having laid to all night, this group was about six leagues off, bearing from South 35 1/2 to 49 degrees East, but a continuation of calms and light winds detained us in sight of them until the 21st.
This group consists of eight or nine islands, and appears to be those called by the French the Maret Isles; they are from one quarter to a mile and a half in extent, and are rocky and flat-topped; the shores are composed of steep, rocky cliffs.

They are fronted on the west side by a rocky reef extending in a North-North-East and South-South-West direction.
During the calm weather, in the vicinity of this group, we had seen many fish and sea-snakes; one of the latter was shot and preserved; its length was four feet four inches; the head very small; it had neither fins nor gills, and respired like land-snakes; on each scale was a rough ridge: it did not appear to be venomous.

A shark was also taken, eleven feet long; and many curious specimens of crustacea and medusa were obtained by the towing-net.

Some of the latter were so diaphanous as to be perfectly invisible when immersed in the water.

Among the former were a species of phyllosoma, and the Alima hyalina of Leach.* (*Footnote.