After a while they crossed over to the ship, and from a respectful distance--as if afraid to come closer--used many violent gesticulations, talking vehemently all the while, and repeatedly pointed to the break in the reef by which we had entered Coral Haven, waving us off at the same time.

Our red friend from Pig Island made himself as conspicuous as on former occasions, and none shouted more loudly or wished to attract more attention to himself.

Unfortunately his eloquence was quite thrown away upon us, nor had his threatening gestures the desired effect of inducing us to leave the place and proceed to sea.
NO PASSAGE TO THE EASTWARD.
June 20th.
I returned to the ship after a short cruise in the pinnace sent away with Lieutenant Simpson to ascertain whether a passage for the ship to the eastward existed between Piron Island and South-east Island.
Independently of numerous detached coral patches, the channel was found to be completely blocked up by a reef stretching across from one island to the other, beyond which, separated by an extensive tract of shoal water, a heavy surf was breaking on what is probably an outer barrier.
Many snakes were seen on the surface of the water, and large shoals of skipjacks (Caranx) playing about in long extended lines occasionally presented the appearance of a breaking reef.

The fish were attended by flocks of terns and noddies, the former the beautiful Sterna melanauchen.
June 21st.
Landed on the neighbouring Observation Reef, and spent some hours there searching for shells, but nearly all were Torres Strait species.

The reef is margined with blocks of coral, but the centre is mostly smooth and covered with sand part of which dries at low-water; the rise and fall, ascertained by a tide-pole set up here, was only four feet.
NATIVE MODE OF FISHING.
I had a good opportunity of witnessing the mode of fishing with the seine practised by the natives of the Louisiade.