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134
NORTH-WEST REEF.
[Chap. V.
1841
We saw large patches of sea-weed; and the number and variety of sea-birds greatly increased. The minute petrel (the equivalent of the little auk of the northern regions, and very like it), as well as the black-backed gull, neither of which are met with far from land, and the long-snouted porpoise, were particularly numerous; one of these creatures was struck with a harpoon, and in its formidable jaws we found the teeth, which the New Zealanders value highly as ornaments, and which had puzzled us greatly to ascertain to what animal they belonged.
Nov. 30.Shortly before eight in the morning breakers were seen directly ahead of us, and about one mile distant, which obliged us to alter our course slightly to avoid them. These rocks are called the Northwest Reef, and lie about five miles in that direction from the Sister Islets; they cover a space not exceeding fifty yards in diameter, and no part of the rocks could be seen above water. The fog at this time became so thick that we could not see any object at more than half a mile distance; and although we must have passed quite close to the Sister Islets, which are about one hundred feet high, we did not see them. Steering direct for Point Allison, with hopes of the fog clearing away about noon, we found ourselves at that time above three miles to the northward of it, and in half an hour afterwards passed within a mile of it, without being able to distinguish it through the dense fog that prevailed. We had some difficulty in keeping the