struggled to maintain his hold, but was as frequently carried back by the retiring wave; whilst, unable to afford him the least assistance, we could only look on from the opposite side with the most painful apprehensions of seeing him taken away by one of the numerous sharks that were playing about the cove: however, being an expert swimmer, he at length succeeded in crawling up the rocks, greatly weakened by his long-continued exertions, though fortunately without other injury than a few bruises.
As we pulled off to the ships in the afternoon, we were led to believe, from the discoloration of the water, that it is probably shallow to the distance of a quarter of a mile from the shore. During our absence soundings had been obtained with three hundred fathoms on a rocky ground, and some small black stones came up with the lead, the islets bearing then S. 57 E., distant two-thirds of a mile; but they failed to reach the bottom with five hundred fathoms, when they bore S. 67 E. at twice that distance, so that the ascent of the submarine mountain of which these peaks form the summit must be very steep.
Dec. 3.We crossed the equator about midnight, the 3d of December, in long. 30 W., and the ceremony of shaving those who had not done so before was perpetrated the next morning with as much amusement and good-natured fun as usual on such occasions. Some difference of opinion prevails as to the proper meridian in which to cross the line; but