mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i3-010

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We especially decided not to do so since this information
would be of no substantial use to navigators because these
coral islands, as was already said, have always a deficiency
of a main requirement, that is, fresh water. Besides, they
lie too much out of the way of the customary routes of these
seas. But for all that, their discovery and correct position
on the map are very important. It is well known that this
kind of island does not rise very high above the surface of the
ocean, and even with a most clear horizon, does not appear to the
sight before a distance of from ten to 15 miles. During murky
weather or dark tropical nights, there is nothing easier
than to run into them and be exposed to almost certain des-
truction. A large number of similar islands are still not
discovered because they grow up from the bottom of the ocean,
and reaching the surface, increase in breadth. For this
reason, all seamen approaching these latitudes in the Pacific
Ocean generally lay at anchor for the night, or proceed under
least sail [fully reefed?], but even with this precaution, the
danger diminishes little because the constant surge of the
ocean always breaks a vessel running aground on a coral reef.

Coming closer, we observed that only four islands of the
whole group were grown over with forest, three or four were
covered with vegetation, and the rest, with yellow sand and
shells. There were no settlements on the shore, but smoke
rose from many places in the forest thicket, from which we