There is an inner reef making off to the westward from the northern island; but it, like the other, is visible, and there is no danger whatever in approaching it.

The Areas are three low keys, lying in a triangle; the northern key being the largest.

We found a hut on this latter key, a boat hauled up on the island, a net inside the hut, a boiler or two for trying out oil, and other evidences of the inhabitancy of fishermen or turtlers; but this not being the season for these pursuits, everything had apparently been abandoned for some time.
Numerous birds of the gull species were the only living things found in the island, and of these there were varieties of old birds and their fledglings, and some of the former were still laying and sitting.

They seemed to have no fear of our men, and suffered themselves to be caught by the hand, and knocked on the head with sticks.

The vegetation found was on the larger island, and on that it consisted of a dense carpeting of sea-kale--not a shrub of any kind.