CHARLES WILKES. 349 



lying on its reef. The shore-reef is not more than 

 two hundred feet wide, and is composed of only one 

 shelf. The current was tried, hut none was found, 

 We had the wind very fresh from east-by-north all 

 day, "When off the western point we discovered 

 Krusen stern's Island to the west, and hauled up to 

 pass between it and luiirsa. The passage was found 

 to be twelve and two-thirds miles wide, and free 

 from all danger. In the evening I stood for Metia 

 Island, to the southward. Nairsa or Dean's Island 

 was found to be sixty-six miles in length. 



" On the morning of the 9th of September we 

 were in sight of Metia or Aurora Island, the north 

 end of which is in latitude 15 49' 35" S., longitude 

 148 13' 15" W. It was totally different in appear- 

 ance from those we had met with, though evidently 

 of the same formation. It was a coral island up- 

 lifted, exposing its formation distinctly, and as such 

 was very interesting. On approaching its eastern 

 end, I sounded at about one hundred and fifty feet 

 from its perpendicular cliff, and found no bottom 

 with one hundred and fifty fathoms of line. The 

 cliff appeared worn into caverns. We landed close 

 in its neighborhood, and, on measuring its height, 

 it proved to be two hundred and fifty feet. The 

 coral shelf was found to be five hundred feet in 

 width, extending on the north side of the island, 



30 



