348 CHARLES WILKES. 



the last, excepting cocoanut-trees, of which none 

 were found on the island. The lagoon is quite 

 shallow. A favorite fish with the natives is found 

 in it, and at certain seasons they visit the island for 

 the purpose of catching them. The coral shelf 

 varied from two to five hundred feet in breadth. 



"Being desirous of making the examination of 

 as many of the coral islands as possible, I now de- 

 spatched the Peacock to the Arutua or Rurick 

 Islands, with directions to examine them, and then 

 to proceed along the south side of- Dean's Island, 

 whilst, in the Vincennes, I steered for the north side 

 of the latter, to pass along it. We then parted 

 company, and Dean's Island was made by us the 

 next morning. After establishing our position, we 

 ran along the northern shore, and reached its west- 

 ern point at 4 P.M. Off this point we obtained 

 sights for our chronometers, which put it in lon- 

 gitude 147 58' 34" W., latitude 15 05' 15" S. During 

 the day we passed an entrance into its lagoon, and 

 some natives came off from a small village in two 

 canoes to visit us. They acknowledged themselves 

 subjects of Queen Pomare of Tahiti, and were very 

 desirous we should land. They brought off a few 

 shells, and told us they had many fowls, pigs, taro, 

 &c. There are several islets in the lagoon covered 

 with trees. Vast numbers of large blocks were seen 



