198 VOYAGE TO THE 



chap. i n an opposite direction to the trade wind, and 

 ^y— ^ thereby making it more dangerous to land on the 

 1826. lee-side of the island than on the other. In the 

 Gambier groupe there are several small sandy islands 

 at the S. W. extremity of the chain that surrounds 

 it, over which the sea broke so heavily that they 

 were entirely lost amidst the foam. I named them 

 Wolfe Islands, after Mr. James Wolfe, one of the 

 midshipmen of the ship. We passed them tolerably 

 close, admiring the grand scene which they pre- 

 sented, and then stood on a northerly course with 

 the intention of visiting Lord Hood's Island. 



In the forenoon of the following day several white 

 tern, noddies, and black gulls came about us, and 

 gradually increased in numbers as we proceeded on 

 our course. A few hours afterwards Lord Hood's 

 Island was reported from aloft. On nearing it, we 

 found it to consist of an assemblage of small islets, 

 rising from a chain of coral, even with, or a little 

 above, the water's edge. Upon these grew a variety 

 of evergreen trees thickly intertwined, among which 

 the broad leaves and clusters of fruit of the pan- 

 danus were conspicuous, and beneath them a matted 

 surface of moss and grass, so luxuriant and invi- 

 tingly cool, that we were almost tempted to land at 

 any risk. The sea, however, broke so heavily upon 

 all parts of the shore that the attempt would have 

 been highly dangerous, and we consequently col- 

 lected all the information that was required, and 

 hastened our departure. Krusenstern states in his 

 " Memoire sur la Paciflque," that this island is in- 

 habited : such must undoubtedly have been the 

 case once, as we saw a square stone hut, similar to 

 those described at Crescent Island, on one of its 



