208 VOYAGE TO THE 



C vn P * ^ ue nor ^ 1 ' Dv which an excellent opportunity oc- 

 v -~- Y — ^ curred of comparing the longitudes of those cele- 

 1826. hrated navigators. 



The next morning we coasted the north side of 

 Lagoon Island very closely, while the barge navi- 

 gated the other. It is three miles in length in a 

 W. by S. direction, and a mile and a quarter in 

 width. Its general figure has been accurately de- 

 scribed by Captain Cook : the southern side is still 

 the low reef of breakers which he saw, and the 

 three shallow openings on the north shore still exist, 

 though one of them has almost disappeared. Two 

 cocoa-nut trees in the centre of the island, which 

 Cook observes had the appearance of flags, are still 

 waving ; " the tower" at the western end is also 

 there, but has increased to a large clump of cocoa- 

 nut trees : a similar clump has sprung up at the 

 eastern end. The lagoon is, in some parts, very 

 shallow and contracted, and has many dry islets 

 upon it. The shore is steep, as at the other coral 

 islands, excepting on the south side, which should 

 not be approached within a quarter of a mile. 



We brought to off a small village at the N. W. 

 extremity of the island, and sent two boats on shore. 

 The natives seeing them approach came down to 

 the beach armed with poles from twenty to twenty- 

 five feet in length, with bone heads, and short clubs 

 shaped like a bill-hook ; but before they reached the 

 surf they laid down their weapons. At first they 

 beckoned our people to land ; but seeing the break- 

 ers too high, they suffered themselves to be bribed 

 by a few pieces of iron, and swam off to them. A 

 brisk traffic soon began, and all the disposable ar- 

 ticles of the natives were speedily purchased for a 



