212 VOYAGE TO THE 



chap, black tern feathers suspended to it. At Lagoon, 

 v— v-w and other islands which we visited both before and 

 ?o™ afterwards, the natives carried one or more of these 

 sticks: they are mentioned as being seen by the 

 earliest voyagers, and are probably marks of distinc- 

 tion or of amity. 



These people so much resemble the Lagoon 

 Islanders in person, manners, language, and dress, 

 as to need no description : the island is also of the 

 same formation, and has apparently the same pro- 

 ductions. We noticed only one canoe ; but no 

 doubt they have others, as a constant communica- 

 tion is kept up with the islands to windward. It 

 may be recollected that it was upon this island 

 Captain Wallis found all the natives collected who 

 had deserted Queen Charlotte's Island on his ap- 

 proach. Though these two places are many miles 

 out of sight of each other, yet their canoes took 

 the exact direction which, being afterwards fol- 

 lowed by Captain Wallis, led to the discovery of 

 the island. 



Next morning we saw land to the S. by E., which 

 proved to be a small coral island, answering in situa- 

 tion nearly to that of Carysfort Island, discovered by 

 Captain Edwards, but so small as to render it very 

 unlikely that it should be the same. Though we 

 ranged the shore very closely, we did not perceive 

 any inhabitants. It was well wooded, and had seve- 

 ral clusters of cocoa-nut trees. The next morning 

 parties were sent to cut down some of the trees for 

 fire-wood. The surf ran high upon the shore; but, 

 with the assistance of a small raft, a disembarkation 

 was effected without any serious accident. Several 

 of the officers, anxious to land upon this our first 



