TE PITO TE HENUA. KNOWN AS RAPA NUI; COMMONLY 

 CALLED EASTER ISLAND, SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN. LATE 

 TUDE 27° 10' S., LONGITUDE 109° 26' W. 



By George H. Cooke, 

 Surgeon, United States Navy. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The IT. S. S. Mohican sailed from the port of Callao, Peru, March 6, 1868, 

 under orders for a protracted cruise, on special duty, among the islands 

 of the South Pacific, with instructions, on her return passage to the South 

 American coast, to call at Easter Island, make certain investigations 

 desired by the Smithsonian Institution, and especially to bring away 

 one of the colossal stone images to be found upon the island. 



After a passage of thirty-two days the Marquesas group was reached, 

 but the authorities, wishing to impose quarantine upon the ship, a stay 

 of a few hours only was made, and we pushed on to the island of Eairoa, 

 in the Tuamotu, or Low Archipelago. From thence the ship visited, 

 at various times, and in some instances repeatedly, the Society Islands, 

 the Samoan Group, the Tonga Group, the Fiji Islands, and IS^ew 

 Zealand, and took her final departure from Tahiti for Easter Island 

 and the South American coast November 16, dropping anchor in Hanga 

 Eoa Bay, west coast Rapa Nui, December 18. 



The stone image, stone crown, and stone head, for the Smithsonian 

 Institution, having been successfully transported over the island to 

 the beach and thence transferred on board, the ship sailed on the last 

 day of the year for Valparaiso, Chile, arriving at the latter port January 

 14, 1887, having performed the duty assigned her, in which all on board 

 took the liveliest interest. 



The writer has confined himself, as strictly as circumstances would 

 admit, to the line of investigation assigned him, in order that there 

 might not be a needless repetition in the reports of the several ofiicers 

 concerned in the work. 



In the preparation and collation of the glossary the writer has been 



ably assisted by Lieut. William E. Saiiord, U. S. N. 



691 



