PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 



537 



broke," and everyone on board was awake at once. The vessel was 

 going astern very fast right on to the reef, over which the sea was break- 

 ing heavily, and for a few minutes our situation was very critical indeed. 

 It was simply a question as to whether the second anchor could be let 

 go before she struck or not. Fortunately, the anchor was dropped 

 in time and the vessel was brought up, but only a few yards from a 

 detached reef, over which the sea broke very heavily. A few minutes' 

 delay in letting go the anchor, and nothing could have saved the ship. 

 Preparations were at once made for getting into a safer position. The 

 boat was sent ahead, with a kedge anchor and long warp, and in time 

 we were kedged a little further away from the dangerous reef under our 

 •stern. 



Next day, 26th, we recovered our anchor, one of our crew having 

 succeeded, by diving, in fastening a line to the cable. The effort must 

 have tried him very severely, as the water was quite 10 fathoms deep, 

 and he was quite exhausted when he came up, and vomited a large 

 quantity of blood. On our way back to Le ua Niua we passed islets in 

 all stages of growth : some were still under water, others just awash, 

 and other?, in a more advanced stage, consisted of a large mound of pure 

 white sand on the reef, but with neither tree nor bush on them. Upon 

 one there was only a solitary cocoanut, whilst others had small groves 

 of those palms. This immense atoll may have been formed by subsi- 

 dence, but it certainly presented abundant proof of upheaval and growth 

 going on at that time. We anchored at Le ua Niua a little after dark. 



Next day, Saturday, June 28th, we made an early start and got 

 safely through the passage. We re-entered Port Praslin early on July 

 1st, called again at the village of Kia, and then, with a strong tide in 

 our favor, we sailed through the channel and out to sea again, but did 

 not reach Gizo until the 3rd, from which place we went to Ruviana in 

 an open boat, arriving there the next day. 



A short list of words in the language of Le ua Niua (Ontong Java, 

 or Lord Howe Group), recoanised as common to the Samoan or Tongan 

 language. 



