80 FROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS 



attention which agreeably surprised me in a 

 savage. 



At one o'clock in the afternoon, we reached the 

 channel, next the high island ; the breadth at the 

 narrowest part, was a hundred fathoms ; its depth 

 was irregular, and decreased from twenty to five, 

 and, in many places, to only three fathoms ; the 

 island consisted of pointed coral of various kinds. 

 It was just at the time of ebb ; the current ran with 

 considerable violence out of the group : we suffered 

 ourselves to be driven through the passage, into 

 the ocean, and were scarcely through it, when we 

 could no longer reach the bottom with the lead. 

 To come through here with the Rurick, was indeed 

 possible, but very dangerous. A violent wind, 

 which just then arose, did not permit us to ex- 

 amine the second channel, which according to 

 Lagediack*s description, must lie in the west. I 

 deferred it till a more favourable day, called this 

 one Lagediack, and set out on our return, which 

 was rendered very difficult by the contrary wind. 

 It was impossible to reach the Rurick this evening, 

 and we saw ourselves obliged to pass the night on 

 the large island, south of Egmedio. Fortunately, 

 we were here met by one of my favourites, the al- 

 ways friendly Labugar ; he brought us cocoa-nuts 

 and pandanus, and informed us, that we had land- 

 ed on his island, which was inhabited only by his 

 family, and an old man. We took up our quarters 

 on the shore, to prepare our supper j and Labugar, 



