6 ETHNOGRAPHY. 



in number. Rarotonga, the largest and most westerly, is about thirty 

 miles in circumference, Atiu, Mangaia, and Aitutaki, are each about 

 twenty ; the others, Mauke, Mitiaro, and Manual, are of inconsiderable 

 extent. The population of the whole is estimated by Mr. Williams at 

 fourteen thousand, of which about half belong to Rarotonga. 



6. The Austral Islands are a range of small elevated islands, scat- 

 tered along the southern tropic, about five degrees south of Tahiti. 

 They are beginning from the west Rimatara, Rurutu, Tupuai, 

 and Raivavai, to which Rapa may be added, though it is situated at 

 some distance southeast of the others, and differs from them in many 

 respects. They are all of nearly the same size, varying from twelve 

 to twenty miles in circumference. The number of inhabitants has 

 been greatly reduced of late years, and does not probably exceed a 

 thousand. 



7. The Gambier Group is a small cluster of high islands, partly 

 enclosed by an extensive reef. They lie east of the Austral Islands, 

 in latitude 23 S., and longitude 135 W. The native name of the 

 largest is Mangareva, which is about twelve miles in circumference; 

 the next in size are Akena, Akamaru, and Tarawari. The popula- 

 tion is stated at a little more than two thousand. 



8. The Low or Dangerous Archipelago is the name commonly 

 given to a multitude of small islands, of coral formation, which cover 

 the ocean between the Society and Gambier Groups or between 135 

 and 150 of west longitude, and 14 and 23 of south latitude. There 

 are nearly seventy whose existence and position are ascertained, of 

 which about a fifth are uninhabited. The most important are Rairoa, 

 or Prince of Wales' Island, which is an oval ring of small islets, 

 enclosing a lagoon a hundred and fifty miles in circuit, Anaa, (or 

 more properly Ngand,) known as Chain Island, Makemu, or Phillips' 

 Island, and Hau, or Bow Island. The population is supposed not 

 to exceed eight thousand, of which more than half belong to Anaa. 

 The native name of the whole range is Pakumotu, or in Tahitian, 

 Paumotu. 



9. The Marquesas lie between 138 and 141 of west longitude, 

 and between 7 and 11 of south latitude. A channel about sixty 

 miles in width divides them into two clusters, each containing three 

 large islands and several small ones. In the southeastern cluster, the 

 principal islands are Hivaoa, Tahuata, and Fatuhiva; in the north- 

 western, sometimes called the Washington Group, are Nukuhiva, 

 Uahuka, and Uapou. Nukuhiva, which is the largest island of the 



