POLYNESIA. 7 



group, has a circumference of about sixty miles. Concerning the 

 number of inhabitants on the islands, the most contradictory accounts 

 are given, but it does not, probably, exceed twenty thousand. 



10. The Sandwich Islands, the most northerly group of Polynesia, 

 are included between the meridians of 154 and 161 W., and the 

 parallels of 18 and 23 N. The inhabited islands are eight in num- 

 ber, Hawaii, the largest and most southerly, covering a greater 

 extent than all the rest united. It is about two hundred and fifty 

 miles in circuit, and contains upwards of three thousand five hundred 

 square miles. Maui, Oahu, and Tauai, are the next in size; and 

 Tahoolarve, Lanai, Moktai, and Niihau, are comparatively unim- 

 portant. The population is about one hundred thousand, whereof 

 rather more than a third are on the island of Hawaii. 



Besides the groups before described, there are many smaller clus- 

 ters and single islands which require to be mentioned. Five degrees 

 due north of the Navigators are three coral islets, the largest of which 

 was on no chart until surveyed by our Expedition, though it had 

 been previously seen by a whaler. It was called by the natives 

 Fakaafo, and was named by us Bowditch Island ; the others, which 

 lie west of it, are Nuhunono, and Oatafu, known as the Duke of York's 

 and the Duke of Clarence's Islands. The name of the Union Group 

 was given to the three. The population does not probably exceed 

 one thousand. 



Ten degrees west of these is a similar group of three coral islets, 

 which, though previously known, were first surveyed by our vessels. 

 Their names are Vaitupu, or Tracy's Island, Nukufetau, or Depey- 

 ster's Island, and Funafati, or Ellice's Island. The largest is about ten 

 miles in circumference. The natives were numerous, but we had no 

 means of forming any estimate of the entire population. 



North of the Friendly Group, in latitude 15 50' S., longitude 174 C 

 W., are two small high islands, discovered by Schouten, and named 

 by him Cocoa and Traitor's Islands. They are each eight or ten miles 

 in circumference, and are separated by a channel about a league in 

 width. The native name is Niua, one of them being distinguished 

 by the epithet tabu, or sacred. Ten degrees farther west is Good 

 Hope Island, also discovered by Schouten, and called by the natives 

 Niua Fou, or New Niua. At the same distance from this, in a north- 

 west direction, are the Horn Islands, another discovery of the same 

 navigator. These also, if our information is correct, are included in 

 the general appellation of Niua. On the map, the name of Attu Fatu, 



