238 PACIFIC AND 



tained at the northwest part of the island ; but hogs, wood, and 

 water are procured from the north side. Sufficient supplies may be 

 taken on board in the short space of four days ; and no danger need 

 be apprehended from the natives, provided the precaution be taken to 

 keep the head chief on board as a hostage, day and night a re- 

 quisition very willingly complied with, when two or three of the 

 natives and an interpreter are also allowed to remain. By pursu- 

 ing this course in both his visits to this place, Captain Worth 

 passed and repassed unarmed in his boats with perfect safety, and 

 found the natives extremely civil, never attempting to steal from 

 the boats on shore, nor while on board his ship. He thinks, how- 

 ever, that without this precaution, they would not hesitate to seize 

 a boat and crew, merely for the sake of two or three muskets, 

 which article they seemed very anxious to obtain, though they 

 never inquired for shot or ball. The white residents (of which 

 there are only two, who are chiefly engaged in agriculture,) in- 

 formed Captain Worth that they made no other use of the mus- 

 kets than to discharge them at their great feasts, considering those 

 the best which made the loudest reports. 



The chains of islands in Oceanica and the Pacific, extend in 

 general, from S. E. to N. W., and the groups often terminate with 

 a large island, as Otaheite and Owyhee. This fact may facilitate 

 discovery, and a knowledge of it add to the security of navigation, 

 by avoiding the immense reefs which extend, no doubt, at great 

 distance from the point where the islands terminate. 



Solomon islands, seen by Byron in 1765, and supposed by him 

 to be the islands of Quiros, in the 17th century. They are ex- 

 ceedingly dangerous Lie in 10 15' S. 169 28' W. 



Admiralty islands lie to the N. W. of New Ireland ; are numer- 

 ous, extending from 1 28' S., to 5 20' S., and from 148 20" E., 

 to 152 16' E. This scope embraces the whole extent of New 

 Britain. 



New Guinea, that great link by which the Molucca islands are 



