Henuake, Honden, or Dog Island. 

 Coral islands disappointing. 



PAUMOTU GROUP. 



Natural history. Birds. Crabs. Snakes. 

 Disappointment Islands. 



turned. Lieutenant Alden, in charge of one of 

 them, reported that he had had communication 

 with the natives, who were very friendly, and de- 

 sirous of holding intercourse with him. He obtained 

 several articles of curiosity from them. Some of 

 them were tattooed. They were found to be arrant 

 thieves, wishing to carry off every thing they saw, 

 trying even to pull the copper off the blades of the 

 oars, and all this, apparently, without any idea 

 that it was wrong. When first seen they were 

 armed with spears, but observing that we did not 

 attempt to land, they sent them away in charge of 

 a boy, and swam off to the boat. 



I now determined to wait until the next day, for 

 the purpose of having further communication with 

 them, and ordered every thing to be prepared for 

 an early landing; but, during the night, the officer 

 of the deck of the Porpoise ran into the Vincennes, 

 and did both vessels some injury, smashing the 

 starboard quarter boat, which broke adrift, cutting 

 off our backstays, and losing some of the head-spars 

 of the Porpoise. By this accident we lost our posi- 

 tion, and in the morning found ourselves so far to 

 the leeward, that I knew it must occupy much time 

 which we could not afford to lose before we 

 could regain the island. I therefore reluctantly 

 bore away to the northward, to pass over the 

 localities of one or two doubtful islands, on our 

 way to that of Honden. 



On the 19th of August we made Henuake, Hon- 

 den, or Dog Island, and came up with it about 

 noon. The boats were at once despatched, in 

 order to ascertain if a landing could be effected, 

 and the ships began the surveying operations. The 

 surf was found very heavy on the beach, but the 

 boats, notwithstanding, succeeded in landing. The 

 number of birds seen hovering over the island was 

 an indication that it was not inhabited, which 

 proved to be the case. Several turtles were 

 caught, and a number of specimens obtained. The 

 survey of the island not having been completed, 

 I lay by all night, and early in the morning de- 

 spatched boats to complete the examination of it, 

 and to effect a landing. The greatest part of the 

 day was spent on the island. Near the place 

 where we landed there has been a channel to the 

 small lagoon in the centre of the island, and there 

 is another of a similar character on the opposite 

 side. They were both dry, and the sea-water can 

 only communicate with the lagoon at very high 

 tides. 



The landing on a coral island effectually does 

 away with all preconceived notions of its beauty, 

 and any previous ideas formed in its favour are 

 immediately put to flight. That verdure which 

 seemed from a distant view to carpet the whole 

 island, was in reality but a few patches of wiry 

 grass, obstructing the walking, and offering neither 

 fruit nor flowers to view; it grew among the rug- 

 ged coral debris, with a little sand and vegetable 

 earth. 



The principal trees and shrubs are the pandanus, 

 boerhaavia, and pisonia. It is somewhat sur- 

 prising that a few trees forty or fifty feet high 

 should have found sufficient soil to protect their 

 growth. Most of the trees, however, are of stunted 

 size, being not more than ten to fifteen feet in height, 

 and eighteen inches in diameter. 



The number of birds on the island was incre- 

 dible, and they were so tame as to require to be 



pushed off their nests to get their eggs. The most 

 conspicuous among them was the frigate-bird (ta- 

 chypetis aquilus); many of the trees were covered 

 with their nests, constructed of a few sticks. The 

 old birds were seen, as they flew off, inflating their 

 blood-red pouches to the size of a child's head, and 

 looking as if a large bladder were attached to their 

 necks. The gannets, sooty terns, and the beau- 

 tiful tropic-bird, were in countless numbers ; the 

 fonner guarding their eggs, (which were laid on the 

 ground without a nest,) with care, remaining by 

 them, and even suffering themselves to be cap- 

 tured without resistance. Their hoarse croaking 

 was quite deafening. 



Some droll sights were seen of crabs walking off 

 with snakes, and both again seized by some stout 

 bird and borne away. Armies of soldier or piratical 

 crabs (paguri) were seen moving in all directions 

 with their shells. We enjoyed ourselves much, 

 and found no use for our guns, powder, and shot; 

 as many specimens as we could desire were taken 

 with the hand, both old and young. In some cases 

 the tropic-birds were taken off their nests, and 

 from others their eggs were taken without dis- 

 turbing them ; indeed, I have never seen any 

 barn-yard fowls half so tame. 



The various snakes, the many-coloured fish, the 

 great eels, enormous and voracious sharks, shells, 

 large molluscs, spiders, with the curious lepidoptera, 

 seemed to have quiet possession, their webs stretch- 

 ing in every direction, and occasioning us much 

 annoyance : all gave a novelty to the scene, that 

 highly interested and delighted us. In the after- 

 noon we returned on board, loaded with specimens; 

 and the survey being completed, we bore away on 

 our course. 



There are no cocoa-nut palms on the island, as 

 has been reported by Captain ^itzroy,in his voyage; 

 nor is there any fresh water to be found. Some of our 

 gentlemen saw on the beach some broken oars and 

 remains of a boat, but nothing could be identified. 



Pandanus trees exist on the south side. 



On the 23d of August we made the Disappoint- 

 ment Islands of Byron: they are two in number, 

 called Wytoohee and Otooho. 



On the morning of the 24th we were off the north- 

 west end of the former island, which lies in latitude 

 14 9' 30" S., longitude 141 17' 50" W. Many 

 canoes came off to the ship: as they approached 

 the vessels, the natives were heard, while at some 

 distance, singing; and, as they drew neai-, the 

 clamour increased, accompanied with much laugh- 

 ing, and many gesticulations; but none of them 

 could be induced to come on board, and they were 

 not willing to part with any thing but some pieces 

 of old matting. An attempt was made to get 

 some of their paddles, but they rather ridiculed 

 the idea of parting with them. 



The canoes were quite small, being only from 

 twelve to fifteen feet long. They generally con- 

 tained two, and sometimes three natives. Each 

 canoe had an out-rigger, and a projecting point, 

 both before and behind, by which they get into 

 them from the water. They are formed of strips 

 of cocoa-nut wood sewed together. Two persons 

 can carry them. Their paddles were curved back- 

 wards. 



In order to dispel their fears, articles were 

 given them gratuitously, and by way of showing 

 their gratitude, they began a monotonous song or 



