Departure of the Vincennes from 

 Tahiti. Rose Island. 



SAMOAN GROUP. 



Island of Manua. 



his very activity in thus labouring in many ways 

 for the good of the community in which he resides, 

 should be the probable cause of unkind and un- 



founded imputations, from those actuated, if not 

 by motives positively bad, at least by a lesa en- 

 lightened or less ardent zeal. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

 SAMOAN GROUP. ROSE ISLAND. TUTUILA. 



DEPARTURE OF THE VINCENNES FROM TAHITI BELLINGHAUSEN's ISLAND ROSE ISLAND MANUA ITS DESCRIP- 

 TION CANOES OF MANUA APPEARANCE AND CONDUCT OF THE NATIVES VILLAGE DRESS OF THE NATIVES 



OLOOSINGA ITS DESCRIPTION HOUSE OF THE KING HIS ENTERTAINMENT RETURN TO THE SHIP CORAL 



REEF OF OLOOSINGA OFOO TEMPERATURE DURING THE PASSAGE PLAN OF OPERATIONS APPEARANCE OP 

 TUTUILA HARBOUR OF PAGO-PAGO TOA, A NATIVE CHIEF GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF TUTUILA APPEARANCE 

 AND CHARACTER OF ITS INHABITANTS LA PEROUSE's EXPEDITION VISIT TO TOA HIS FEAST PRICE OF PRO- 

 VISIONS WAR-SONG BATHING MODE OF LIVING EMPLOYMENTS AND AMUSEMENTS MR. MURRAY, THE MIS- 

 SIONARY CUSTOMS OF THE NATIVES PUBLIC 'WORSHIP MISSIONARY THE PEACOCK AND FLYING-FISH SAIL 

 FOR UPOLU SURVEYS CLIMATE VISIT TO HEATHEN VILLAGES TEMPERATURE AT THE TOP OF MATAFOA. 



ON the 29th of September, 1839, at daylight, 

 having the wind from the northward and eastward, 

 we got under way from Tahiti, and made sail to 

 the westward, passing the Society Island Group, 

 viz. Sir Charles Saunders' Isle, Huaheine, Tahaa, 

 Borabora, Maufili, and Moutoiti. All of these, with 

 the exception of the last, are high lands. 



On the 30th, we made Bellinghausen's Island, 

 which is a low coral island, similar to those which 

 have been already described. It was uninhabited, 

 and is of a triangular form, with the usual vegeta- 

 tion, with the exception of cocoa-nut palms. We 

 landed upon it, and made the magnetic experi- 

 ments. 



Birds were in great plenty, and as tame as we 

 had found them at other uninhabited islands we 

 had visited. No lizards or rats were observed, 

 nor was the common fly seen. The lagoon had no 

 passage into it at low water, but the tide flowed 

 into it over the reef. 



In the afternoon, we again made sail to the west- 

 ward, for Rose Island, and on the 6th of October, 

 we passed near the locality of the Royal George 

 Shoal, but saw nothing of it. 



On the 7th, which was the day appointed for our 

 rendezvous off Rose Island, we came in sight of it, 

 and at the same time descried the Porpoise. That 

 vessel had passed by Nairsa or Dean's Island, and 

 connected the survey of it with that of Krusen- 

 stern's and Lazareff. Both of these were found to 

 have entrances into their lagoons ; they are unin- 

 habited, though occasionally visited by the natives 

 of Nairsa Island. The position of Recreation 

 Island was passed over, but no signs of land dis- 

 covered. 



Rose Island, the most eastern of the Samoan 

 Group, was discovered by Freycinet, who gave it 

 its name. It appears, at first, like a round knoll 

 of land, but on a nearer appi-oach, this is found to 

 arise from a large clump of pisonia trees, similar to 

 those found growing in the low archipelago. It is 

 a low annular coral island, of small dimensions, 

 inundated at high water, with the exception of two 

 small banks, one of which is entirely covered by 

 the clump of trees. The other is formed of dead 

 coral, without any vegetation. The tide was found 

 here to rise about four and a half feet, the flood 

 setting to the eastward. The breakers on its 



weather or south-east side are heavy ; and there 

 is an entrance into the lagoon, having four 

 fathoms depth of water through it. The lagoon 

 has from six to twelve fathoms in it. A remark- 

 able coral formation, like a submerged tree, thirty 

 feet in diameter over its top, was found in the cen- 

 tre of the lagoon, rising to the level of low water, 

 and having all around it a depth of six fathoms. 

 The currents set regularly out and in to the lagoon, 

 according to the state of the tide. In stormy 

 weather the sea must make a complete breach over 

 the reef. 



Some boulders of vesicular lava were seen on 

 the coral reef ; they were from twenty to two hun- 

 dred pounds weight, and were found among blocks 

 of coral conglomerate. 



Birds were seen flying over the island, and on 

 landing we found them in great numbers and very 

 tame. The frigate-birds and boobies (sula), whose 

 nests had before been observed on low bushes, 

 were here found on the tops of trees fifty feet high. 

 The noddies laid their eggs on the parts of the 

 island destitute of vegetation. Tern were in great 

 numbers ; their breeding-place was in a thicket on 

 the weather side of the island, or that which was 

 exposed to the wind and sea, and was remarkable 

 from the regularity with which the eggs were 

 placed, about three feet apart, without any nest, 

 and, with but few exceptions, out of many thou- 

 sands, each egg lay separately. The colour of the 

 eggs is a dirty white, mottled with brown. 



On the 7th, we left Rose Island and stood to the 

 westward, making at sunrise the island of Manua, 

 which is two thousand five hundred feet above the 

 level of the sea. It has the form of a regular 

 dome, rising in most places precipitously from the 

 water to the height of three or four hundred feet, 

 after which its ascent appears more gentle and 

 even. It is sixteen miles in circumference, is well 

 covered with a luxuriant vegetation, and has many 

 cocoa-nut groves on its north-west side. 



On approaching it, Oloosinga was in sight, and 

 shortly after Ofoo. These two islands lie to the 

 north-westward, at the distance of about four miles. 



The boats were lowered, and sent to trace the 

 shores of the island of Manua, for the purpose of 

 surveying it ; whilst the Vincennes and the Por- 

 poise passed on each side. 



