236 



Islands surveyed by the Porpoise. 

 The Porpoise arrives at Somu-somu. 



FEEJEE GROUP. 



Fawn Harbour. Island of Rativa. 

 H.B.M. schooner Starling. 



On the southern side of the great reef, are two 

 small uninhabited islands. 



These exploring islands are well situated for the 

 resort of vessels. The anchorages are very safe 

 and easily reached. They afford an abundance of 

 fruit and vegetables. There are five openings in 

 the large reef, two at the east end, two on the 

 west, and one on the north side; all safe. Vessels 

 wishing to anchor on the western side must enter 

 one of the western passages, as the near approach 

 of Vanua-valavo to the large reef does not admit of 

 a passage for vessels between them. 



On the 8th, the Porpoise sailed from the Ex- 

 ploring Isles, and continued the surveys of Okimbo 

 and Naitamba, with the surrounding reefs, both 

 attached and separate. The former is made up of 

 three small isles, enclosed in the same reef, four 

 miles east and west, by three miles north and 

 south, which are seven miles to the north of the 

 north-west point of Vanua-valavo. The detached 

 reefs are from one to four miles in length ; they are 

 awash and dangerous. Okimbo is desolate, and 

 affords nothing but turtles in the season, and some 

 biche de mar. 



Naitamba is high and rugged; it is of a circular 

 form, one mile and a half in diameter. The reef 

 does not extend beyond half a mile from it, and 

 has no openings. It has few inhabitants. 



The time having now arrived for our meeting 

 at Somu-somu, Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold 

 bore up for that place, passing through Tasman's 

 Straits, which lie between the islands of Kamia 

 and Vuua. Both of these have many reefs pro- 

 jecting from their shores. This passage should 

 not be attempted except in favourable weather, 

 and the best time is during the morning hours, 

 when the sun is to the eastward of the meridian. 

 The currents are strong, and calms are very fre- 

 quent under the highlands of Kamia and Lauthala. 

 In passing through these straits, although they had 

 a careful look-out at the mast-head they were close 

 to a coral knoll before it was seen, and passed 

 within a few feet of it. It had no more than eight 

 feet of water on it. At noon they rounded the 

 north point of Vuna, entering the Straits of Somu- 

 somu, and at two o'clock P.M. they reached the 

 anchorage off the town of Somu-somu. 



Having finished all my business at Somu-somu 

 on the 10th of June, at ten o'clock at night, I 

 determined, notwithstanding the lateness of the 

 hour, to get under way with the Flying-Fish, in 

 order that I might take up the survey of the south 

 side of Vanua-levu, beginning at Tokanova Point, 

 early the next morning. We accordingly weighed 

 anchor, and stood out of the Straits of Somu-somu. 

 In rounding Goat Island we did not give it a 

 sufficient berth, and grounded on a sunken patch 

 of coral, an accident which hurt the feelings of 

 poor Tom the pilot more than it injured the tender. 

 We remained on this shoal about an hour, and 

 after getting off we drifted through the strait, and 

 by daylight found ourselves in a position to begin 

 the survey. 



At an early hour, Lieutenant Case, Passed-Mid- 

 shipman Harrison, and myself, took our boats and 

 entered the reef. Mr. Sinclair was left in the 

 tender, with orders to follow the reef close aboard, 

 and directions to enter Fawn Harbour ; but having 

 in our progress along the reef discovered an open- 

 i ing, I made signal for the tender to enter. This 



entrance appears to be unknown, and leads to a 

 harbour which I called Baino, after a town that 

 Tubou informed me was near by. It offers good 

 anchorage, being protected by the coral reef, which 

 extends off some distance. After the tender had 

 fired guns for fixing our base line, a signal was 

 made for her to get under way and proceed to 

 Fawn Harbour four miles to leeward, and anchor 

 at sunset. We joined her there, having brought 

 up our work. This has been called Fawn Harbour 

 after the name of an American brig, which was 

 wrecked on the reef. In attempting to beat out, 

 she missed stays and went ashore. 



In the morning early we surveyed this small 

 harbour; and the two chiefs having returned on 

 board, we started on our surveys of the coast. 

 The tender at the commencement gave us our base 

 by sound, and we proceeded on our survey, leaving 

 her to get under way, with orders to anchor at 

 Savu-savu. We continued our work all day, and 

 passed only one opening in the reef, which is near 

 the small islet of Rativa, and offers little accommo- 

 dation for any class of vessels. 



In the afternoon I observed for chronometer 

 sights on the small island of Rativa. Two miles 

 beyond this, the reef joined the shore. Mr. Sinclair 

 having conjectured that I had received erroneous 

 information respecting the distance to Savu-savu, 

 returned to this point to pick us up before dark, 

 and finding an opening in the reef sufficient for 

 small vessels, we took advantage of it to join the 

 tender. I at first intended to anchor in this little 

 harbour for the night; but when I reflected how 

 necessary it was for me to return to Levuka, I 

 determined, after getting on board, to take advan- 

 tage of the strong breeze, and push direct for 

 Ovolau, and at ten o'clock the next morning 

 anchored at Levuka, where I found all well. 



The Starling had sailed for Rewa with the 

 rudder-pintles of the Peacock, which Lieutenant 

 Underwood had succeeded in getting; and having 

 heard that Captain Belcher was still at Rewa, I 

 determined to visit it, for the double purpose of 

 seeing if we could afford him any further facility, 

 and getting observations for latitude and meridian 

 distance, as well as effecting a comparison with 

 my intensity needles. 



Having transferred Lieutenant Case to the Vin- 

 cennes, Assistant-Surgeon Fox and Midshipman 

 Henry joined the tender, and at noon we were 

 again under way for Rewa, where we anchored at 

 9 P.M. I had the pleasure of finding Captain Bel- 

 cher there. He was on the eve of sailing, having 

 nearly completed the repairs of his ship, and was 

 making his last series of observations. 



The Starling had sailed for Mbenga a few days 

 before, whither the Sulphur was to go to join her. 

 Captain Belcher sailed the next evening; and the 

 following day the tender was hauled in close to the 

 beach of the island of Nukalau, in order to protect 

 the spot where we were observing throughout the 

 day, and guard against surprise upon us by the 

 chiefs of Rewa, which place was but a few miles 

 from us. 



I was not a little amused at Captain Belcher's 

 account of the effect of the regulations as operating 

 upon his vessel. The chiefs -required him to pay 

 port-charges, and in default thereof refused to 

 give him any supplies. In drawing up the Rules 

 and Regulations for the trade, it had never oc- 



