300 



Kingsmill Group. 



CRUISE OF THE PEACOCK. 



Kingsmill Group. 



took place in consequence. On his reaching the 

 deck, he first inquired if he would be permitted to 

 go on shore again ; and then, who was king of 

 England ; if there was peace with America ; for 

 he had thought there must be a war. He had 

 seen no white men since he landed, and said that 

 he had become old and grayheaded. To prove the 

 latter assertion he pulled off his apology for a hat, 

 and displayed a most luxuriant growth of jet-black 

 hair. 



He had not been on board long before he asked 

 for a passage to some civilized land ; and when he 

 was informed that his wishes would be gratified, 

 he seemed for a time beside himself from excess of 

 joy. His feelings were evinced in his endeavours 

 to interpret the questions to the natives ; he 

 almost invariably repeated to them what was said 

 to him in English, in the same language; and gave 

 back their answers or expressions in the island 

 dialect. This had a droll effect, and he had fre- 

 quently to be reminded that he was an interpreter. 

 Wood says, that the natives had always treated 

 him kindly ; and for the first few months after his 

 arrival among them, they carried him about on 

 their shoulders (he was the first white man that 

 many of them had ever seen), and almost deified 

 him. They have no wars, and very few arms, and 

 seldom quarrel, except about their women. The 

 punishment of death is inflicted on those who 

 infringe the seraglio of the chiefs. 



When the vessels had made sail, in order to 

 leave the island, and it was supposed that all the 

 natives had left the ship, one was found hanging 

 to the man-ropes near the water. Wood, on ques- 

 tioning the native, found that he was a petty chief, 

 who wished to accompany the ship, and had taken 

 this means of doing it, hoping not to be perceived 

 until he was out of sight of his island. He said he 

 was too poor a chief to have any wives, and there- 

 fore wished to leave his island, and be landed on 

 some other, where he could obtain some. Captain 

 Hudson had a boat lowered at once, by which lie 

 was put on board a canoe, that took him to the 

 shore. 



The Kingsmill Group consists of fifteen islands, 

 of which the geographical positions have been 

 already given in speaking of them separately. 



They are as follow, viz. : 



NATIVE NAMES. NAME ON CHARTS. 



Maraki Matthew's Island. 



Makin and Taritarl .... Pitt's " 



Apia Charlotte's " 



Tarawa Knox's " 



Maiana Hall's " 



NATIVE KAMES. NAME ON CHARTS. 



Apamama Hopper's Island. 



Kuria Woodle's " 



Nanouki Henderville's " 



Nanouti Sydenham " 



Taputeouea Drummond's " 



The above are all those that were visited by the 

 Peacock : the natives, however, gave the names of 

 others, which are said to be in the neighbourhood, 

 to the number of six. 



Peru Francis Island. 



Nukunau Byron's " 



Arurai Kurd's " 



Tamana Phoebe " 



Onoutu Hotelier's " 



The first of these five are known on the maps, 

 but the two last are not. There is one which the 

 natives of Apia designated by Tarawani-Makin, 

 but I am inclined to believe it was intended for 

 Pitt's Island. 



The population of the group, from the best data 

 which was obtained, is about sixty thousand souls. 

 At Drummond's Island, where there was the best 

 opportunity of a personal examination, the estimates 

 were above ten thousand : this is considered the 

 most populous island of the whole group. On 

 Apamama, Kirby saw collected from six to seven 

 thousand warriors, belonging to it, Nanouki, and 

 Kuria : the joint population of these three islands 

 may therefore be reckoned at twenty-eight thou- 

 sand ; it would seem reasonable to estimate the 

 remaining twelve islands, which have been ob- 

 served to be thickly inhabited, at the same num- 

 ber. 



On completing the survey of the Kingsmill 

 Group, Captain Hudson found it necessary to place 

 his crew, and that of the tender, upon a reduced 

 allowance of provisions and water. He then 

 steered away to the northward, through the Mul- 

 grave Islands ; and on the morning of the 3rd of 

 May, they made Pedder Island of Arrowsmith. 

 The vessels passed along its west side, and through 

 the Fordyce Passage, between it and Arrowsmith's 

 Island. Daniel Island was also seen from aloft to 

 the eastward. These islands are all of coral forma- 

 tion, with lagoons, and are inhabited. The south- 

 east end of Arrowsmith's Island was found to be 

 in latitude 7 5' N., longitude 171 23' 54" E. It 

 is twenty miles long. 



On the 17th of July, the Peacock and Flying- 

 Fish arrived at the bar of the Columbia River. I 

 have already detailed of the former vessel. 



