24 THE CBUISE OF THE 'CUEAQOA: 



manifested no disposition to retire before, leapt into the sea 

 and swam back to their canoes. Several liad expressed a 

 most eager desire to accompany us as far as Samoa, but the 

 Commodore did not think proper to gratify it. 



Niue Island may be some nine miles in breadth. A road 

 thirty-three miles in extent passes round the island, at some 

 points diverging considerably from the coast. The forma- 

 tion of this road is due to the influence of the missionary, 

 the only white man living in the island, and it is owing to 

 him that it is kept in good repair by means of natives con- 

 demned to hard labour for crimes or offences. The island 

 is entirely a coral formation, and must have been gradually 

 upheaved, as would appear to be indicated by three distinct 

 layers evidently of successive superposition, which are 

 observable in one spot. It seems, moreover, from an inspec- 

 tion of the banks that tliis uprising or upheaving action has 

 not yet exhausted itself. To it may no doubt be attributed 

 a narrow deep fissure which extends nearly a mile into the 

 interior. Lime abounds in many places, as well as a great 

 quantity of sea sliells. The aspect of the island is of a 

 uniform character ; so that a walk of two miles, no matter 

 in what direction, supplies an accurate conception of the 

 whole. The water in tlie wells is brackish, which in general 

 obliges the natives to confine themselves to cocoanut milk. 

 In the interior are to be found pools of not more tlian two 

 feet in diameter, which contain fresh water, the level of 

 which seems afl'ected by the tides, a fact noticeable in 

 some parts of the island of Oahu. It was in these holes 



