234 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA: 



rides, the islands of which are all elevated, and which present, 

 so it struck me, landscapes much prettier and more striking 

 than those of all the other islands we had seen, without ex- 

 cepting even those of Fiji. The want of good charts for 

 these seas, combined with the impossibility of taking any- 

 observation, on account of the mistiness of the atmosphere, 

 caused us to mistake the island of Vanua-Lava for another 

 island, and so to pass it, by which we lost nearly a day. 



The islands, composing Banks' group, in the midst of 

 which Ave were then sailing, appeared to me to be high 

 and mountainous, like- those of the lai'ger groups we had 



>l-UAiii,LL^ LiLV.M'. 



just quitted. We approached BUgh Island near enough to 

 get a distinct view of it. We saw Sugar-loaf Island, the fine 

 cone of which resting on a table-land presented a spectacle 

 as curious as striking. On August 21, towards halt-past 

 three p.m., after having turned Low Island, we dropjied 

 anchor in eleven fathoms in the port of Vanua-Lava, 

 called Port Patteson in honour of the judge of that name, 

 the father of the missionary bishop. The ' Southern Cross,' 

 the same schooner we had met with at the begiuiung of our 

 cruise, and whic;h the Commodore had appointed to meet 



