H. M. S, FAVOURITE. 441 



struction of their canoes ; and I think it probable 

 that a trade might be opened with this hitherto per- 

 fectly unknown people and country."* The people 

 inhabiting the islands fronting the coast, Captain 

 Blackwood found to be highly inclined to trade, 

 readily bartering a valuable species of tortoise-shell 

 for European articles of hardware. 



During our stay at Sydney we also met H.M.S. 

 Favourite, Captain T. R. Sullivan, just returned 

 from visiting the Eastern Polynesian Isles, having 

 succeeded in rescuing the guns that were lost 

 from the ship in a melancholy and much to be 

 lamented aifray with the natives of Tongataboo, 

 previous to the command of Captain Sullivan, whose 

 adventure in this affair was very interesting, and 

 cleverly managed. 



The Favourite had experienced a hurricanef off 



* See " Nautical Magazine," for December, 1845, 

 •j- Although this hurricane has been noticed, and the Favourite's 

 Log published in the " Nautical Magazine," 1 think it will be 

 useful to continue the practice of entering into some detail 

 respecting every hurricane that came under my observation. 

 This storm, it appears, was encountered off Mangaia, one of the 

 Harvey Isles, lying about midway between the Society and Hapai 

 Groups. The Favourite was in lat. 21° 58' S., long. 158° 02. 

 W., five miles S. W. by W. from Mangaia, at noon on the 17th 

 December, 1842, steering W. by S.^S. before a moderate gale from 

 E. N. E., with cloudy rainy weather. At 3 p. m. she had gone 

 27 miles, when the wind, which had increased to a strong gale, 

 veering to N. E., the course before it was now S. W. ; but at the 

 end of another hour, having run eight miles, the wind increased 



