60 MELVILL : MEMOIR OF THE LATE HUGH CUMING. 
and valued friend to the young enthusiast. So absorbing in- 
deed were these tastes, that a few years later, in 1826, he 
actually retired from business, in order that he might be 
unfettered and able without let or hindrance to follow the 
dictates of his inclination. He, therefore, built and fully 
equipped a yacht, especially designed for the purpose of dredg- 
ing and collecting natural history specimens, and began his 
cruise amongst the South Pacific Islands. He first touched at 
the Island of Juan Fernandez, situate some 400 miles west of 
Valparaiso, and noteworthy as the retreat of Alexander Selkirk. 
From thence he sailed to the Society Islands, and visited 
Pitcairn’s Island, so famous for having been colonized by the 
descendants of the mutineers of Zhe Bounty. Nearly forty 
years had passed since this event when Cuming visited the 
place, and he was pleased at making acquaintance with 
John Adams, one of the few original survivors. He stayed 
with him some little time, and was much impressed at the 
patriarchal character assumed by this good old man as head of 
the colony, now so prosperous. 
One after another of the small groups of islands, most of 
them coral-reefs or atolls, was visited by Cuming. It will be 
noticed that the small Island of Annaa, only signified by a 
minute dot on the Polynesian map, being one of the most west- 
ward of the Low Archipelago, or Paumotu Isles, is men- 
tioned as a locality for many rare tropical shells in the pages of 
Reeve and Sowerby, and on the older labels of the national 
collection. For some time Mr. Cuming made this isle his 
head quarters, and here reaped a rich and abundant harvest, 
principally in the showy marine genera—Conus, AZitra, Pleuro- 
toma, Cyprea, etc., that affect sunny shallow coral reefs. 
After a circular tour round most of these groups, he re- 
turned to Valparaiso, and forthwith began to prepare for his 
second extensive voyage of exploration, viz., along the western 
shores of the great South American continent. He was aided 
J.C, vili., Apr. 1895. 
