OCS a ane Sma | 
LETTER VIII. 
THE LOYALTY ISLANDS—THEIR NATURE, CHARACTERISTICS, 
AND PEOPLE—-MARE—THE MISSION STATION OF MR. 
JONES—A RIDE ACROSS THE ISLAND—A FEW REMARKS 
ABOUT THE NATIVES AND THEIR HOUSES—THE VESSEL 
SAILS AGAIN FOR THE NEW HEBRIDES. 
Aniwa, 
August, 1872. 
Ronn) 
Tae Loyalty Islands lie directly between the New Hebrides 
and New Caledonia, being within ninety or a hundred miles of 
the former and sixty miles of the latter. The group is com- 
posed of the three principal islands, named Maré, Lifou, 
and Uea, and a few smaller ones, scattered round them. 
Lifou, the central island, is said to be ninety miles in circum- 
ference, Maré seventy miles,.and Uea fifty. 
They are all upheaved coral islands, similar in formation to 
Aniwa in the New Hebrides. Nowhere does any part of them 
rise more than 300 feet above the level of the sea. The two 
southern islands, Maré and Lifou, have no harbours ; vessels 
being obliged to anchor in open bays, which they can do only 
when the wind is blowing off shore. Uea, the northernmost 
island possesses good shelter for vessels in an extensive lagoon 
which is well protected by a surrounding reef. 
