324 PAUMOTU GROUP. 
posed of coral debris and vegetable matter. The shrubs are few, 
and not more than from twelve to fifteen feet high, the Cocoa-nut, 
Palms, and Pandanus showing conspicuously above them. We 
found it by our survey, to be ten miles long, by one and a half wide, 
lying in a west-northwest and east-southeast direction. The first 
sounding, on the east side of the island, at three hundred feet from 
the reef, was obtained in ninety fathoms (coral sand) ; at one 
hundred and eighty feet, eighty-five fathoms (coral sand); at one 
hundred and thirty feet, seven fathoms (hard coral), being at the 
edge of a nearly perpendicular shelf; thence to the shore, the bottom 
was uneven, decreasing to four, three, and two fathoms, until a 
second or upper coral shelf rose, over which the water at high tide 
flowed. This extended to where the beach is composed of broken 
coral and shells, and arose on a gentle declivity to ten feet high. 
The Peacock sounded within three quarters of a mile from the 
southern point of the island : at three hundred and fifty fathoms, the 
lead brought up for a moment, and then again descended to six 
hundred fathoms without reaching bottom. When it was hauled up, 
it had a small piece of white and another of red coral attached to it. 
The west side of the island is a bare reef, over which the surf breaks 
violently. There is no opening or entrance to the lagoon. 
For the purpose of surveying the island, the Peacock and Flying- 
Fish took the west side, while the Vincennes and Porpoise were on 
the east. Boats were lowered and sent on shore for the purpose of 
landing ; several of the officers and naturalists succeeded in reaching 
the beach, (swimming through the surf,) where they remained about 
two hours making collections. 
I saw some natives, five men and two women, and endeavoured to 
hold communication with them. The former were armed with long 
spears. They were cautiously watching our movements ; and after 
the boats had left, they were seen examining the beach for articles 
that might have been dropped. Every inducement was held out to 
them to approach my boat, but without success, and we were obliged 
to return on board for the night, not having succeeded in finishing 
the survey. Wishing to have communication with the natives, and 
effect a landing, we lay to, and by morning found that we had 
drifted off from the island eight miles to the northwest, and did not 
again reach our station until towards the afternoon. I then pro- 
ceeded to the beach, taking with me as interpreter, John Sac, a New 
Zealander, who spoke the Tahitian language, determined, if possible, 
