328 PAUMOTU GROUP. 
fourth. It lies in a northwest and southeast direction. There are 
but few inhabitants on it. The position of its southeast end is in 
latitude 18° 21' 10" S., longitude 137° 04' 10" W. 
The vessels again separated for its survey ;* boats were sent to trace 
the reef, and have communication with the natives, if possible. Before 
night we had completed our survey, and the boats returned. Lieu- 
tenant Alden, in charge of one of them, reported that he had had 
communication with the natives, who were very friendly and desirous 
of holding intercourse with him. He obtained several articles of 
curiosity from them. Some of them were tattooed. They were found 
to be a set of arrant thieves, wishing to carry off every thing they 
saw, trying even to pull the copper off the blades of the oars, but appa- 
rently without any idea that it was wrong. When first seen they 
were armed with spears, but seeing that we did not attempt to land, 
they sent them away in charge of a boy, and swam off to the boat. 
I now determined to wait until the next day, for the purpose of 
having further communication with them, and ordered every thing to 
be prepared for an early landing ; but during the night, the officer of 
the deck of the Porpoise (Acting Master Sinclair) ran into the Vin- 
cennes, and did both vessels some injury, smashing the starboard 
quarter boat, which broke adrift, cutting off our backstays, and losing 
some of the head-spars of the Porpoise. By this accident we lost our 
position, and in the morning found ourselves so far to the leeward, 
that I knew it must occupy much time— which we could not afford 
to lose — before we could regain the island. I therefore reluctantly 
bore away to the northward, to pass over the localities of one or two 
doubtful islands, on our way to that of Honden. 
On the 19th of August we made Henuake, Honden, or Dog- 
Island, and came up with it about noon. The boats were at once 
despatched, in order to ascertain if a landing could be effected, and 
the ships began the surveying operations. The surf was found very 
heavy on the beach, but the boats notwithstanding succeeded in 
landing. The number of birds seen hovering over the island was an 
indication that it was not inhabited, which proved to be the case. 
Several turtles were caught, and a number of specimens obtained. 
The survey of the island not having been completed, I lay by all 
night, and in the morning early despatched boats to complete the 
examination of it, and to effect a landing. The greatest part of the 
* For ihe mode of making the surveys of the Coral Islands, see Appendix XLI. 
