P A U M O T U GROUP. 343 
from sea-sickness. I therefore told the interpreter to inquire of him 
what was the matter. No answer was given for some time, but 
they consulted much among themselves in a low tone. The question 
was again repeated, when the old chief's wife answered, " that I 
had not returned the present that had been offered me, and that the 
chief was not pleased, for, according to their customs, the offering a 
present to me entitled him to receive one in return." As very many 
had been made him already, this amused me not a little, and on 
being asked what it was they wanted, they at once signified whiskey, 
which they said was always given them when they went on board 
ship, and the chief wanted some, for he was very sick. I accord- 
ingly ordered a bottle of water with a gill of whiskey in it to be 
given them, and the moment they smelt it their manner was changed ; 
they became all animation, and left the ship in great good humour. 
Mr. Waldron presented them with two sheep, of which they appeared 
quite proud. The brother was quite an intelligent native ; he drew 
for me with a piece of chalk, on the deck, all the islands he was 
acquainted with, with considerable accuracy, giving their relative 
situations, and the native names. That of the island we had seen 
the day before, as Tai-a-ra, and the one to which I had given the 
name of Vincennes Island, as Kawahe. He told me of three small 
islands to the southward of Sacken, which were afterwards found 
by the Porpoise, during the cruise to this group on which I sent 
her in 1840; his knowledge of the western part of this group was 
quite surprising. 
On the next day we landed early, and passed the whole of it on 
shore making observations. We found this was taboo-day or their 
Sabbath, although it was Saturday with us, and all the natives 
seemed to be enjoying its quiet and peace. Few of them were to 
be seen, and they exhibited but little curiosity, and no persuasion 
could induce them to employ themselves in getting fish and shells for 
us. We obtained a full set of observations to determine the position, 
and also those for magnetic results. I place the entrance to the 
lagoon of Raraka in longitude 144° 57' 40" W., latitude 16° 06' 
25" S. The result of our day's observations gave the tides, at full 
and change of the moon, two o'clock, and three feet in height j the 
shore, however, showed that there were at times very high tides. The 
natives said, when it was a round moon they had very high water. 
The entrance to the lagoon is on the north side of the island, about 
one-third of its length from the western end. It is a narrow passage, 
but will admit a small vessel. The current runs very strong out 
