PAUMOTU GROUP. 
345 
the depth increased to thirty fathoms, the water being as blue as the 
ocean. So great a depth made it an undertaking far beyond what 
my time allowed. The sounding in every case of any depth was 
coral sand. 
Towards sunset we all embarked, and my leave-taking with the 
old chief was amusing. He and all his household and retinue began 
to cry and whine over me, so that I was glad to escape from the dis- 
play of so much friendship and parental affection. 
After reaching my ship, the Porpoise again joined us. She had 
been despatched early in the morning towards the eastern end of the 
island, to ascertain its extent, and fix its eastern point; not being 
able to accomplish this, Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold returned 
for further orders. This night we lay to under the lee of Raraka, 
but as it proved dark and squally, we stood to the northward, and 
about 1 o clock we were surprised by seeing a signal from the Pea- 
cock, of danger close aboard, under the lee. I immediately tacked 
and we soon cleared it. It proved to be the reef of Kawahe, over 
which the surf was breaking violently. The Peacock was so close to 
it that Captain Hudson felt himself obliged to stand on his course 
rather than run the risk of miss-staying, and continued to run aW 
it for several miles, until, by its trending to the westward, he was 
enabled to clear the danger. 
On the 1st of September, at daylight, we found ourselves between 
the two islands, and the Peacock was out of sight, but two hours 
afterwards was again seen. I made signal to the Porpoise, and 
despatched her to examine the southeast side of Raraka, and thence 
to follow on to the westward as far as Krusenstern's Island, passing 
along the south side of Nairsa or Dean's Island. I then despatched the 
Peacock to the north end, and the tender to the south end of Kawahe 
to secure meridian observations, whilst the Vincennes was employed 
m surveying its eastern shores. The wind was well adapted to our 
object, and at sunset we met off the north end, having completed our 
work The current was tried, but we found none. The wind was 
fresh from the eastward, with occasional squalls. On the morning of 
the 2d, I determined to land the naturalists on the newly found 
island, and for this purpose made signal to the tender to come 
within hail. My ship was lying with her main-topsail to the mast, 
and forging ahead about a knot an hour. The tender came up on 
our lee quarter, and lulled in an awkward manner, directly across 
our bow. Her mast just escaped coming in contact with our jib-boom. 
vol. i. g7 
