346 PAUMOTU GROUP. 
I at once ordered all the sails of the Vincennes to be thrown aback, 
which stopping her way, prevented the dreadful accident of running 
the tender down. It was a most miraculous escape. 
We landed on Vincennes Island, and obtained the usual observa- 
tions. Its south point is in latitude 15° 59' 48" S., longitude 
145° 09' 30" W. It was found to be sixteen miles long by ten wide; 
its greatest diameter lying north and south. It is a narrow annular 
ridge, consisting of many blocks and slabs of coral, which give a 
clinky sound when struck. The coral shelf seemed to dip in one 
place at an angle of 15°, forming a ridge, which was so low that the 
tide was beginning to flow over it before high water. There is an 
opening into the lagoon on the southwest side ; on its southeastern 
part is a high clump of trees, looking like a knoll at a distance. The 
rest of the island is covered with a growth of bushes, ten or twelve 
feet high. The blocks and slabs above spoken of were very much 
water-worn, and were strewn about on the coral shelf. This, where 
I measured it, was five hundred feet wide, but it is not of equal 
width in all parts. Among the coral blocks was some sand, and in 
many of the blocks were found large specimens of the chama and 
other shells. I was informed at Raraka, that there were a few 
inhabitants on Vincennes Island, but none were seen by us. They 
were said to live on the southern end of it. 
After finishing our observations, we returned on board, and made 
sail for Aratica, or Carlshoff Island. We arrived off it in time to 
secure its connexion with Vincennes Island, the distance was found 
NATIVE OF PAUMOTU GROUP. 
by patent log, and astronomical observations, to be twenty miles to 
the westward, after which we stood on and off its eastern point 
