PAUMOTU GROUP. 35 j 
steered for the north side of the latter, to pass along it. We then 
parted company, and Dean's Island was made by us the next morn- 
ing. After establishing our position, we ran along the northern shore, 
and reached its western point at 4 p. m. Off this point we obtained 
sights for our chronometers, which put it in longitude 147° 58' 34" 
W., latitude 15° 05' 15" S. During the day we passed an entrance 
into its lagoon, and some natives came off from a small village, in 
two canoes, to visit us. They acknowledged themselves subjects of 
Queen Pomare of Tahiti, and were very desirous we should land. 
They brought off a few shells, and told us they had many fowls, pigs, 
taro, &c. There are several islets in the lagoon covered with trees. 
Vast numbers of large blocks were seen lying on its reef. The shore- 
reef is not more than two hundred feet wide, and is composed of but 
one shelf. The current was tried, but none was found. We had 
the wind very fresh from east by north all day. When off the 
western point we discovered Krusenstern's Island to the west, and 
hauled up to pass between it and Nairsa. The passage was found to 
be twelve and two-thirds miles wide, and free from all danger. In 
the evening I stood for Metia Island, to the southward. Nairsa or 
Dean's Island was found to be sixty-six miles in length. 
On the morning of the 9th of September we were in sight of 
Metia or Aurora Island, the north end of which is in latitude 15° 
49' 35" S., longitude 148° 13' 15" W. It was totally different in 
appearance from those we had met with, though evidently of the 
same formation. It was a coral island uplifted, exposing its for- 
mation very distinctly, and as such was very interesting. On 
approaching its eastern end, I sounded at about one hundred and 
fifty feet from its perpendicular cliff, and found no bottom with one 
^fflBKtlESj 
hundred and fifty fathoms of line. The cliff appeared worn into 
caverns. We landed close in its neighbourhood, and on measuring 
its height it proved to be two hundred and fifty feet. The coral 
