CRUISE OF THE PORPOISE. 283 



selves was, that they had been residing on the island about a year, 

 and had been sent there in a Tahitian schooner, by order of the 

 Queen of Tahiti, for the purpose of raising food or productions useful 

 to man. 



On the 22d, several of the officers visited the island. Its population 

 consisted of about twenty-iive men, women, and children, among 

 whom was the daughter of the old chief, considered by our officers 

 as a very beautiful girl, with fine figure, expressive countenance, and 

 long silky hair : she was sprightly, but I regret to say, was covered 

 with vermin. The children were fat and chubby. 



Dip and intensity observations were made here, and observations 

 on shore for time and variation. 



The village consisted of about six huts, which were extremely 

 filthy and smelt more like fish-houses than human habitations. All 

 the inhabitants seemed contented on this small and barren isle, which 

 they called Tuinaki, and which is, in every point of view, one of 

 the most uninteresting of the group. The poor creatures, in obe- 

 dience to their directions, were setting out cocoa-nut plantations, 

 which were seen growing all over the island : the trees were planted 

 in pits about three feet deep, in order to affbrd them moisture, and to 

 protect them from the winds. A small spring supplied the inhabitants 

 with water. 



Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold, having finished all the neces- 

 sary observations, proceeded, on the 23d, in search of some islands 

 to the eastward. On the 26th they made the island of Raroia, or 

 Barclay de Tolly, and passed close to it. The position assigned to it 

 on the charts proved to be correct. 



On the 27th, they made Takurea, or Wolconsky, with Raroia in 

 sight to the southward : there is a passage between them seven miles 

 wide. The former, Wolconsky, is of an oblong shape, ten miles in 

 circumference : its north end is high and thickly wooded with cocoa- 

 nut groves and other trees : its eastern boundary is partly a submerged 

 reef. There is no opening to its lagoon. It was found to be incor- 

 rectly placed on the charts. 



On the 29th, one of the Sandwich Islanders died of a severe attack 

 of dysentery, and in the afternoon his body was committed to the deep 

 with the usual funeral ceremonies. 



The search after Camboy's and Merril Islands proved unsuccessful. 

 The position assigned to them, longitude 141° W., latitude 15° 13' 



