CHAP TEE II. 



O V O L A U. 



184 0. 



At daylight on the 4th of May, the squadron got under way 

 from the harbour of Nukualofa, and passing without the reefs 

 through a narrow passage, safely bore off to the westward under all 

 sail, having the wind from east-northeast. At meridian we had the 

 islands of Honga Tonga and Honga Hapai to the north of us ; 

 these are both high, and are distant from Tonga twenty-seven miles. 

 On the 5th we had a sight of Turtle Island, and determined it to be 

 in longitude 178° 33' W., latitude 19° 48' S. ;* it has the appearance 

 of a small rounded knoll. The wind was blowing fresh from the south- 

 east, and after dark I determined to heave-to, to await daylight, off the 

 southern and eastern islands of the Feejee Group ; this was done in 

 order to set the Porpoise at her work. Since leaving Tonga, we have 

 found ulcers prevalent among our men, from the bites they had 

 received; they were inflammatory and difficult to cure, prevailing 

 among those apparently most healthy. Just at dawn we made an 

 island, and at the same time a large sandbank, about half a mile from 

 us; had darkness continued half an hour longer, we should have 

 probably been wrecked upon the latter, as I did not believe myself 

 within five miles of it. Our unexpected vicinity to it was caused by 

 a strong current to the northward. 



At 6 a. m. we began our observations, and at eight I made signal to 

 the Porpoise to part company, in order that Lieutenant-Commandant 



* Subsequent observations by the Porpoise, place it in longitude 178° 37' 13" W., 

 latitude 19° 50' S. 



