190 LAKEMBA AND SAVU-SAVU. 



At an early hour Lieutenant Case, Passed Midshipman Harrison, 

 and myself took our boats and entered the reef. Mr. Sinclair was left 

 in the tender, with orders to follow the reef close aboard, and direc- 

 tions to enter Fawn Harbour ; but having in our progress along the 

 reef discovered an opening, I made signal for the tender to enter. 

 This entrance appears to be unknown, and leads to a harbour which 

 I called Baino, after a town that Tubou informed me was near by. 

 It offers good anchorage, being protected by the coral reef, which 

 extends off some distance. After the tender had fired guns for fixing 

 our base line, a signal was made for her to get under way and 

 proceed to Fawn Harbour, four miles to leeward, and anchor at 

 sunset. We joined her there, having brought up our work. This 

 has been called Fawn Harbour after the name of an American brig, 

 which was wrecked on the reef. In attempting to beat out, she missed 

 stays and went ashore. 



Tubou and Corodowdow requested permission to go on shore and 

 spend the night, which I readily gave them, and proposed to Tubou 

 to accompany them. On consultation they said they did not think 

 it safe for me to do this, for the people were wild and savage, and 

 "there were no gentlemen there." The town is called Tuconreva ; 

 it is situated in a pretty cocoa-nut grove, and has a stream of water 

 near it. 



In the morning early we surveyed this small harbour; and the two 

 chiefs having returned on board, we started on our surveys of the 

 coast. From the appearance of Tubou and Corodowdow, I thought 

 I could perceive the reason why they did not wish my company : they 

 evidently had been carousing. The tender at the commencement 

 gave us our base by sound, and we proceeded on our survey, leaving 

 her to get under way, with orders to anchor at Savu-savu. We con- 

 tinued our work all day, and passed only one opening in the reef, 

 which is near the small islet of Rativa, and offers little accommo- 

 dation for any class of vessels. It is opposite the town of Nabouni. 

 Lieutenant Case and myself stopped for an hour or two to obtain our 

 latitude, on one of the small islets, where we found the natives build- 

 ing a canoe. They at first seemed uneasy at our presence, but soon 

 became more familiar, and finally were disposed to take liberties. I 

 had taken the precaution to keep two of the men under arms on 

 guard, and would not permit the savages to approach near the boats. 



In the afternoon I observed for chronometer sights on the small 

 island of Rativa, two miles beyond the place where the reef joined the 



