TYE AND SUALIB. 265 



detached reef lies off the southeast end five miles distant. Kanathia 

 has about three hundred inhabitants. 



Malina was next surveyed. It lies north of Kanathia, is low, 

 small, and has little herbage. It has an extensive reef surround- 

 ing it. 



Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold next visited the island of Vanua- 

 valavo, which is included among the Exploring Isles, which he 

 had previously visited. He now entered by the western passage, 

 where he found good anchorage, and visited several fine harbours, 

 where wood and water are to be had in abundance, and the natives 

 were quite friendly. From the top of one of the peaks of Vanua- 

 valavo, called Mount Totten (after the distinguished head of the 

 engineer corps), angles were obtained on all the surrounding islands 

 and reefs. The barometer gave for the height of this peak six hundred 

 and sixty-four feet. The officers were engaged sounding and survey- 

 ing the harbours, and examinations were made of the several pas- 

 sages.* The chief of the principal village is a mild, good old man, 

 who afforded all the facilities in his power, and the natives were glad 

 to communicate and trade their taro, yams, pigs, &c, in exchange for 

 iron and cloth. They are not so swarthy as the other islanders, and 

 some of them are nominally Christians. The island is estimated to 

 contain one thousand inhabitants. 



Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold designated this large and fine 

 anchorage as Port Ridgely, after Commodore Ridgely; and it affords 

 me great pleasure to confirm this compliment to one to whom the 

 Expedition was much indebted on its outfit. 



On the 23d, they left this anchorage and proceeded easterly along 

 the reef that surrounds the Exploring Isles, when they discovered a 

 detached reef to the eastward, lying parallel to the side of the main 

 reef. The southern end of this detached reef is two miles distant 

 from the other. It has a small sand-bank on its south side, and 

 trends north-northeast and south-southwest for four miles ; there is, 

 also, on it a black block of rock. 



On the 25th, they discovered a large bank of coral, on which they 

 found eleven fathoms of water. Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold 

 believes that it extends for several miles. There is plenty of water 

 on most parts of it for any class of ships, though it would be well to 



* All these will be particularly noticed in the Hydrographic Memoir. 

 vol. in. 67 



