TYE AND SUALIB. 269 



rewarded for their kindness, with hatchets, cloth, paint, fish- 

 hooks, &c. 



The inhabitants of this island amount to about thirty ; they reckon 

 ten Feejee men and five Tongese, with their families. They have an 

 abundance of provisions, consisting of pigs, fowls, (which are said to 

 be wild in the woods,) yams, taro, and cocoa-nuts. A few women 

 were seen, but they were kept at a distance. 



After remaining for another day on account of the weather, Lieu- 

 tenant-Commandant Ringgold concluded that he ought to rejoin the 

 squadron at Muthuata, on account of his provisions becoming short. 

 He therefore got under way and stood for Rambe Island. This is a 

 lofty island, and very much broken ; it is in full view from Somu- 

 somu ; is well wooded, with many deep bights or indentations : one of 

 these, on its southeast side, affords anchorage. There is a large 

 settlement on its northwest side. Between it and Vanua-levu there 

 is a passage, though it is much studded with reefs. The island of 

 Rambe on the southeast, with Point Unda on the northwest, are the 

 two boundaries of the bay of Natava. 



After making some observations on Rambe, Lieutenant-Com- 

 mandant Ringgold stood over for Unda Point, and steered along the 

 reef to the Sau-sau Passage. When the Porpoise entered this pas- 

 sage, she was boarded by Lieutenant Case, and came to anchor. 

 From Lieutenant Case, Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold received 

 my instructions of the 9th, and was furnished with a pilot. After 

 supplying Lieutenant Case's boats, he proceeded with the Porpoise 

 through the channel, along the north shore of Vanua-levu, until he 

 joined me off the island of Anganga, as before stated. 



It would have been desirable, at this time, to give all hands a rest, 

 before undertaking this second examination. But, from the nature 

 of the service, and working against time, as we were constantly 

 obliged to do, I found it impossible, and particularly so now, as our 

 provisions were at a low ebb, and we could not procure any nearer 

 than the Sandwich Islands, whither our supplies had been sent. 



On the 17th, we all got under way at daylight, having strong breezes 

 from the southward and eastward. The brig was ordered to take the 

 first cutter of the Vincennes in tow ; we ran across to Yendua Island, 

 through a large number of coral patches, whose exact locality it was 

 impossible to fix. The whole is foul ground, and ought not to be 

 attempted by ships. I felt that it was necessary for us to run the 



vol. in. G8 



