HONOLULU. 339 



Here we made observations of magnetic declination, inclination, 

 and intensity ; after completing which, we passed through the surf 

 without accident, and on reaching the ship filled away, and stood on 

 our course. 



The dip was 7° 39' S., the variation 7° 26' E. 



Light winds continued to blow from the eastward : we held our 

 course to the northward. At ten on the morninp- of the 19th, 

 breakers were discovered from the masthead, and by noon a small 

 island was seen, to which I gave the name of the man who first saw 

 it, — M'Kean's Island. In the afternoon, boats were despatched to 

 survey it. 



M'Kean's Island is composed of coral sand and blocks, and is 

 three-fourths of a mile long, by half a mile wide. It rises twenty-five 

 feet above the level of the sea, and has upon it no vegetation except a 

 scanty growth of coarse grass. The surf was too heavy to permit a 

 landing. 



Our observations place M'Kean's Island in longitude 174° 17' 

 26" W., and latitude 3° 35' 10" S., and it lies about north-northeast 

 sixty miles from that of Kemins. 



The upper stratum of clouds was perceived to be moving to the 

 westward with much rapidity, yet we had little wind below. 



On the beginning of the 21st we had showers of rain, accompanied 

 with a light wind from the westward, and the weather was much 

 more comfortable than it had been for the last few days. During the 

 latter part of the day a quantity of rain fell — 5-2 inches. The 

 temperature of the rain-water was 62°. This rain destroyed all our 

 wind, but it came out again from the northward and eastward, with 

 beautiful clear weather. The upper stratum of clouds was moving 

 from the east-northeast. We caught a porpoise this day, differing 

 somewhat in species from any we had yet seen. 



On the 23d we again had a light breeze from the northward and 

 westward, and, what surprised me, a heavy, disagreeable, rolling sea 

 from the southwest, towards which quarter we experienced a current 

 of some strength. 



On the 24th, while steering for Sydney Island, we had baffling 

 airs; the swell left us, and we found the ship more comfortable. On 

 the 25th, we had no wind, but experienced thunder, accompanied 

 with a little rain. The tropic-birds were screaming around us at 

 night, and tern were seen during the day. 



On the 25th we again had thunder-showers from the northeast, 

 vol. in. 98 



