HONOLULU. 397 



sunshine throughout the day. The table will show the difference 

 with a high and low altitude of the sun. 



The winds, after crossing the line, were found still to be variable, 

 though inclining more to the northeast. The weather was at times 

 hot and sultry — the temperature throughout the twenty-four hours 

 being from 81° to 84°. 



Between the latitudes of 5° and 8° N., the Peacock experienced a 

 similar current with ourselves, setting northeast. On the 8th of Sep- 

 tember, in latitude 14° N., the wind hauling to the northeast, they 

 tacked to the southward, until the 17th, when, having reached the 

 longitude of 160° 27' W., their head was again put to the north. 

 They continued to have squalls and variable winds during the rest of 

 the passage, with a current setting to the westward, and lost much 

 time, owing to the lightness of the winds. On the Peacock's arrival 

 at Oahu, she had no sick on board. 



I will now refer to the operations of the Porpoise, which vessel, it 

 will be recollected, received orders the day we left the Feejee Group, 

 to proceed to Turtle Island in search of the crew of the ship Shylock, 

 which had been wrecked there. 



After parting company, on the 11th, they proceeded to complete the 

 surveys pointed out. On the 12th they were employed in the survey 

 of the island of Chicobea. From thence they went to Natavi Bay. 

 In anchoring on a coral patch in the bay for the purpose of sur- 

 veying it, the brig fouled her anchor : in heaving it up the chain 

 cable parted, and Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold was obliged to 

 leave it. 



The Porpoise was the first vessel that had anchored in this bay, 

 and Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold says that it is without any 

 harbour or protection for vessels. There are several small villages 

 around it, but no town on the east side, with the exception of a vil- 

 lage under Natavi Peak, where there is the appearance of a stream of 

 water from the mountains. The land is much broken into volcanic 

 peaks. The bay extends to the southwest twenty miles, and is seven 

 miles wide. 



The bay, which should be more properly called a gulf, affords no 

 inducements for commerce, or for vessels to venture in : there is no 

 bottom except with great length of line, and where anchorage exists 

 it is very near the shore. On the west side of the bay are many 

 projecting reefs. 



From this bay they passed round the north end of Rambe, exa- 



VOL. III. 100 



