BOWDITCH ISLAND. 5 



A number of islands and reefs, reported to exist, were searched for 

 in this neighbourhood, viz. : Mary Balcout's, Brothers', Robertson's, 

 Phoenix, Harper's, and others, laid down, but not named, all of which 

 are believed to have no existence whatever. 



On t ie 17th January, they made Hull's Island, which has already 

 been described, and was surveyed by the Vincennes. The party of 

 Tahitians employed in taking turtles, had left it. Captain Hudson, 

 believing this to be Sydney Island, ran off forty-five miles to the 

 westward, for Hull's Island, but, of course, saw nothing of it, as it 

 lies that distance to the eastward, in the same latitude. 



The position of an island supposed to exist in latitude 5° 23' S., 

 and longitude 173° 25' W., was passed, but no signs of land were 

 seen. They then ran over the supposed place of Fletcher's Island, 

 in latitude 7° 02' S., longitude 173° 22' W., without seeing any shoal, 

 island, or reef. 



The effects of the rainy season were now felt in these latitudes, in 

 sudden gusts of wind, with torrents of rain, that continued for a few 

 hours of the night, and cleared up partially towards sunrise, after 

 which the weather continued cloudy throughout the day, with squalls 

 visible in various parts of the horizon. Our experience corroborated 

 the generally conceived idea that this kind of weather usually occurs 

 near small islands ; but that these isolated spots, of such comparatively 

 small size, can exert so great an influence in arresting and condensing 

 the vapour, is not to me a satisfactory explanation. I am rather 

 inclined to believe that it results more from the fact of the high tem- 

 perature of the ocean in the neighbourhood, it being here nearly 90°, 

 or several degrees greater than that of any other part of the ocean ; 

 consequently, the evaporation would go on much more rapidly, 

 which, becoming condensed in the higher portion of the atmosphere, 

 is again thrown down in copious streams at night. This is parti- 

 cularly the case when the trade-winds are interrupted, that would 

 otherwise carry off the vapour. As far as respects the interrupting 

 or arresting the flow of currents, these islands may exert some influ- 

 ence ; but the main cause I should be inclined to impute to the 

 high temperature acquired by the water in consequence of there 

 being no currents. 



The next day they proceeded to the Duke of York's Island, which 

 they made on the 25th, 111 latitude 8° 36' 00" S., longitude 172° 23' 

 52" W. This is a lagoon island, of coral formation : its length east 



VOL. V. 2 



