46 ELLICE'S AND KINGS MILL GROUP. 



These islanders gave the name of their god as Foilape : on inquiry 

 being made if the Tui-Tokelau also lived there, they immediately 

 replied, that he was the god of Fakaafo, thus exhibiting an intimate 

 acquaintance with the Union Group. It is not a little remarkable 

 that many of the officers were struck with the great likeness that 

 the chief of the island, Faikatea, bore to Taupe, of Fakaafo. At 

 Fakaafo, mention was made of an island called Pokapoka: this name 

 the natives of Nukufetau recognised immediately, and said that it 

 was an island thickly inhabited. We have not been able to ascertain 

 with what island the name can be associated. All these circum- 

 stances induced a strong belief that these islanders were derived, at 

 no very remote period, from those of the Union Group ; and the fact 

 of the latter being entirely ignorant of other lands, would lead more 

 strongly to that belief. 



When Mr. Hale pronounced the name of Tagaloa, the great deity 

 of Polynesia, it appeared to surprise and annoy them. One of them 

 mentioned that Tagaloa was a god taboo to their country, and refused 

 to speak farther about him. 



They reported that ten ships had visited their island, and added 

 that a ship of the Wiwi people had spent some days about their 

 island in fishing : that the captain, with five others, had slept on 

 shore. It was conjectured that Wiwi was the appellation by which 

 they distinguish the French people or ships, this term being made 

 use of in New Zealand. The invitations to go on shore were accom- 

 panied by such significant signs as to lead to the conclusion that they 

 were not the most virtuous people, and very unlike their ancestors, or 

 race of the Union Group, whose only desire seemed to be to get rid 

 of the parties before night. 



The extreme north island was found in latitude 7° 56' 11" S., lon- 

 gitude 178° 27' 32" E.; it is eight miles long, east-northeast and 

 west-southwest ; its greatest width is nearly the same. 



The vessels left Nukufetau the same evening, and steered away 

 to the northward. In latitude 6° 10' S., and longitude 177° 41' E., 

 they passed a small island which has no lagoon, and does not appear 

 to be named on any of the charts. This they saw at some distance, 

 and although it appears to have been seen before, yet as the charts 

 only designate it as an island, I have bestowed upon it the name of 

 Speiden, after the purser of the Peacock, one of the most valuable 

 officers of the Expedition. 



On the 24th, they fell in with another island, in latitude 6° 19' S., 



