SAN FRANCISCO TO MANILLA. 285 



its parallel, and hove-to till daylight of the 20th, when we discovered 

 it, bearing west-by -north, about nine miles distant. The wind was 

 light from the north-northeast. After breakfast, several boats were 

 sent to survey the island. Wake's Island is a low coral one, of trian- 

 gular form, and eight feet above the surface. It has a large lagoon 

 in the centre, which was well filled with fish of a variety of species ; 

 among these were some fine mullet. There is no fresh water on the 

 island, and neither pandanus nor cocoa-nut trees. It has upon it the 

 shrubs which are usually found on the low islands of the Pacific, 

 the most abundant of which was the Tournefortia. Mr. Peale found 

 here the short-tailed albatross, and procured an egg from its nest. 

 The birds were quite tame, although they were not so numerous as 

 we had before met with on uninhabited islands. 



The time of low water took place at one o'clock, and the moon 

 entered its last quarter on the same day : the tide was setting along 

 the shore of the island with much strength to the westward; the 

 rise and fall was three feet. From appearances, the island must be 

 at times submerged, or the sea makes a complete breach over it ; 

 the appearance of the coral blocks and of all the vegetation leads to 

 this conclusion, for they have a very decided inclination to the east- 

 ward, showing also that the violent winds or rush of the water, when 

 the island is covered, are from the westward. The reef around this 

 island is very small in extent. 



The position of Wake's Island was found by my observations of 

 equal altitudes on shore to be in longitude 166° 31' 30" E., and lati- 

 tude 19° 10' 54" N. 



By four o'clock, p. m., all the boats had returned on board, when we 

 filled away and proceeded on our course to the westward. Although 

 these coral islands resemble one another very strongly, yet they 

 afforded us some recreation for a few hours, and much satisfaction in 

 obtaining series of observations in magnetism. Our visit to Wake's 

 Island gave us an opportunity of adding to our collections in natural 

 history. 



In the evening we steered to pass over the position of Halcyon 

 Island,— longitude 163° 30' E., latitude 19° 13' N. ; and on the 27th, 

 we passed immediately over its locality, and had run on its supposed 

 parallel fifty miles on each side of it, but nothing was seen of it. We 

 now felt the current to the southeast 12' in the twenty-four hours. 



Folger's Island next claimed my attention : it is said to lie in longi- 

 vol. v. 72 



