316 PAUMOTU GROUP. 



be prepared for an early landing ; but daring the night, the officer of 

 the deck of the Porpoise (Acting Master Sinclair) ran into the Vin- 

 cennes, and did both vessels some injury, smashing the starboard 

 quarter boat, which broke adrift, cutting off our backstays, and losing 

 some of the head-spars of the Porpoise. By this accident we lost our 

 position, and in the morning found ourselves so far to the leeward, 

 that I knew it must occupy much time — which we could not afford to 

 lose — before we could regain the island. I therefore reluctantly bore 

 away to the northward, to pass over the localities of one or two doubt- 

 ful islands, on our way to that of Honden. 



On the 19th of August we made Henuake, Honden, or Dog Island, 

 and came up with it about noon. The boats were at once despatched, 

 in order to ascertain if a landing could be effected, and the ships began 

 the surveying operations. The surf was found very heavy on the 

 beach, but the boats notwithstanding succeeded in landing. The 

 number of birds seen hovering over the island was an indication that 

 it was not inhabited, which proved to be the case. Several turtles 

 were caught, and a number of specimens obtained. The survey of the 

 island not having been completed, I lay by all night, and early in the 

 morning despatched boats to complete the examination of it, and to 

 effect a landing. The greatest part of the day was spent on the island. 

 Near the place where we landed, there has been a channel to the small 

 lagoon in the centre of the island, and there is another of a similar 

 character on the opposite side. They were both dry, and the sea- 

 water can only communicate with the lagoon at very high tides. 

 From our observations of the day, the usual neap tide is three and a 

 half feet, and it would give high water at full and change of the moon, 

 at 2 p. m. 



SECTION OF CORAL ISLAND. 



There are many blocks of compact coral, just at high-water mark, 

 quite black on the outside, but on fracture they showed the white coral. 

 The white coral shelf over which the sea flows at high water was two 

 hundred feet broad, the low water falling two feet below its surface ; 

 it is quite level, but there are many holes and large longitudinal cracks 

 in it. On this lies the compact coral above spoken of, extending 



