PAUMOTU GROUP. 323 



absence of wounded or scarred individuals, I should conclude they 

 lived in peace. They, however, gave their neighbours on the small 

 island to the west (which they called Otooho), a very bad name. 

 Water in small quantities is to be had on the eastern section of the 

 island, and a little biche-de-mar might be taken on the reefs. A small 

 rat was very troublesome to the natives. This island has some Cocoa- 

 nut, Bread-fruit, and Pandanus trees ; the Pisonia, Tournefortia, and 

 the shrubs that are common to the low islands, also grow upon it. 



The huts of the natives scarcely deserve the name ; they are merely 

 four or five poles, with both ends stuck in the ground, forming an arch 

 on which strips are tied, and over these the leaves of the cocoa-nut, 

 mats, and grass, are laid. They are about six or eight feet long, four 

 feet high, and about five feet wide, barely sufficient to keep out the 

 sun, and entirely useless as a protection from rain. 



MEALS' r~. 



NATIVE HUT. 



Their utensils are small, and seemed ill adapted to their use. Their 

 baskets were suspended from the tops of their huts and from trees. The 

 natives seemed destitute of tapa. No anchorage was found at this 

 island. 



At nightfall the squadron was put under short sail, supposing that the 

 current by the morning would take us to the leeward near Otooho, a 

 distance of ten miles. It lies west-northwest of Wytoohee, distant 

 twelve and one-third miles, and is distinctly seen from it, like a round 

 knoll. This appearance is owing to the trees upon it, for the land is as 

 low as coral islands usually are. We found by the morning, that the 

 current had been about one mile per hour to the west, and therefore 

 much stronger than I anticipated ; we w T ere in consequence some dis- 

 tance to leeward of the island. With the light wind, I knew the ship 

 could not reach it before the afternoon. I immediately sent the 

 naturalists on board the tender Flying-Fish, and gave orders to 

 endeavour to land them if possible, and then to pass around the 

 island and survey it, which could not be accomplished. The survey 

 was finally completed by the boats of the Vincennes and Peacock. 

 The naturalists endeavoured to effect a landing, but were opposed 



