330 PAUMOTU GROUP. 



always given them when they went on board ship ; and the chiei 

 wanted some, for he was very sick. I accordingly ordered a bottle 

 of water with a gill of whiskey in it to be given them, and the moment 

 they smelt it their manner was changed ; they became all animation, 

 and left the ship in great good humour. Mr. Waldron presented them 

 with two sheep, of which they appeared very proud. The brother 

 was quite an intelligent native; he drew for me with a piece of chalk, 

 on the deck, with considerable accuracy, all the islands he was 

 acquainted with, giving their relative situations, and the native names ; 

 — that of the island we had seen the day before, as Tai-a-ra, and the 

 one to which I had given the name of Vincennes Island, as Kawahe, 

 He informed me of three small islands to the southward of Sacken, 

 which were afterwards found by the Porpoise, during the cruise to this 

 group on which I sent her in 1840 ; his knowledge of the western part 

 of this group was quite surprising. 



On the next day we landed early, and passed the whole of it on 

 shore, making observations. We found this was taboo-day, or their 

 Sabbath, although it was Saturday with us; and ail the natives 

 seemed to be enjoying its quiet and repose. Few of them were to 

 be seen, and they exhibited but little curiosity. No persuasion could 

 induce them to employ themselves in getting fish and shells for us on 

 this day. We obtained a full set of observations to determine the 

 position, and also those for magnetic results. I place the entrance to 

 the lagoon of Raraka in longitude 144° 57' 40" W., latitude 16° 06' 

 25" S. The result of our day's observations gave the tides, at full and 

 change of the moon, two o'clock, and three feet in height ; the shore, 

 however, showed that there were at times very high tides. The natives 

 said, when it was a round moon they had very high water. 



The entrance to the lagoon is on the north side of the island, about 

 one-third of its length from the western end. It is a narrow passage, 

 but will admit a small vessel. The current runs very strong out of 

 the lagoon, so much so, that a boat cannot be pulled against it. The 

 water in the entrance is from five to eight fathoms deep, but there is 

 no advantage in entering, as the reef is quite as steep within. A small 

 vessel may anchor on the outside, in ten fathoms, close to the shore. 

 This island is nearly of the shape of an equilateral triangle, and its 

 southern and eastern sides are formed by a submerged reef. It is 

 fifteen miles on each side. 



The chief, on our second visit, was at first not altogether free from 

 alarm at the sight of so many persons on shore ; but each one bringing 

 himself, his wife, or people, some small present, soon reconciled him to 

 their presence. Among the sailors he contrived to get some grog 



