260 TYE AND SUALIB. 
the objects under view that we desired. The height of ub peak was 
found to be about five hundred and fifty-five feet. 
In the afternoon, I made for Vomo, and anchored under it. Here I 
found Lieutenant Emmons, on his return from his examinations of some 
detached reefs. 
The southern half of Vomo has a high, narrow, and almost per- 
pendicular bluff; the northern half is sand, covered with a thick 
growth of bushes, the resort’of many pigeons: it is two miles in 
circumference. There is a detached rock, of a somewhat castellated 
appearance, at its northwest end, which I called Castle Rock. There 
is anchorage for a small vessel, but in any thing of a gale even she 
would be badly protected. 
Messrs. Sinclair and Eld were sent at early daylight to the top of 
the rocky bluff, to get a round of angles, in which they succeeded. I 
passed the greatest part of the day on the beach, making the usual 
series of observations for latitude and meridian distances, and also 
taking a round of angles. 
At about half-past three, just as we were about getting under way, 
a large fleet of canoes was seen approaching the island from Waia. 
Vomo is usually their place of stopping, being about half way to the 
Vitilevu shore from their island. They are always very cautious in 
their descent on the large island, although it is supposed that many 
of its towns hold communication with them, and the original inhabi- 
tants of the Naviti and Waia Islands are said to have been renegades 
from the larger islands. 
Tom told me they must be after some mischief towards us, as they 
seldom left their island with so large a force. However true this 
might have been, we were soon under way, standing towards the 
Vitilevu shore, for the wind did not permit us to lay our course for 
Malolo. We passed through narrow passages in reefs, and over 
patches of rock, where there was little more water than the tender 
drew. 
Our pilots had never been over this ground, and thought the natives, 
who are well acquainted with it, must have calculated upon our meet- 
ing with some accident, and intended to be near, to take advantage 
of it. 
Vomo, the island just spoken of, is famous for its turtles, more being 
caught here than on any other island of the group; the time for taking 
them is from December to March. During this season every place to 
which the turtles are in the habit of resorting is occupied by the 
natives, who remain in these haunts of the animal for the whole of the 
