MALOLO. 287 
each other. At times my gig’s crew have called my attention to them 
on either hand, as we drifted slowly over these broad reefs, which are 
not only decked with the rocky habitation of these industrious litho- 
phytes, but innumerable fancifully coloured fish of all shapes and sizes 
find shelter around and beneath them. The water is so limpid as to 
make the smallest marking and lightest shades, not only of the fish but 
of the corals themselves, perfectly distinct. 
Towards sunset, the tide having ceased to flow, both vessels got 
under way and beat through the Navula Passage. This has nearly 
the shape of an elbow, and ought not to be attempted with a contrary 
wind, as there would not be room to beat through, except in a small 
vessel. We reached the open sea before it was quite dark, and began 
beating to the eastward along the Vitilevu shore. 
Finding, during the morning of the 30th, that the brig detained me, 
I determined on parting company, and sent orders to her to repair to 
Ovolau,*observe for chronometer sights at Observatory Point, procure 
a large quantity of yams, and thence proceed to Muthuata to join the 
rest of the squadron. By the Porpoise I sent orders to Captain Hudson 
to have every thing ready for sea by the 10th of August, as I believed 
that the remaining duties might be performed by that time, and in- 
formed him that I would join the squadron at Mali Island, intending to 
leave the group through the Mali Passage. 
This southwest coast of Vitilevu had already been examined in the 
boats, under Lieutenant Emmons, as I have before mentioned. No- 
thing was left to be performed for the completion of this survey; I, 
therefore, when opposite the situation of Vatulele, put over the patent 
log and ran for it, by which method I found its distance from Vitilevu 
to be eighteen miles. 
We remained all night under Vatulele, and in the morning began 
the survey of its east side, the Peacock having already completed its 
western shore. 
Vatulele has the appearance of a raised coral island, although it is 
not so, but is of volcanic formation. The north part of this island is 
about seventy feet above the sea level, and is composed of strata of 
reddish clay and sandstone, lying nearly in horizontal layers, and 
closely resembling the red cliffs of Vitilevu opposite to it. It gradu- 
ally descends to a low point at its southern end. There is no more 
than a narrow shore-reef on its western side, but on the eastern shore 
a reef extends off two or three miles, forming a kind of bow from the 
south to the north end of the island. There was no opening in the reef 
except for boats, and near its north end it enclosed several small islets, 
