HONOLULU. 383 
get the chief, and said we were afraid to take him by force, and this 
too in the presence of the missionaries. 
Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold procured all the papers from the 
consul for my full understanding of the case, and prepared for his 
departure, after laying in a good stock of pork, vegetables, and fruit 
for his crew. The Polenchano, commanded by a Frenchman, was 
lying at Apia: this is the vessel the part of whose crew we saw on 
Hull’s Island, engaged in taking turtles. 
On inquiry being made about Opotuno, it was found that no 
claimant had appeared for the reward; the deposit was therefore 
taken on board again, and exchanged for the requisite provisions for 
the crew, which were found in great abundance here. 
On the 10th of September, the Porpoise left the harbour for the 
Hawaiian Islands, steering for some islands which the missionaries 
had reported to me as existing about two hundred and fifty miles to 
the northeast; but no indication of land was seen on that bearing, and 
at that distance. In this passage they experienced similar winds and 
weather to those described in speaking of the passage of the Vincennes, 
and saw many birds flying about in the neighbourhood of the island we 
visited. They found the magnetic equator in latitude 3° 15’ S., longi- 
tude 166° 07' W., and crossed the equator in 166° W. 
They had the east-southeast and east winds until latitude 5° N. 
Between that and latitude 10° N., they experienced the same easterly 
current that we had done. In that latitude the northeast winds were 
fallen in with, accompanied with squalls of rain, and sometimes of 
wind. From latitude 10° N., the current was found to set to the west- 
ward; and the winds settled with little variation into the northeast 
trades. 
On the 7th of October they made the Hawaiian Islands, and on the 
8th reached Oahu; by ten o’clock they had taken the pilot on board, 
entered the passage, and anchored in the harbour. The officers and 
crew were all well. Their passage from the Samoan Islands occupied 
thirty days; and their course was nearly direct. 
The tender, agreeably to the orders given her, made the island of 
Kie, and ran down the sea-reef as far as Round Island, where it 
becomes a sunken one, running in the direction of Biva, the most 
western island of the group. The Round Island Passage is the only 
large break through it. There are, indeed, several narrow passages 
as Round Island is approached, but none that it would be advisable for 
a vessel to enter, the ground inside being thickly studded with sunken 
coral reefs. 
The tender, after reaching Round Island, made sail for the Hawaiian 
