BOW DITCH ISLAND. 
5 
Phoenix, Harper’s, and others, laid down, but not named, all of which 
are believed to have no existence whatever. 
On the 17th January they made Hull’s Island, which has already 
been described, and was surveyed by the Vincennes. The party of 
Tahitians employed in taking turtles had left it. Captain Hudson, 
believing this to be Sydney Island, ran off forty-five miles to the west¬ 
ward, for Hull’s Island, but, of course, saw nothing of it, as it lies that 
distance to the eastward, in the same latitude. 
The position of an island supposed to exist in latitude 5° 23' S., 
and longitude 173° 25' W., was passed, but no signs of land were 
seen. They then ran over the supposed place of Fletcher’s Island, 
in latitude 7° 02' S., longitude 173° 22' W., without seeing any shoal, 
island, or reef. 
The effects of the rainy season were now felt in these latitudes, in 
sudden gusts of wind, with torrents of rain, that continued for a few 
hours of the night, and cleared up partially towards sunrise, after 
which the weather continued cloudy throughout the day, with squalls 
visible in various parts of the horizon. Our experience corroborated 
the generally conceived idea that this kind of weather usually occurs 
near small islands; but that these isolated spots, of such comparatively 
small size, can exert so great an influence in arresting and condensing 
the vapour, is not to me a satisfactory explanation. I am rather 
inclined to believe that it results more from the fact of the high tem¬ 
perature of the ocean in the neighbourhood, it being here nearly 90°, 
or several degrees greater than that of any other part of the ocean; 
consequently, the evaporation would go on much more rapidly, which, 
becoming condensed in the higher portion of the atmosphere, is again 
thrown down in copious streams at night. This is particularly the 
case when the trade-winds are interrupted, that would otherwise carry 
off the vapour. As far as respects the interrupting or arresting the 
flow of currents, these islands may exert some influence; but the main 
cause I should be inclined to impute to the high temperature acquired 
by the water in consequence of there being no currents. 
The next day they proceeded to the Duke of York’s Island, which 
they made on the 25th, in latitude 8° 36’ S., longitude 172° 23' 52'’ 
W. This is a lagoon island, of coral formation: its length east and 
west is three miles, and its width two and a half miles, north and 
south. There is no passage into the lagoon; the sea breaks on the 
reef with violence; but at high water a boat may pass over without 
difficulty, if proper care is taken. The islets that have been formed on 
the reef are eight or ten feet above the water, and are covered with 
cocoa-nut and pandanus trees. 
A 2 
