10 
BOWDITCH ISLAND. 
ficus, the Cape jessamine of Tahiti, and the “ nono,” used as a dye, 
were both growing wild. 
Some tame oceanic pigeons, plovers, and a noddy, were seen about 
their town, with numerous water-fowl, but no land-birds. Rats were 
numerous, as was also a large black lizard. 
On the 26th, the vessels sailed for the Duke of Clarence Island, but. 
owing to the unfavourable state of the weather, they did not reach it 
until the 28th, though only a few miles distant, when it was surveyed, 
and found to be seven and two-tenths miles long, in a north and south 
direction, and five miles wide from east to west. It is of a triangular 
shape, with the apex to the north. It has a lagoon similar to that of 
the Duke of York’s, with islets in it; the northwest side is a bare reef, 
or wash, on which the sea breaks heavily. After the survey was 
effected, Captain Hudson found it impossible to land to hold communi¬ 
cation with the natives, but has no doubt of its being inhabited, as it 
was spoken of by the inhabitants of the Duke of York’s Island as 
belonging to the same people, and was called by them Nukunono. No 
opening was perceived into the lagoon, and there were many cocoa-nut 
and other trees on the island. 
On the 28th, in the afternoon, they bore away for the purpose of 
looking for the islands of Gente Hermosas of Quiros. During the 
night the weather was squally, with heavy rain, accompanied with 
thunder and lightning; aud it is a source of regret, that at this time 
the rain-gauge was out of repair, and no observations were made as to 
the quantity which fell, or its temperature. 
At 2 h 30 m a. m., whilst Lieutenant Emmons had the deck, the night 
being very dark, and the weather clear, he heard the distant sound of 
surf; soon afterwards the wind changed, when land was discovered 
close to the vessel, bearing northeast. They made signal to the tender, 
and hove-to till daylight, when the largest island they had yet seen was 
within two miles of the ship. 
This proved to be a new discovery, as it was not to be found on any 
chart. The island, which I have named Bowditch, agreeably to the 
wash of Captain Hudson, was of coral formation, and its shape is that 
of a triangle, with the apex to the south. From north to south it is 
eight miles long, and in width, from its west point, four miles. On its 
southwest and north points the land is of considerable elevation, and 
the more elevated parts are connected by an extensive coral reef, that 
is awash. On the east side the land is more continuous, and on three 
parts there are extensive groves of cocoa-nut trees and shrubbery. 
There is no entrance for a vessel to the lagoon, which, from the appear¬ 
ance of the water, has but little depth. 
