180 LAKEMBA AND SAVU-SAVU. 
On the 8th, the Porpoise sailed from the Exploring Isles, and con 
tinued the surveys of Okimbo and Naitamba, with the surrounding 
reefs, both attached and separate. The former is made up of three 
small isles, enclosed in the same reef, four miles east and west, by three 
miles north and south, which are seven miles to the north of the north- 
west point of Vanua-valavo. ‘The detached reefs are from one to four 
miles in length; they are awash and dangerous. Okimbo is desolate, 
and affords nothing but turtles in the season, and some biche de mar. 
Naitamba is high and rugged ; it is of a circular form, one mile and 
a half in diameter. The reef does not extend beyond half a mile from 
it, and has no openings. It has few inhabitants. 
The time having now arrived for our meeting at Somu-somu, 
Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold bore up for that place, passing 
through Tasman’s Straits, which lie between the islands of Kamia and 
Vuna. Both of these have many reefs projecting from their shores. 
This passage should not be attempted except in favourable weather, — 
and the best time is during the morning hours, when the sun is to the 
eastward of the meridian. The currents are strong, and calms are 
very frequent under the highlands of Kamia and Lauthala. In passing 
through these straits, although they had a careful look-out at the mast- 
head, they were close to a coral knoll before it was seen, and passed 
within a few feet of it. It had no more than eight feet of water on it. 
At noon they rounded the north point of Vuna, entering the Straits of 
Somu-somu, and at two o’clock p. m. they reached the anchorage off 
the town of Somu-somu. 
Having finished all my business at Somu-somu on the 10th of June, 
at ten o’clock at night, I determined, notwithstanding the lateness of 
the hour, to get under way with the tender, in order that I might take 
up the survey of the south side of Vanua-levu, beginning at Tokanova 
Point, early the next morning. We accordingly weighed anchor, and 
stood out of the Straits of Somu-somu. 
In rounding Goat Island we did not give it a sufficient berth, and 
grounded on a sunken patch of coral, an accident which hurt the 
feelings of Poor Tom the pilot more than it injured the tender. We 
remained on this shoal about an hour, and after getting off we drifted 
through the strait, and by daylight found ourselves in a position to 
begin the survey. 
At an early hour, Lieutenant Case, Passed Midshipman Harrison, 
and myself, took our boats and entered the reef. Mr. Sinclair was left 
in the tender, with orders to follow the reef close aboard, and direc- 
tions to enter Fawn Harbour; but having in our progress along the 
reef discovered an opening, I made signal for the tender to enter. 
