256 TYE AND SUALIB. 
We reached the most northern island of the cluster, Ya-asaua, 
which has several small islets off its northern point. We were just 
in time to get sight of the black rocks lying off the entrance of what 
I have called Emmons Bay, after Lieutenant Emmons, who had 
surveyed it. I felt so much confidence in this officer’s work, that I 
ran into the bay after the night closed in, and was followed by the 
Porpoise. We thus obtained safe anchorage for the night. The 
boats answered our signal by large fires on the beach, at the head of 
the bay. 
In the morning, we set about sounding this bay out, and orders 
were given to the Porpoise, to stand off and look for the great sea-reef 
which was supposed to exist to the westward, with passages through 
it, and to extend as far as Biva Island. This examination, together 
with a subsequent one by the tender, proved that it became deep and 
sunken a little to the northward of Round Island. 
Ya-asaua is a very narrow island, about ten miles in length, and 
rises towards the southern part into a high peak, called Tau-tha-ke. 
Wishing to get observations from the top of it, we ran down and 
anchored near the southern bight, which is well protected, except 
from the northwest, by the small island of Ovawo and two small islets. 
We landed here with a strong party, well armed, as we knew the 
natives were particularly savage. We succeeded in getting good 
observations, and then ascended Tau-tha-ke, from which we obtained 
an excellent set of observations. The weather being very clear, 
the view was remarkably fine from its top, commanding all the 
surrounding headlands, islands, and reefs; the ascent to it is on the 
northern side, over a fine fertile plain upwards of a mile in extent, 
on which were the remains of a village or town, and of extensive 
plantations of bananas. These are now in total ruin, having been 
entirely destroyed by Gingi in his late expedition. The inhabitants, 
who had the air of a conquered people, treated us with great civility, 
but all the provisions they could furnish were a few cocoa-nuts, every 
thing else having been destroyed. They were found subsisting upon 
the yaka, a kind of root which grows wild on the hills, and is quite 
palatable when roasted. 
Mr. Agate took a most capital likeness of the wife of the chief of 
this village. She was about forty years of age; her head and side- 
locks were nearly of a scarlet colour; her necklace was composed of 
a whale’s tooth, shells, and a few beads; the corners of her mouth 
were tattooed in circles of a blue-black colour. 
She was sitting modestly after the fashion of her country, and had a 
peculiar cunning look, through eyelids nearly closed. Altogether she 
