HONOLULU, 369 
The dip was 7° 39' S., the variation 7° 26’ E. 
Light winds continued to blow from the eastward: we held our 
course to the northward. At ten on the morning of the 19th, breakers 
were discovered from the masthead, and by noon a small island was 
seen, to which I gave the name of the man who first saw it,—M’Kean’s 
Island. In the afternoon, boats were despatched to survey it. 
M’Kean’s Island is composed of coral sand and blocks, and is three- 
fourths of a mile long, by half a mile wide. It rises twenty-five feet 
above the level of the sea, and has upon it no vegetation except a 
scanty growth of coarse grass. The surf was too heavy to permit a 
landing. 
Our observations place M’Kean’s Island in longitude 174° 17' 26” 
W., and latitude 3° 35’ 10’ S., and it lies about north-northeast sixty 
miles from that of Kemins. 
The upper stratum of clouds was perceived to be moving to the 
westward with much rapidity, yet we had little wind below. 
On the beginning of the 21st we had showers of rain, accompanied 
with a light wind from the westward, and the weather was much more 
comfortable than it had been for the last few days. During the latter 
part of the day a quantity of rain fell—5-2 inches. The temperature 
of the rain-water was 62°. This rain destroyed all our wind, but it 
came out again from the northward and eastward, with beautiful clear 
weather. The upper stratum of clouds was moving from the east- 
northeast. We caught a porpoise this day, differing somewhat in 
species from any we had yet seen. 
On the 23d we again had a light breeze from the northward and 
westward, and, what surprised me, a heavy, disagreeable, rolling sea, 
from the southwest, towards which quarter we experienced a current 
of some strength. 
On the 24th, while steering for Sydney Island, we had baffling airs ; 
the swell left us, and we found the ship more comfortable. On the 
25th, we had no wind, but experienced thunder, accompanied with a 
little rain. The tropic-birds were screaming around us at night, and 
tern were seen during the day. 
On the 25th we again had thunder-showers from the northeast, suc- 
ceeded by light winds from the eastward, the upper stratum of clouds 
continuing to fly from east-by-north. 
On the 26th we made land, which proved to be a lagoon island, 
about sixty miles to the westward of the position of Sydney Island. 
At ten o’clock, being near it, the boats were lowered and sent round 
one side of the island, while the ship proceeded round the other. 
This island was not found on any chart; I therefore called it Hull’s 
VOL. III. 47 
