312 



DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. 



of the principal islet very gently undulating ; and the distance to the 

 encircling coral-rim almost everywhere as much as two miles. One 

 rocky islet was observed to be detached from the others, and situated 

 just within the encircling coral-rim ; an outlet or opening was found 

 near, probably deep enough to admit large vessels, for a native in a 

 canoe "offered to pilot us in." Notwithstanding the great numbers of 

 cocoa-pahrhs in sight, we were told, that there were but " few in- 

 habitants," and among them " ten white men." 



h. Hoorn Maud. 



Continuing Westward, the Vincennes early in the morning of the 

 13th, arrived in sight of Hoorn Island; situated very nearly in " S. 

 lat. 15°" and in the antipodal longitude of 1S0°. The island con- 

 sisted of a pointed mountain, " twenty-five hundred feet" high, and 

 much resembled Manua; but was larger, and somewhat more broken, 

 being fifteen miles long. Co^oa-palms were growing along the coast, 

 and detached ones some distance inland, high up on the mountain- 

 flank. 



The succeeding day, as we had passed the 180th degree of longitude, 

 was by a formal order called '"Friday the 15th;" to conform to the 

 Australian reckoning. 



Keeping beyond the Feejeean Group of islands, and our course 

 gradually inclining South, the Vincennes on the 18th, arrived in 

 sight of Matthew's Rock ; situated under the Tropic, and near the 

 Southeast end of New Caledonia; and to be described presently. 



Tropic-birds, Phaeton, continued around until the morning of the 

 21st; the ship soon passing into more Southern and cooler latitudes. 



c. Eoa and Tongatahu. 



Five months later the vessels of the squadron were returning North, 

 towards the Tropic; and on the 19th of April, 1840, the Vincennes 

 attained the " latitude of 20° 07'." 



On the morning of the 22d, we arrived in sight of the island of 

 Eoa. As the Vincennes drew near, the cliffs of the coast were ob- 

 served to be often perpendicular, or even undermined at base, with 



