V I T I GROUP. 



179 



tain, consisting of yams, taro, &c, the products of these islands. 

 Wood and water can be had there in abundance. 



VATULELE AND FLYING-FISH BEEF. 



The Island of Vatulele lies 16 miles south of Viti Levu, and 30 

 miles west-by-south of 'Mbenga; it is 8 miles in length, by 2 in width, 

 trending northwest and southeast ; from its southern to its northern end 

 it gradually rises to the height of 70 feet above the sea-level, and is 

 composed of a reddish clay and sandstone, lying in horizontal strata. 

 Its southwest side has but a narrow shore-reef, throughout its whole 

 extent ; this on the northeast side becomes a sea-reef, and extends to 

 the distance of a mile and a half to two miles from the island. The 

 sea-reef, after trending three miles to the southeast, again trends 

 towards the centre of the island, embracing an extensive lagoon, and 

 encloses four small islands, which I named the Midshipmen's Group, 

 after the officers of that rank in the Expedition ; they are nearly as 

 high as the north end of the island. There is a narrow passage be- 

 tween the reef and the island, for boats or canoes, as far as the south 

 end, and a few entrances into the lagoon. Vatulele offers very little 

 to claim the attention of the navigator or trader ; it has a few inhabi- 

 tants. The north bluff of the island exhibits the same reel earthy 

 formation as that part of the coast of Viti Levu called the Red Bluff. 



To the east-by-north of the south point of Vatulele, 7 i miles distant, 

 is the Flying- Fish Shoal or reef ; it is 300 yards north and south, by 

 150 east and west, and is awash ; on it the sea always breaks. Both 

 Vatulele and 'Mbenga may be seen distinctly from it in clear weather. 

 From the southwest bight of the reef of 'Mbenga, it bears southwest, 

 distant 14 miles. This is the only detached reef in the Kantavu 

 Passage. 



KANTAVU PASSAGE. 



The channel lying between the Island of Kantavu on the south, 

 and 'Mbenga, Viti Levu, and Vatulele, with their reefs, on the north, 

 I have called the Kantavu Passage. At the eastern end, in a north- 

 west direction from the north point of the Astrolabe Reef to that of 

 'Mbenga, it is 24 miles wide, and at its western end, between the west 

 point of Kantavu and Vatulele, it is 30 miles; it is 40 miles in length. 



