254 



HYDROGRAPHY. 



For vessels passing from the North to the South Pacific it is advan- 

 tageous to steer between Ellice's and the Samoan Groups ; the sea is 

 quite clear and the islands are well situated for the purpose of veri- 

 fying chronometers, moreover many of them are high and can be seen 

 at a great distance ; the currents also are favorable for proceeding to 

 the southward, and there is no route by which a vessel can make so 

 short and direct a run to New South Wales. 



This group lies within the variables or calms of the South Pacific, 

 consequently the winds are somewhat irregular ; they do not prevail 

 from any quarter. The currents which exist are variable. 



FUNAFUTI OR ELLICE'S ISLAND. 



Funafuti Island was discovered in 1819, by Depeyster. It has usually 

 been termed a group, but it has little pretensions to be so called. 

 It consists of but two lagoon islands ; the larger is nearly of the 

 form of a parallelogram, whose longest sides trend north-northwest 

 and south-southeast 13 miles, and the shortest is about 7 ; the 

 eastern side is for 5 miles covered with groves ; at the south end there 

 are four islets on the same reef ; the north and west sides are bare 

 reefs, in some places with but a patch of sand visible at low water. 

 The reef at the northwest corner is broken. There are two clear 

 passages, by which a ship may enter and find anchorage on the east 

 side under the land ; the lagoon is clear of coral-reefs. At the south 

 there is another small island, 5 miles in length by li at its greatest 

 breadth ; its trend is north and south ; its eastern side is also covered 

 with vegetation similar to the large island. Between the two a pas- 

 sage exists, one mile, wide but whether there is sufficient water for a 

 ship, there was not time to determine. The north and west sides are 

 also bare of vegetation, and the reef is awash. 



These islands have about 250 inhabitants, who are quite friendly, 

 having had repeated intercourse with whites. They have nothing to 

 supply. Wood and water are very scarce. They gave the name of 

 the island as Funafuti. 



These two islands I have included with those of Depeyster's and 

 Tracy, and united them in one group, under the name of their dis- 

 coverer, Ellice, Funafuti being the most southern and eastern of the 

 group. 



