216 



NORTHERN POLYNESIA. 



[1825 



a north-west course, with a fine breeze from north-east-by-north. On 

 the following day we passed within half a mile of Bird's Island, and 

 found it to lie in lat. 23° 8' N., long. 161° 58' W. This is merely a 

 barren rock of volcanic origin, about two hundred feet above the water, 

 which is bold all round it, and numerous sea-birds find a retreat among 

 its cliffs and precipices. 



July 3d. — We continued our course with a strong breeze from 

 north-east-by-east, and on Sunday, the 3d day of July, at five A. M., 

 passed within half a mile of Man-of-war's Rock, situated in lat. 25° 

 I' N., long. 167° 37' W. This is also the rocky summit of a sub- 

 marine mountain, which was once volcanic. There is deep water all 

 round it, except on the south-west side, where there is a coral reef 

 extending into the sea about half a mile. This rock is destitute of 

 vegetation, and is inhabited by nothing but sea-fowl and green turtles. 



July 6th. — We continued standing to the westward, with fresh > 

 breezes from north-east, keeping two men at the mast-head day and 

 night, until Wednesday, the 6th, when we landed on the west side of 

 Lisiansky Island, which lies in lat. 25° 59' N., long. 173° 44' W. It 

 is sometimes called Lassion's and sometimes Neavas's Island. It is 

 but little elevated above the surface of the ocean, and cannot be seen 

 from the mast-head at a greater distance than ten miles. It is only 

 about six miles in circumference, presenting a few small spots of vege- 

 tation, consisting of coarse grass and a little shrubbery. The whole 

 surface of this little island is nearly covered with rookeries of different 

 kinds of birds, among which are whale-birds, wake-up-kittles, man- 

 of-war birds, gulls, and tropic-birds. On the shores we found an 

 abundance of sea-elephants and green turtles, but nowhere on the 

 island could we obtain fresh water. 



Coral reefs run off from this island in two directions ; and as some 

 remuneration for their own dangers, they form a safe anchorage be- 

 tween them. One of these reefs runs from the north end of the island 

 to the north-west, about four miles, the sea breaking on its weather 

 side. The other reef runs off from the south-south-west part of the 

 island, in a south-west direction, about seven miles, upon the eastern 

 side of which the sea breaks all the year round. On the west side of 

 the island, between these two reefs, about half a mile from the shore, 

 there is a safe and smooth harbour for ships, which may ride at 

 anchor in from ten to four fathoms of water, sand and coral bottom. 



There is one word of caution necessary to navigators, in sailing 

 west of the Sandwich Islands, between the parallels of 20° and 30° N. 

 In crossing between these two latitudes, a vessel should never run in 

 thick weather ; and even in the clearest of weather, they should always 

 have one or two men at the mast-head, day and night. These reefs, 

 which are all formed of coral, may be seen from the mast-head, by 

 their light reflecting on the top of the water, day or night, double the 

 distance that they can be seen from the deck, and in time sufficient to 

 avoid them, if there be a breeze of wind. 



As another reason for keeping a look-out from the mast-head, I 

 would observe, that in running free, or before the wind, a vessel is 

 running on the back of the breakers, the foam of which cannot be seen 



