May.] 



YOUNG WILLIAM'S GROUP. 



389 



well inhabited with much the same kind of people as the western part 

 of Bergh's Group ; having also the same description of canoes, war 

 implements, fishing utensils, and wearing apparel. The islands are 

 all surrounded and connected by a coral reef. They furnish biche-de- 

 mer, pearls, pearl and tortoise-shell, and many curious and beautiful 

 shells, valuable for their rarity. These islands extend about ten miles 

 east and west, and about five miles north and south ; being situated in 

 lat. 6° 4' north, long. 153° 21' east; and as we could not find them on 

 any chart, or see them mentioned in any epitome of navigation, we 

 concluded that they were new discoveries, and gave them the name of *" 

 Skiddy's Group, in honour of that worthy and enterprising navigator. 



May \5th. — We continued steering to the south and east, with the 

 wind from east-north-east and east, attended with squalls of rain ; and 

 on Saturday morning, the 15th, at four, A. M., we were close in with 

 Young William's Group, the centre of which lies in latitude 5° J 2' N., 

 long. 153° 27' E. This group is nearly circular, extending twenty 

 miles east and west, and eighteen miles north and south ; the whole 

 surrounded by a coral reef, from one-fourth of a mile to a mile and a 

 half wide. On the inner edge of this reef there is a chain of low 

 islands, eleven in number, the principal of which are well inhabited. 

 Ttiere are many small islands, or lumps, that stand on this reef, which 

 are covered with cocoanut-trees, but are not inhabited. 



All of the islands are well supplied with bread-fruit and cocoanut- 

 trees, plantains, and bananas ; they are also well supplied with wood 

 and water. Two of the islands are about fifteen miles in circuit, and 

 about one hundred feet above the level of the sea, irt their most elevated 

 parts. These islands are all of volcanic origin. The lagoon within 

 the reef contains pearls, pearl-shell, and many other valuable shells of 

 the pearl kind ; while the reef contains bichc-de-mer, and the hawk's-bill 

 tortoise. 



While I was examining the reef on the west side of the group, I was 

 met by many of the natives in their canoes, who requested me to land 

 on a small island about two miles farther south. It being in the early 

 part of the day, the weather fine, and the vessel under the lee of the 

 reef, in perfect smooth water, I signified a compliance with their wishes, 

 and steered the boat to the point proposed, followed by the islanders 

 in their canoes. On approaching the beach, I saw some of the in- 

 habitants, who had been gazing at us from behind a clump of trees 

 near the cabins, make a precipitate retreat into the woods. The natives 

 in the canoes soon landed, at some distance from our boat ; and while 

 a part of their number remained on the beach, the rest proceeded 

 to join the fugitives in the woods. These movements looked sus- 

 picious ; but I was too well armed and prepared to fear the result of 

 treachery, having a brace of pistols and a cutlass. 



I left my men in the boat, with orders to keep her afloat, and as 

 nearly abreast of me as possible. I then walked confidently up to the 

 five natives remaining on the beach, who timidly advanced to meet me, 

 and I soon perceived that they were unarmed. When we had ap- 

 proached to within about twelve yards of each other, they all made a 

 full stop for several minutes. At length one of them, who appeared 



