He mm lie, Hmulen. or Ihig Itiaud. i >t iTiiivniT nikArrn NtlUttl hltUory.— BinU. — l"r*li«.— Saafcet- 

 ■ Pflftf hlm^4twippnllHhlg IAUMU1U (jKUII. DfayfOtatattt Mnadi. 



turned. Lieutenant A Men, in charge of one of 

 them, reported tli.it lie had had communication 

 with (he natives, who were very friendly, and de- 

 sirous of hi'ldiitg intercourse with hitn. He obtained 

 he * mil articles of curiosity from them. Some of 

 them wen? tattooed, l iny were fnxinc] to ho arrant 

 thieves, wishing to carry off every tiling they saw, 

 trying even to pull tlie copper off the blades of the 

 oars,— and all this, apparently, without any idea 

 that it was wrung. When first seen tiny were 

 armed w ith speur*, but observing that we diil not 

 attempt to land, they sent them away in charge of 

 a hoy, and swain off to the bent. 



I n«iw determined to wait until the next day, Tor 

 tlm purpose of having further communication with 

 them, and ordered every thing to be prepared for 

 an early landing; but, during the night, the officer 

 of the deck of the Porpoise ran into the Vinccnnes, 

 and did both vessels some injury, smashing the 

 starboard quarter boat, which broke adrift, cutting 

 off our backstays, ami losing some of the head-spara 

 of the Porpoise. By this accident wo lout our posi- 

 tion, and in the morning found ourselves so far to 

 (in In ward, that I knew it must occupy much time 

 — which wo could not afford to lose — before we 

 could regain the island. I therefore reluctantly 

 bore away to the northward, to pass over the 

 localities of one or two doubtful islands, on our 

 way to iliat of lloiid. u. 



On the lfJth of August we made Henuake, lion- 

 den, or Dog I bland, and camo up wkh it about 

 noon. The boats were at once despatched, in 

 order to ascertain if a landing could be effected, 

 and the ships began the surveying operations. The 

 surf was fouud very heavy on the beach, but the 

 boats, notwithstanding, succeeded in landing. The 

 number of birds seen hovering over the island was 

 an indication that it was not inhabited, which 

 proved to be tbo case. Several turtles were 

 caught, and a number of specimens obtained. The 

 Burvey of the island not having been completed, 

 I lay by all night, and early in the morning de- 

 spatched boats to complete the examination of it, 

 and to effect a landing. The greatest pun of the 

 day was spent on the island. Near the place 

 where we landed there has been a channel to the 

 small lagoon in the centre of the island, ami there 

 is another of a similar character on the opposite 

 side. They were both dry, and the soa-wai r can 

 only communicate with the lagoon at very high 

 tides. 



The landing on a coral island effectually does 

 awny with all preconceived notions of its beauty, 

 and any previous ideas formed in its favour are 

 immediately put to flight. That verdure which 

 seemed from a distant view to carpet the whole 

 island, was in reality but a few patches of wiry 

 grass, obstructing the walking, ami ..lb-ring neither 

 fruit, nor flowers to view; it grew among the nig- 

 ged coral debris, with a little sand and vegetable 

 earth. 



Dm principal trees and shrubs are the pandaims, 

 boerhaavia, and pisotiia. It is somewhat sur- 

 prising that a few trees forty or fifty feet high 

 should have found sufficient soil to protect their 

 growth. Most of the trees, however, are of stunted 

 size, being not more than ten to fifteen feet in height, 

 ami eighteen inches in diameter. 



The number of birds on the island waa incre- 

 dible, and they were so tame as to require to be 



pushed off their nests to get their eggs. The iuo*t 

 conspicuous among them was the frigate-bird (ta- 

 chypetis aquilus): many of the trees were covered 

 with their nests, constructed of a few sticks. The 

 old birds were seen, as they flew off, inflating their 

 blood n il jwmches to die mite of a child's head, and 

 looking as if a lap^e bladder were attached to their 

 necks. The ganueta, sooty terns, and the beau- 

 tiful tropic-bird, were in countless numbers ; the 

 former guarding their eggs (which were laid on the 

 ground without a nest.) with care, remaining by 

 them, and even suffering themselves to be cap- 

 tured without resistance. Their hoarse croaking 

 was quite deafening. 



Some droll sights were seen of crabs walking off 

 with snakes, and both again seized by some stout 

 bird and borne away. Armies of soldier or piratical 

 crabs (paguri) were seen moving in all directions 

 with their shells. We enjoyed ourselves much, 

 ami f.umd no use for our guns, powder, and shot; 

 as many specimens as we could desire were taken 

 with the hand, both old and young. In some caws 

 the tropic-birds were taken off their nests, and 

 from others their eggs were taken without dis- 

 turbing them ; indeed, I liave never seen any 

 barn-yard fowls half so tame. 



Tiie various snakes, the many-coloured fish, the 

 great eels, enormous and voracious sharks, shells, 

 large molluscs, spiders, w ith the curious lepidoptera, 

 seemed to have quiet possession, their webs Btreteh- 

 ing in every direction, and occasioning us much 



annoyance : all gave a nuvdty t.> ti cue, that 



highly interested ami delighted us. In the ufter- 

 Uoou we returned on board, loaded with specimens; 

 and the survey being completed, we bore away on 

 our course. 



There are no cocoa-nut palms ou the island, as 

 bus been reported by Captain Fity.roy,in his voyage; 

 nor is there any fresh water to ls< found. Some of our 

 gentlemen saw on the beach some broken oars and 

 remains of a boat, but nothing could be identified. 



Pnndnuus trees exist on the south side. 



'Mi the -\'ld of August we made the Disappoint- 

 ment Islands of liymu: they are two in number, 

 called Wytoohee and Otooho. 



t in the morning of the 24th we wore off the north- 

 west end of the former island, which lies in latitude 

 11°!)' .WS.. longitude I Jl c 17' oO" \V. Many 

 canoes came off to the ship: as they approached 

 the vessels, the natives were heard, while at some 

 distance, singing; and, as they drew near, the 

 clamour increased, aceomprnued with much laugh- 

 ing, and many gesticulations; but none of them 

 could he induced to come on board, and they were 

 not willing to part with any thing but some pieces 

 of old matting. An attempt was made to get 

 some of their paddles, but they rather ridiculed 

 the idea of parting with them. 



The canoes were quite small, being only from 

 twelve to fifteen feet long. They generally con- 

 tained two, and sometimes three natives. " Each 

 canoe had an out-rigger, and a projecting poiut, 

 both before and behind t by which they get into 

 them from the water. They are formed of strips 

 of cocoa-nut wood sewed together. Two persons 

 can earry them. Their paddles were curved back- 

 wards. 



In order to dispel their fears, articles were 

 given them gratuitously, and by way of showing 

 their gratitude, they began a monotonous song or 



