Penny, a *ramua. dwrti the Peacock fll Binumm ^m*i<r> Mctia or Aurora Wlaml.— Tahiti. „, 

 UiblaluHL-Ahii or Peacock laUnJ. PAUMOrU GROLP. MatavJ Hay. tl 



1 1 tul^f m flawing completed his side of the island. 

 The Peacock now made tile signal uf land to the 

 westward. Wishing to land and make an exami- 

 nation or this island, as well as to have communi- 

 cation with llie natives, T 1 1 m bouts were lnwored, 



and the naturalists from both vessels, mid many 

 officers, landed, and rambled over the western part 

 of the island for several hours. The few iintivcs 

 wrjv very friendly, and informed us that Um native 

 name uf the inland was Manhit. This is, in all pro- 

 huhilit y, tin- Wuterlundt ..I Sehoutcn and LeMaire, 

 and also Wilson's Inland of the Doff. There is a 

 large ami deep entrance in the south-east end into 

 the lagoon of Mauhii Island, iu winch the natives 

 informed nw vessels had often anchored, whilst 

 engaged in the pearl-fishery. Soundings an? not to 

 he had with one hundred fathoms of line, fifty feet 

 from the edge of it. 



To our surprise, one of the men of the Peacock, 

 by the name of Penny, here deserted from the 

 boats. 11- had been formerly much among the 

 islands, engaged in pearl -fishing, and spoke the 

 language well. Strict search was made for him, 

 until the officer in charge uf the boats became 

 satisfied (hut he had no intention of returning. On 

 hearing of it, I was convinced that he had chosen 

 ibis u]iportuuily to leave its, particularly as he must 

 have been aware that there is very frequent com- 

 munication with Tahiti. The chief of this island 

 informed u* that he was a relative of the one-handed 

 chief of Raruka. 



The fiv*t end of the island lies in latitude 

 N 20' 22 S, longitude I It; I 20" W. 



Several of us had our feet severely blistered 

 from going barefoot on the reefs, and were made 

 very uncomfortable from this cause. After return- 

 inn <»i board, wo bore away to the other island, to 

 which the natives gave the name of Aim. I have 

 also added that of Peacock Islaud, to murk that its 

 correct position was first established by the expe- 

 dition. It lies west three-fourths north per com- 

 pass from Manhii, and mi found by the patent log 

 to be tight and six-tenlhs miles from red* to reef. 

 On coming up with it, the Vincenuea and Peacock 

 took opposite sides, and surveyed it ; and tlie next 

 morning parties landed. 1 was hardly able to move, 

 <ni account of my feet, hut the desire of getting ob- 

 s rv:itv us of the eclipse, urged me to intike the 

 attempt ; I only succeeded in getting the last limb 

 ajid good observ ation* for time. After four o'clock, 

 we returned on board. This island is not inhabited, 

 and has only a small bout-cutrance into its lagoon, 

 on the went side. 



Being desirous of making the examination of as 

 man) ol the coral island* as possible, I now de- 

 spatched the Peacock to the Arutna or Kurick 

 f I. Is, with directions to examine litem, and then 

 to proceed ahm:: the south side of Dean's Maud, 

 whilst in the Vinoeunes I steered for the north 

 uido of the latter, to pass along it. We then 

 parted company, and Dean's Island was made hy 

 us the next morning. Alter establishing our* posi- 

 tion, we ran along the northern shore, and reached 

 its western point at 4 1*. M. Off this point wo ob- 

 tained sights for our chronometers, which pot it in 

 longitude 1 47° SB' 34" W., latitude 15° 5' 16" S. 

 During the day we passed an entrance into its 

 Ingoou, and some natives came off from a small 

 village in two canoes to visit us. They acknow- 

 ledged themselves subjects of ipteeu Puuiare of 



Tahiti, and were very desirous we should laud. 

 They brought off a few shells, and told us they had 

 many fowls, pigs, taro, &c. There are several 

 islets in the lngmm covered with trees. Vast num- 

 bers of lar^r blocks were wen lying on its reef. 

 The slmrc-reef in not more tluui two hundred feet 

 wide, and is composed of only one shelf. The cur- 

 rent was tried, but none was found. We had the wind 

 very fresh from east-by-north all day. When off 

 the western point we discovered Krusenstern's Is- 

 land to the wesL, and hauled up to pass between it 

 and Nairsa. The passage was found to be twelve 

 and two-thirds mil* s wide, and free from all danger, 

 lu the evening I stood for Metis Island, to the 

 southward, Nairsa or Dean's Islaud was found to 

 be sixty-six miles iu length. 



On the morning of the !hh of September we were 

 in sight of Mctia or Aurora Island, the north end 

 of which is iu latitude 15* 411' 35" S., longitude 

 148 ' 13' 15" W. It was totally different in ap- 

 pearance from those we had met with, thutigh evi- 

 dently of the same formation. It was n coral 

 inland uplifted, exposing its formation distinctly, 

 and as such was very interesting. On approaching 

 its eastern end, I sounded at about one hundred 

 and fifty feet from it* perpendicular cliff, and found 

 lio bottom with one hundred and fifty fathoms of 

 line. The cliff appeared worn into caverns. We 

 landed close in its neighbourhood, and on measur- 

 ing its height, it proved to be two hundred and 

 fifty feet. 



All the surveying boats having returned, we bore 

 away for Tahiti, at which island we arrived on the 

 I Oth. At 6 i\ m., Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold 

 boarded us, and brought off Jim, the pilot ; he 

 reported all well on board the Porpoise. At sunset, 

 we anchored in Matavai Hay. I hastened to ascer- 

 tain the correctness of our chronometers, and the 

 next day landed the instruments on Point Venus, 

 and took obsen alums. They gave for its longi- 

 tudo I4!> a 31' IS-5" W. Ivruscnsteru makes it 

 I iff 3 20' 17" W. 



Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold, in the Por- 

 poise, after parting company on the- 1st of Sep- 

 tember, proceeded to the south side of ltaraka, in 

 fulfilment of his instructions. Ilo found the whole 

 southern part of it a bare reef, with the surf 

 breaking violently over it. When off the south 

 point, he made the isle of Katiu or Sacken to the 

 south, and that of Mnktma to the cast, and con- 

 nected them ; after which he proceeded to the 

 westward, passing Aratiea (Cnrlshoff ), and thence 

 to Nairsa or Dean's Island, which he made on the 

 5th; fixed its western end, passed along its south 

 to its western side, and thence to KrosenBtern's 

 Island, to the westward, which he circumnavi- 

 gated; from thence went direct to Tahiti, anchored 

 iu Papieti ltarhmir on the 9th, and the next day 

 proceeded to Matavai Bay, the place of ren- 

 dezvous. 



On the 12th, the Peacock arrived, having passed 

 to I he llurick Islands or Arutua, the north eud of 

 which lies in latitude 15° 15' 00" S., longitude 

 140° 5P 00'' W, A landing was attempted at 

 several places iu the boats. One of them sue- 

 reeded near a cocoa-nut grove, but the two that 

 w ent to land at the village, found the surf too high 

 to attempt it. 



The north shore of Amtua Island was surveyed, 

 w hen they bore away, aud connected it with Nairsa, 



