D '^lX-£ , Kd. rf<,m S A MOAN GROUP. UlandorManua. U? 



hie* very activity in thus labouring in many ways founded imputations, from those actuated, if not 

 f.ir tlie good of the community in which ho reside*, by motives positively had, at least by a less eu- 

 should he the probable cause of unkind and tin- lightened or less ardent zeal. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

 SAMOAN GROUP. ROSE ISLAND. TUTU I LA. 



i-i r s it-refit, or the vtNrr.>sE» from t.miiti- nr.i.i inch u ics'k island — bore island— M akva— iTt DESCRIP- 

 TION — CANOES Of HAM A— APPEARANCE ASP TOSDICT Of TICK Jl ATJ VEi — T ILL AGE—DKESS Of THE BATIVBB— * 

 OLOOS1XGA— IT* DESCRIPTION — IIUGSB OP THE KING — Kit ENTERTAINMENT— RETURN TO THK Sill)' — (OKA L 

 BEEP OF OLOOS1NGA— OrOO— TEMrERATrRE DUR1NO THE PASSAGE— PLAN OF OPERATIONS— A rrE All ANTE UP 

 1 1 1 V t LA — UARBOl'R OF PAUO PAGO — TOA, A NATIVE CHIRP— OEOLUGH A L STE1. ITTRK OP TDTCILA — APPEARANCE 

 AND CHARACTER OF ITS INHABITANTS— LA PEROUSK's EXPEDITION — VISIT TU TO A— III* FEAST— PBJCE OP no- 

 VISIONS— Til SONG — B AT11 1 SO — MODE OP LI VINO - KM PLOT H EST ft AND AMUS EM E NTS— M R. MUttllAT, TUB Mt«- 



ttoBABT — customs or tub natives— im imt worship— missionary— tub peacock and plvino fish hail 



ro* OPOLC— SPBTKYI— CLIMATE— VISIT TO HEATHEN VILLAGES— TEMPER ATI' BE AT THE TOP OP MATAFOA. 



( In the aitli of Si plumber, IRM, at daylight, 

 having the wind from ihe northward nnd eastward, 

 we got under way from Tahiti, and made sail to 

 the westward, passing ihe Society Island Group, 

 viz. Sir Charles Saunders' Isle, Huahciiie, Talma, 

 Llorabora, Maulili, and Moutoiti. All <»f these, with 

 the exception of the last, are high lands. 



On the 30th, we made Bellinghauscn's Island, 

 whieh is I low coral islaud, similar to those which 

 have been already described. It was uninhabited, 

 and is of a triangular form, with the usual vegeta- 

 tion, with the exception of cocoa-nut palms. We 

 landed upon it, and made tho magnetic expert- 

 ments. 



Hirda were in great plenty, and as tame as we 

 had found them at other uninhabited island* we 

 had visited. No listards or rats were oliserved, 

 nor was The common tly seen. The lagoon ha. I no 

 passage into it at low water, but the tide Huwed 

 into it over the reef. 



In the afternoon, we again made sail to the west- 

 ward, for Koso Inland, and on the <Jth of October, 

 we passed near the locality of the Royal George 

 Shoal, but saw nothing of it. 



On the 7t'b which was the day appointed for our 

 rendezvous off Rose Island, we came in eight of it, 

 and at the same time descried the Porpoise. That 

 vessel had pawed by Nairsa or Dean's Island, and 

 connected the survey of it with that of KlUUli! 

 siern's and Lazareff. Poth of these were found to 

 have entrances into their lagoons ; they are unin- 

 habited, though occasionally visited by the natives 

 of Nairsa Island. The position of Recreation 

 Island was passed over, hut no sigiiB of land dis- 

 covered. 



Rose Island, the most eastern of the Stimoan 

 Group, was discovered by Preyeinet, who gave it 

 its name. It appears, at' first,' like around knoll 

 of land, bnt on a nearer approach, this is found to 

 arise from a large clump of pi^oiua trees, similar to 

 those found growing in the low archipelago. It is 

 a low annular coral island, of small dimensions, 

 inundated at high water, with the exception of two 

 small bank?, one of which is entirely covered by 

 the clump of trees. The oLhcr is formed of dead 

 coral, without any vegetation. The tide was found 

 here to rise about four and a half feet, the flood 

 setting to the eastward. The breakers on its 



weather or south-east side ale heavy ; and there 

 is an entrance into the Ingoon, having four 

 fathoms depth of water through it. The lagoon 

 has from six to twelve fathoms in it. A remark- 

 able coral formation, like a submerged tree, thirty 

 feet in diameter over its top. was found in the cen- 

 tre of the lagoon, rising to the level of low water, 

 and having all around it a depth of six fathoms. 

 The currents set regularly out and in to the lagoon, 

 according to the state of the tide. In stormy 

 weather the sea must make a complete breach over 

 the reef. 



Some boulders of vesicular lava were seen on 

 the coral reef; they were front twenty to two hun- 

 dred pounds weight, and were found among blocks 

 of coral conglomerate. 



birds were seen Hying over the inland, and on 

 landing we found them in great numbers and very 

 tame. The frigate- birds and boobies (sula), whose 

 nests bail helui'e been observed on low hushes, 

 were here found on the tops of trees fifty feet high. 

 The noddies laid their eggs on the parts of the 

 island destitute of vegetation. Tern wen' in pre at 

 numbers; their breeding-place was in a thicket on 

 tho weather side of the island, or that which was 

 exposed to the wind and sea, and was remarkable 

 from the regularity with which the eggs were 

 placed, about three feet apart, without any nest, 

 nod, with but few exceptions, out of many thou- 

 sands, each egg lay separately. The colour of the 

 eggs is a dirty white, mottled with brown. 



On the 7th, we left Rose Island and stood to the 

 westward, making nr. sunrise the island of Mnnua, 

 which is two thousand five hundred feet above the 

 level of the sen. It has the form of a regular 

 dome, rising in most places precipitously from the 

 water to the height of three or tour hundred feel, 

 after which its ascent appears more gentle and 

 even. It is sixteen miles in circumference, is well 

 covered with a luxuriant vegetation, and has many 

 cocoa-nut groves on its north-west side. 



On approaching it, Oloosinga was in sight, and 

 shortly after Ofoo. These two islands lie to the 

 north- westward, at the distance of about four miles. 



The boats were lowered, and scut to trace the 

 shores of the island of Alanua, for the purpose of 

 surveying it ; whilst the Viuecnues and the Por- 

 poise passed on each side. 



