hliuid of Nukalau.— Anchor at Lev tilt a. 

 Inland* iiirvcyeil liy Lieutenant Underwood. 



curred to me to mentiim men-of-war as being free, 

 foiling assured that they would all very readily 

 give five liuiL's the amount of the articles required 

 in presents. But it appears that Captain Belcher 

 did not think proper to make the customary pre- 

 sent, and the chiefs refused to allow any supplies 

 to go to his vessel unlil he should comply with the 

 rules. This incensed the captain, and caused him 

 to take offence nt llie missionaries, who he sup- 

 posed prevented the supplies from being sent, I 

 well knew, however, that they were guiltless. He 

 likewise broke out into strong invectives against 

 the chiefs, declaring that it was impossible they 

 could understand the rules, Ac, although the 

 whole proceeding showed they were nut only con- 

 versant with their meaning, hut also with the 

 power they had in their hands of compelling the 

 vis it it to pay. 



Nukalau is a low, sandy island, well covered 

 with wood. On the eastern side it has an exten- 

 sive coral reef; but the western is clear, and may 

 be approached closely. There is a pool of water 

 on the island, hut no one could water a ship there 

 without the risk of causing sickness on board. 



In tho morning, before daylight, we got under 

 way, on our return to Ovolau. The day having 

 proved calm, we were at sunset yet some distance 

 from the island. I concluded, therefore, to by 

 under Ambatiki for the night, and by 10 a.m. on 

 the IBth, we again anchored at Levuka. 



Lieutenant Underwood and Passed-Midshipman 

 Sandford I found had returned from the survey of 

 the islands of Angau, Nairai, and Ambatiki, to the 

 eastward of OvoUni, David Whippy, the Maticum 

 A m ban, had been sent with them as an interpreter, 

 and to liold proper authority over the natives. 



The first island which had occupied their atten- 

 tion was Ambatiki. It is in shape nearly an equi- 

 lateral triangle, surrounded by a r^ef, which offers 

 no protection for vessels, and only passages for 

 boats. The island in seven hundred and fifty feet 

 high, of a dome shape, and contains five hundred 

 inhabitants, all subject (or ygah) to Anibau. The 

 people were civil, and gave them taro and yams in 

 plenty, but would not part with any pigs. The 

 reason given for this was, their fear of Tan- a. 

 They live in villages, and Serin thriving. The 

 island boa very little wood on it. The reefs extend 

 one-third of a mile from its shore. 



Nainii was the next island visited by them. 

 They first anchored on the wcat end of the Ono- 

 ruga" Reef, that extends off from the middle of 

 Nairai, Jive miles in a westerly direction. There 

 Is a passage between this and the Mothea, or Eliza 

 Reef, stretching off from the island towards the 

 south ; and there are also a good passage and har- 

 bour between the reef and the island. The Cobu 

 Rock is a good mark for the former passage, when 

 it bears east. It lies a mile south of the south 

 point of Nairni. 



The hoats nnchored in the harbour of Venemole, 

 which may be known by two small islets, joined to 

 Nairai by the reef, which forms a protection 

 against the north winds; and vessels of any draught 

 of water may anchor here in fifteen fathoms, with 

 good bottom, from a quarter to half a mile from 

 the shore. Somewhat farther to the southward is 

 a three-fathom bank, which is the only danger that 

 \ inside the reef towards the Cobu Rock or 

 south-west passage. Alwut a mile to the north is 



GROLT. Town of Corotwmba. 2^7 



Venemole Bay. It is circular, with a narrow 

 entrance, affording, seemingly, a good harbour; 

 but, on examination, this entrance proved to be 

 quite shallow. The bay had the appearance of 

 having been an old crater; at low water, it may 

 almost bo said to become a lake. The officers 

 were much struck with the beauty of the boy. It 

 contains a village of the same name, and also 

 another, called Tulailai; but both aro small. The 

 natives were quite peaceable. 



They anchored at night off the town of Tontoa, 

 which lies iu a bight nt the north end of the island, 

 and proved the largest town on the island. Here 

 David Whippy, acting as the * Maticum Ainbau," 

 obtained for them all kinds of provisions, and, by 

 his exertions oil night in superintending the cook- 

 ing, they were prevented from being delayed the 

 next day. Whippy told nie that this island held a 

 medium between mbati and ygali to Aiubau, being 

 not exactly in that state of servitude that the last 

 would imply, nor yet as free as the first. 



Nairai is famous for its manufactures of mats, 

 baskets, &c, a largo trade in which is carried ou 

 throughout the group by exchanges. 



The reef extends from tho island four miles 

 northward, and, where it ends, turns for a short 

 distance to the westward. There are a few patches 

 of rock on its western side, but DOM farther from 

 it than half a mile. This is the reef on which the 

 Flying-Fish struck on entering the group, and 

 where she came near being lost. It does not join 

 the island, but is connected with the Mothea, or 

 Eliza Reef ; mid there is, between it and the 

 island, a good ship channel, leading to the large 

 bay of Corobamba. Ou the eastern side of thi 

 bay, there is safe anchorage, iu thirteen fathoms 

 water, with a white sandy bottom. The reef, ex- 

 tending as it does to the southward for a long dis- 

 tance, protects it from the sea in that direction. 

 A broad passage leads from Corobamba to the 

 southward, and then passes between Cobu and 

 Nairai to the south-west pass through tho reef. 

 The only danger is a small coral patch, lying 

 east-south-east, a mile from the south end of the 

 island, and a mile north of Cobu Rock. 



The town of Corobamba lies at the bottom of 

 the bay, and is next in size to Toaloa. The Cobu 

 Rock is a singular one. It is inaccessible ou three 

 sides, of volcanic formation, and is enclosed by the 

 Mothea Reef, which hero spreads to tho width of 

 about three miles, and extends four miles farther 

 south, where it forms a rounded point. The eastern 

 side is an unbroken reef, but the western is some- 

 what irregular and broken, with many openings 

 for boats. 



Lieutenant Underwood ascended the Cobu Rock, 

 for tho purpose of obtaining angles ; and, after 

 observing these with his instrument, turning to 

 take tho compass's bearing, discovered a remark- 

 able effect of local attraction. So great was this, 

 as to cause a deviation of thirteen and a quarter 

 points ; Nairai, which was directly to the north, 

 bearing, by compass, south-east-by-south one 

 quarter south, while, what was quite remarkable, 

 at the foot of tho rock, near the water, the same 

 compass gave tho bearing north, agreeing with 

 that taken from the opposite bearing on Point 

 Musilana. 



Tin y next fixed the southern point of Mothea 

 Reef. This has obtained the name of the Eliza 



