Kifby'j riurrative.— Chnrlt of Die 

 Kingiraill Group. 



Clil'lSE OF THE PEACOCK, 



Kings mill Group. 



■2'Jit 



During Kirby's residence on the island, several 

 English, mid one? American whaler, had been olf 

 the island, on which occasions he had been . ni- 

 ployed as pilot and interpreter. Tho natives were 

 constantly asking him, after their departure, why 

 he u did not fool the vessels and run them on shore, 

 thnt they might plunder them." One of the above 

 vessels left two pigs, two goals, ami a pair of Mus- 

 covy ducks; but no sooner had the vessel left, than 

 they killed them all, for some superstitious fears, 

 and threw them into the sea, notwithstanding all 

 Kirby's remonstrances and entreaties to have them 

 spared, and allow him to eat them. 



Kirby says that the natives, though not professed 

 cannibals, sometimes eat human ficsh ; but their 

 food is generally fish. They do not cat fowls, and 

 will not raise pigs, on account of their tilth. Their 

 treacle is extracted from the spnthes of tho cocoa- 

 nut trees, an operation which, if frequently re- 

 peated, destroys the tree. They ore very fond of 

 coek- lighting. 



The conduct of foreigners who visit these islands 

 is soi, 11 times of a most outrageous character. Some 

 four or five months before the 1'eacock's visit, 

 Kirby states that one Leasonhy, master of the 

 whale-ship Offley, of Loudon, and whose mate was 

 an American, named Lake, landed six young girls 

 on this island, whom he had obtained nt Peru, or 

 Francis Island. After having kept them o»i board 

 several days, lie brought them here to save himself 

 the trouble of heating his vessel up to the island to 

 which they belonged. 



These young girls were extremely good looking, 

 and are now slaws to the chief of this island, and 

 made to labour and satisfy his lusts. They were 

 landed on Kuiia, in despite of their entreaties and 

 tears. These people are in the habit of killing all 

 strangers from islands not connected with their 

 immediate group; but the lives of these girls were 

 spared, and they were retained in bondage. Two 

 of them were brought oh" to tie' t-hip. w ho entreated 

 most earnestly to be kept on board, mid to be 

 carried to their homo. 



The published charts of these islands were found 

 so inaccurate, as to bo a cause of danger rather 

 than of safety ; for in them the islands are multi- 

 plied, and every hummock or detached islet on the 

 same reef is represented as separate, and a name 

 assigned it. Thus a confusion exists, that it is 

 almost impossible to unravel, How so many errors 

 could be committed, can only bu accounted for hy 

 the fact that those who had the publication of the 

 charts formerly were generally ignorant, and did 

 not take that care to sift and examine the infonna- 

 tion ihat was essential to accuracy. 



Several islands are laid down here on tho dif- 

 ferent charts, but those only really exist which are 

 named Tarawa, or Knox island; Apia, or Char- 

 lotte Island; and Maraki, or Matthew's Inland. 



Tarawa, or Knox Island, is in length twenty 

 miles, trending north-wast and south-east, and lies 

 in latitude 1° 2\V N.,and longitude 1 73° 5' E. The 

 land is continuous ami wooded, w ith the exception 

 of four gaps, where the reef is hare. The south side 

 is twelve miles long, and trends nearly cast and 

 west. < >n this part, near the western end, are three 

 hummocks (which appear like islands in the dis- 

 tance), ami several small sand-hanks, which are 

 connected hy the cime r< ef. This island has its 

 lagoon, but it has the appearance of an extensive 



bay, in consequence of the reef on tho west side 

 being a sunken one, on which is found live fathoms 

 of water. 



Apia, or Charlotte Island, consists of strings of 

 coral islets, situated within a reef, which is six ami 

 seven feet a hove the water. The reef has a bluff front, 

 and is much worn hy the sea. There is no coral sand. 

 Apia was found to be in latitude 1° 52' N.,and 173* 

 2' E, It in n lagoon island. I ts length in the direction 

 of north-east and south-west is sixteen mites, and 

 its average breadth live. On the east side of the 

 island the land is covered with cocoa-nut and pmi- 

 danus groves, with some undergrowth. The north- 

 west and west side is a continuous reef, four or five 

 feet above the water's edge, on which are many 

 islets. About, the centre of the reef, on the south- 

 west side, is a slop's channel into the lagoon, which 

 is half a mile wide. Near its entrance is a small 

 islet, which stands alone, nnd is a good mark for 

 the entrance. There is no inland in the lagoon, as 

 shown on the French charts of Duperrey. 



1 1 was ascertained that their knowledge of other 

 islands only extended to Tarawa, or Knox's Island, 

 and two olhers. To one of these they pointed in a 

 direction west of north, and called it Maraki, — 

 Matthew's Island; and the other Toritari and Ma- 

 kin, winch ihey said were two days' sail, and which 

 was believed to be Pitt's Island. 



The next island that claimed their attention was 

 Maraki, or Matthew's Island. It is much smaller 

 than the two last, and situated in latitude 2" N., 

 and longitude 173 "•!"> 3"" K- 0 is a lagoon island, 

 without entrances anji of coral formation. It is 

 but live miles long, north- by-cast and south-by- 

 west, and two and a half wide at its base, being 

 of triangular shape. It appears to be densely 



peopl. d. 



On the 27th, the Peacock left Matthew's Island 

 to look for Pitt's Island, which they made on the 

 2{Jih, at 1) a. x. There are two islands known 

 under this name : the largest is called by the 

 ni'.rivis Tama) t, and the smallest, Mnkin. The 

 latitude of the southern point of Taritari is 3° W 

 N., longitude 1/2* 4tt' E. This island is of the 

 figure of a triangle, with its apex to the south, nnd 

 its sides are about fourteen miles in length. The 

 south-cast side is n continuous grove of cocoa-nut 

 and paudanus, with some undergrowth ; on the 

 other two sides is a reef, which is awash, excepting 

 the north-west point, in which there is a small 

 inlet. 



Makiu is of much smaller dimensions, being but 

 six miles long ; it varies in width from half a mile 

 ton mile. Its northern point lies in latitudes 0 

 W 43" ,Y, and longitude 172° 57' E. This small 

 island is the seat of government, and the natives 

 now unite both names under the one of Mnkin. 



It was soon evident that ihe island was thickly 

 inhabited ; for when the ship reached the lee side, 

 in the afternoon, about twenty canoes came oh", 

 containing from five to ten natives in each, and in 

 one of them was a white man, who was clothed in 

 mats. The ship was immediately hove-to to take 

 him on board, and he gave his name as Robert 

 Wood (alias Orey), a Scotchman by birth, who 

 was left by his own wish 011 tho island, seven 

 years before, by the English whaling brig Jniite, of 

 London, sailing from Sydney, lie was under so 

 great excitement as to render his utterance quite 

 unintelligible at times, and some amusing scenes 



