146 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP. In the forenoon of the following day several white tern, noddies, 
and black gulls came about us, and gradually increased in numbers as we 
Jan. proceeded on our course. A few hours afterwards Lord Hood’s Island 
was reported from aloft. On nearing it, we found it to consist of an 
assemblage of small islets, rising from a chain of coral, even with, or a 
little above, the water’s edge. Upon these grew a variety of evergreen 
trees thickly intertwined, among which the broad leaves and clusters 
of fruit of the pandanus were conspicuous, and beneath them a matted 
surface of moss and grass, so luxuriant and invitingly cool, that we were 
almost tempted to land at any risk. The sea, however, broke so 
heavily upon all parts of the shore that the attempt would have been 
highly dangerous, and we consequently collected all the information 
that was required, and hastened our departure. Krusenstern states 
in his “ Memoire sur la Pacifique,” that this island is inhabited : such 
must undoubtedly have been the case once, as we saw a square stone 
hut, similar to those described at Crescent Island, on one of its angles ; 
but there are no human beings upon it at present, which indeed w^e 
conjectured to be the case before our boats made the circuit of it, 
from the number of sea birds in its vicinity, and also from the shoals of 
sharks which followed the boats, and even bit at the oars ; for these 
animals, like most others, seem to have learned by experience to avoid 
the haunts of man. The only living thing seen upon the shore was a 
grey heron gorging itself with black star-fish. 
Lord Hood’s Island was discovered by Mr. Wilson in the Mis- 
sionary ship Huff ; it is 11 ’2 miles in length, and 4*7 miles in width, in 
a north and south direction ; and like almost all the coral islands it 
contains a lagoon, and is steep on all its sides. 
After quitting it, we looked in vain, the next day, for an island 
which Mr. Wilson supposed he saw ; but not finding it in or near the 
situation assigned, and he being himself doubtful whether it might 
not have been a cloud, I did not bestow longer time in the search, 
but steered for the island of Clermont Tonnere, wLich was seen on 
the 18th. ILis island bears a very close resemblance to Hood’s 
Island, but was inhabited, and clothed with cocoa-nut trees. The 
sea broke so heavily upon all parts of the shore that there was 
