156 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP. sale. The only article they would not part with, though we offered a 
higher price than it seemed to deserve, was a stick with a bunch of 
Jan. black tern feathers suspended to it. At Lagoon, and other islands 
which we visited both before and afterwards, the natives carried one or 
more of these sticks ; they are mentioned as being seen by the earliest 
voyagers, and are probably marks of distinction or of amity. 
These people so much resemble the Lagoon Islanders in person, 
manners, language, and dress, as to need no description : the island is 
also of the same formation, and has apparently the same productions. 
We noticed only one canoe ; but no doubt they have others, as a con- 
stant commmunication is kept up with the islands to windward. It 
may be recollected that it was upon this island Captain Wallis found 
all the natives collected who had deserted Queen Charlotte’s Island on 
his approach. Though these two places are many miles out of sight 
of each other, yet their canoes took the exact direction which, being 
afterwards followed by Captain Wallis, led to the discovery of the 
island. 
Next morning we saw land to the S. by E., which proved to be a small 
coral island, answering in situation nearly to that of Carysfort Island, 
discovered by Captain Edwards, but so small as to render it very un- 
likely that it should be the same. Though w^e ranged the shore very 
closely, we did not perceive any inhabitants. It was well wooded, and 
had several clusters of cocoa-nut trees. The next morning parties were 
sent to cut down some of the trees for fire- wood. The surf ran high 
upon the shore ; but, with the assistance of a small raft, a disembarka- 
tion was effected without any serious accident. Several of the officers, 
anxious to land upon this our first discovery in these seas, joined the 
party in spite of a sound ducking, which was the smallest penalty at- 
tached to the undertaking. In one of these attempts the Naturalist 
was unfortunately drawn into a deep hole in the coral by the recoil of 
the sea, and, but for prompt assistance, would in all probability have 
lost his life. 
The island proved to be only a mile and three-quarters in length, 
from north to south, and a mile and three-tenths in width. It con- 
sisted of a narrow strip of land of an oval form, not more than twm 
