APPENDIX. 
254 
No. IV. 
EXTRACT FROM LIEUTENANT MALDEN’S OFFICIAL 
ACCOUNT OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
His Majesty’s ship Blonde remained moored in the port of Hido, 
now Byron Bay, a month, during which time an accurate survey of 
the anchorage was taken. The Blonde being the first man-of-war that 
had ever been in it, it was named Byron Bay in honour of his Lord- 
ship. This name was readily received by the natives, and the powerful 
queen, Kahumanu, issued positive directions for it to be called by no 
other appellation. 
The western side of the bay runs nearly north and south about 
nine miles; the eastern, E.N.E. and W.S.W. about one-third that 
distance. The anchorage, in six or seven fathoms, stiff muddy bottom, 
is protected from the N.E., to which it is apparently open, by a coral 
reef half a mile in breadth, extending from the eastern point, in a 
W.N.W. direction, two-thirds across the bay, leaving a channel three 
quarters of a mile broad between it and the western shore, with ten 
and eleven fathoms in it. When the N.E. trade blows strong, which 
it frequently does, a heavy surf breaks upon the reef, but the water 
inside remains as smooth as a mill-pond. The anchorage is exposed 
to only one point of the compass, viz. from N. by W. to N., from which 
quarter the wind never blows hard in the summer, and but very rarely 
in the winter. An American missionary, who had been residing here 
two or three years, stated, that he had only witnessed one northerly 
gale, and that the sea occasioned by it would not have been felt by a 
frigate. The surrounding scenery is the most beautiful of the Sand¬ 
wich Islands ; every part is covered with verdure, and is in general 
thickly wooded; but towards the sea-side the trees are detached in 
separate groups, giving the appearance of the artificial arrangement of 
an English park. Numerous rapid streams, hurrying down the deep 
