portions of it, there is a coral bank, from one to one and a half miles beyond the reef, on which there is ten fathoms water. At the distance. of four miles from the northwest end of the island, they found soundings in two hundred and sixty-five fathoms.

The island is partially covered with cocoa-nut, pandanus, and other trees; and the islets of which it is formed are nearly continuous, connected by the usual coral reef. They had no communication with the natives of Nanouti. A daily intercourse is kept up between it and the Drummond Islanders. It was thought there was no difference in their characters. The distance between them is but fifteen miles.

From the north point of this island, there was a small island in sight, which was at first supposed to be Duperrey's Isle du Nord; but if it be, instead of being located to the northward, as he has placed it, it bears nearly south of the north extreme of Nanouti. They found, on proceeding towards it, that it was a hummock, connected by a reef with Nanouti; but no Sable Island could be seen. The tender passed round the opposite side of Nanouti, and did not see any island; and the officers of both vessels are fully convinced that no Sable Island exists. On the night of the 10th, they had much thunder and lightning, with a heavy swell from the northeast.

At daylight on the 11th, they made Henderville Island, called by the natives Nanouki. The weather was too unfavourable to proceed with the survey. Simpson or Harbottle, Hopper, and Woodle Islands, were in sight. The weather continued stormy, with heavy thunder and lightning.

On the 12th, they succeeded in surveying Henderville Island, and connected it with Woodle Island. Towards night they again had stormy weather, with the wind from the eastward. Henderville Island was determined to be in latitude 00° 11' N., and longitude 173° 39′ 20" E. This island is six and a half miles long, east and west, and five and a half miles wide at the east end, diminishing to two miles at the west end: it is of coral formation. There are two towns on the west end, and several on the east and southeast parts, and it is thickly inhabited. The natives who came on board said that the two ends of the island were at war with each other. They are very much the same in appearance as the natives of Drummond's Island; were naked, and spoke the same dialect. These natives knew of the islands in their immediate vicinity, as well as the direction of Taputeouea, or Drummond's Island, and gave them the name of being inhabited by a savage and hostile people. This island affords neither wood, water, nor refreshments: from appearances, its inhabitants must be at times much stinted for food. They brought off nothing except a few cocoa-nuts;

but the object of their errand was not to be misunderstood, for in each canoe there was a woman, which I think does not speak much in the praise of the whalers or other ships that frequent this cruising-ground. While on board, one of the natives gave them an exhibition of a dance, which was different from those before seen, inasmuch as it consisted of a variety of motions and moving from one place to another, in quick steps, and in throwing about the arms, with many contortions of the body, and vehement gesticulations. The dance was accompanied with a kind of song or chaunt, consisting of the monotonous repetition of words, uttered in a short, quick, and distinct tone; each dance was finished with an outstretched hand, and an earnest cry of tebake.

It was next determined to survey Hall's Island, called by the natives Maiana, as the fair wind and the night would enable Captain Hudson to accomplish it and return to complete that of Woodle Island, or Kuria. Maiana is of coral formation; the northeast and southeast parts are continuous land, whilst to the southwest and northwest it consists of a reef and bank, in some places awash, with a sand-spit in its lagoon. The western sides of the island are therefore very dangerous, and should be approached with caution, as the sea seldom breaks on them, and the discolouration of the water is not at all times to be observed. The natives of this island have the same appearance as those already spoken of, and use the same dialect: only one canoe came off, and held a short communication with the ship. The island. appears to be thickly inhabited, but its natives have had little intercourse with the whites. It affords neither refreshments, wood, nor water. The survey makes this island nine miles long, in a northeast and southwest direction, and six miles in width, in a southeast and northwest direction: it is situated in latitude 00° 56′ 45′′ N., and longitude 173° 04′ 15′′ E. On its west side, on some of the banks, there is anchorage in from ten to fifteen fathoms of water.

On the morning of the 15th, they made the island of Apamaina, the Hopper Island of Duperrey, and the Simpson's Island of the charts of Arrowsmith. It is about five feet above the surface of the ocean; is ten miles long, northwest and southeast, and five miles in width, north and south. The land is continuous on the north and east sides, excepting two small strips of bare reef. There is anchorage on the west side in an opening between the reef and the northwest point of the island, which is about two miles wide. The soundings vary from two to five fathoms across it, in some places, the bottom is broken coral; in cthers, it is coral sand. The entrance to the lagoon, although feasible, should not be attempted through this passage; but there is a good passage into it on the southeast side of the island, which is a mile

wide. A survey was made of this island, and its anchorages examined. The boats when ashore communicated with the natives, who resemble those of the adjacent islands. It has a large population, but yields little more than will supply their wants. A small quantity of fresh water may be had by digging on the beaches: wood and refreshments are not procurable for shipping.

This island is situated in latitude 00° 27′ 21′′ N., and longitude 173° 57′ 30′′ E.: it has heretofore been represented as two islands on the charts, called on one Simpson's, and the other Hopper and Harbottle; but there is only one, joined by the same reef.

They next returned to Kuria or Woodle's Island.

On the 16th, while engaged in the survey, some canoes came off to the ship, when the natives came on board without hesitation,— an evidence of their having had communication with ships, and their confidence of good treatment. It was soon reported, that a white man was coming off; and, as in all such cases, he was looked for and watched with great interest, and various surmises were made relative to his origin and history. They were not long left in doubt, for before he reached the deck, his voice bespoke him an Irishman. He was dressed in a pair of duck trousers and red flannel shirt, and announced himself as "John Kirby, a deserter from the English whale-ship Admiral Cockburn." He said he had been on the island for three years; that he was living with the daughter of the principal chief; and solicited a passage to some civilized place.

The principal chief of the island, with his daughter, whom Kirby had for a wife, came on board with him. They both seemed deeply affected, when they learned that he had received permission to remain on board, and was about to leave them; and both endeavoured to dissuade him from going.

His wife showed much concern, and wished to accompany him: the old chief, her father, endeavoured to persuade him to take her. Finding she could not prevail, she requested as a parting gift, an old jackknife, the only property he had left to give. Several presents were made to her by the officers and men, which reconciled her somewhat to her lot. The natives all left the ship much gratified, excepting Kirby's wife, who continued to be somewhat downhearted.

Kirby proved an intelligent man: he understood the language, and was well acquainted with the character, manners, and customs of the islanders, among whom he had lived from the 11th of February, 1838, to the 15th of April, 1841. His presence in the ship afforded Captain Hudson an opportunity, not only of communicating with the natives

more freely, but of obtaining much interesting information relative to this group.

Kuria or Woodle's Island has four towns on it which Kirby estimates to contain between four and five thousand inhabitants. Its geographical position is in latitude 0° 14' 30" N., longitude 173° 27′ E.: its greatest length is five miles, northwest and southeast, and its greatest width, which is at the southeast end, is two and a half miles. The remainder is very narrow, and almost divided towards the centre. The northwest portion has two small lagoons, two or three hundred yards from the beach; the water in them is not so salt as the ocean. In one of them, the bottom consists of red mud on one side, while it is a white clay on the other. They are used as fish-ponds by the chiefs. There is a reef extending to the northwest nearly three miles.

The island is but partially clothed with trees, consisting of cocoanut, pandanus, and a few stunted bread-fruit. It has no outer reef, and may be approached very closely. It affords neither wood, water, nor refreshments. The natives who visited the ship brought off very little for trade fish-hooks and lines, small mats, cocoa-nut syrup, and a few cocoa-nuts, composed their whole stock.

The females that accompanied the canoes wore the maro, and were thought to be better-looking than the others of the group; but their whole manner was in keeping with the purposes for which their fathers and brothers had brought them off.

No war implements were seen; the men, who were naked, resembled the others of the group, except that they did not appear so much disfigured by scars.

Kirby states, that on the first night of his landing, they stripped him of every thing but an old pair of trousers, after which he was conducted to a great conclave of natives, assembled around a large fire, which he then believed was intended to roast him. He had fortunately gone on shore in the highest chief's canoe, and placed himself under his protection, as well as he knew how. After some considerable talk, instead of being roasted, he was furnished with a wife, and taken to reside with his friend, the principal chief, who, with the rest of the natives, ever after treated him kindly. After a few months' residence in the family of the chief, he gave his own daughter to Kirby for a wife. The result of this was much jealousy and envy between his first wife, of common origin, and his last, of high rank, until the former was ousted and sent back to her parents, leaving the chief's daughter in quiet possession of the house.

During Kirby's residence on the island, several English, and one American whaler, had been off the island, on which occasions he had

neen employed as pilot and interpreter. The natives were constantly asking him, after their departure, why he "did not fool the vessels and run them on shore, that they might plunder them." One of the above vessels left two pigs, two goats, and a pair of Muscovy ducks ; but no sooner had the vessel left, than they killed them all, from 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 flesh; but their food is generally fish. They do not eat fowls, and will not raise pigs, on account of their filth. Their treacle is extracted from the spathes of the cocoa-nut trees, an operation which, if frequently repeated, destroys the tree. They are very fond of cock-fighting.

The conduct of foreigners who visit these islands is sometimes of a most outrageous character. Instances of this kind are daily occurring, a number of which came to my knowledge; and the following occurrence it seems to me is of a character that ought to be made public, in order to bring such conduct, and the persons who are guilty of it, to the notice of their own nation.

Some four or five months before the Peacock's visit, Kirby states. that one Leasonby, master of the whale-ship Offley, of London, and whose mate was an American, named Lake, landed six young girls on this island, whom he had obtained at Peru, or Francis Island. After