violence was attempted, but Lieutenant Case reported the impracticability of landing without opposition, and injury to themselves and natives. They received several presents, but they had no fruit to give in return, as their cocoa-nuts were tabooed. They gave, in exchange, some articles, consisting of cloth, fish-hooks, adzes, and pearl-shells. Among the articles seen in their possession, was a fine silk pockethandkerchief, showing that they had had communication not long since with vessels. They refused to part with their spears or clubs. Their adzes were rudely made, but ground very sharp; they were formed of the tridachna or cassis shell, lashed on a handle somewhat resembling our adze-handles. Knives were also observed in their possession.

The remainder of the day was employed in surveying the island, which not being finished by night, we lay-to in order to complete it the next day. On the 25th, the Peacock and Porpoise were ordered on one side of the island, the Vincennes and tender on the other. Boats were lowered to effect a landing if possible, and trace the shores.

Wytoohee is formed of islets connected by a washed coral reef, of irregular shape, with a lagoon having many knolls in it, of various sizes, some four or five feet above the surface. The southeast portion is the largest and most thickly wooded, and contains the greatest number of inhabitants.

After the surveying duties were over, we found ourselves at the northwest point of the island. The natives who had refused to allow us to land, were now seen waving green boughs, which is the general sign of good-will, and a desire to have communication, and many were seen dancing on the beach, with their spears in their hands. I gave orders to send the boats to the shore, but on reaching it we found them still averse to our landing; they, however, assisted Mr. Couthouy through the surf to the beach; but when he had reached it, they surrounded him, and led him back very gently to the water, making him distinctly understand that they would not permit him to visit their huts. They were extremely desirous of obtaining buttons, pieces of iron, and cloth. We gave them several small articles, but they could not be persuaded to part with their spears and clubs. The chief, who was a very old man, was seen lying under a Pandanus tree, close to the beach, and on being told I wished to see him, and make him a present, he arose; his hair was quite gray, and he had a long and stiff white beard; his legs were enlarged with the elephantiasis, the swelling being of a white colour, and so large and regular that many thought he had on sailor's trousers. About twenty natives were with him on the beach. After being shown the presents I had for him, he was induced to wade into the water up to his neck to receive

them. On coming alongside the boat, he seemed somewhat uneasy, until he had gone through the ceremony of rubbing noses, which I must confess was any thing but agreeable with so dirty and diseased a person. He was extremely anxious to get hold of the presents, and amused us by at once plunging them under the water, seeming in no manner concerned about keeping them dry. He was all the while making a noise like the purring of a cat. In return for my presents, he at once offered me the short mantle of matting which he had over his shoulders.

They understood the Tahitian language. The chief gave his name as Korokoa, and the name of the island as Wytoohee. He appeared about sixty years of age, and his teeth were all sound and good.

His brother was the priest, to whom I also gave some presents. This man had a very remarkable head, the forehead being very high, and narrow almost to deformity, with a dark and suspicious bright eye. His hands were deformed, being destitute of joints, and the lower part bent at right angles. The son of the chief was a remarkably fine-looking lad of fifteen. We saw no women, as they had all been hid. The colour of these natives was much darker than those seen before; in some the hair was inclined to frizzle, and the beard curly. All the grown men that I saw had mustaches; their features were strongly marked with a good-humoured expression of countenance; they wore the maro, and some had a few feathers in their hair.

The boats of the Peacock succeeded in landing on the east side of the island, where the coral reef shelves at about an angle of 10°, and having the wind blowing obliquely on it, there is comparatively little surf. Some half a dozen natives were here seen; an officer approached them making signs of friendship, which they returned. At first they seemed quite timid, meeting the advances made in a manner which showed that they were anxious to propitiate us, but still fearful. They were reassured of our good-will by offering them some small presents, when two old men came forward, holding their arms upright above their heads, with their hands open, and became desirous of shaking hands, and even offered to rub noses. Each was armed with a stick, (for it could not be called a spear,) six or seven feet long: on some of them were fastened the jaws of the porpoise.

They appeared to be greatly astonished, and their looks bespoke amazement at our appearance. Occasionally, as if to satisfy themselves of the reality, they would put their hands on us. On receiving a few trifling presents, they broke forth into the same song or chaunt that was heard on their first coming towards the ship. The younger ones were the first to show confidence, and were much disposed to laugh and joke

with the men; and some of the officers thought they recognised those who had been in the canoes the day before.

NATIVES OF WYTOOHEE.

On our gentlemen requesting to go to their huts, they seemed to be thrown into a kind of stupid wonderment, but on being assured they had nothing to fear, their countenances brightened up, and they led the way through the wood to an open space, surrounded by pandanus and cocoa-nut trees. These natives had evidently had communication with vessels, but I very much doubt if any had landed before. They did not appear at all alarmed at the firing of guns, but were much surprised to see the birds killed, holding up their hands, and making ejaculations. They had no idea of the principles of barter, and allowed any thing to be taken without opposition, receiving any articles in return with gratitude and delight. Iron was prized more than any other thing. On reaching the huts, inquiry was made of them for their women, when a general burst of laughter ensued, and they gave us to understand, that they had penetrated our motive for visiting their island-" That as we inhabited an island without any women, we wanted to have some." Nothing more was said to them on the subject. They accompanied us to the boats, and at parting went through the same ceremonies of rubbing noses, shaking hands, and raising their arms with the palms towards us. According to the estimate I made of the inhabitants, the number was about ninety. From the great age of the chiefs, and the

absence of wounded or scarred individuals, I should conclude they lived in peace. They, however, gave their neighbours on the small island to the west (which they called Otooho), a very bad name. Water in small quantities is to be had on the eastern section of the island, and a little biche-de-mar might be taken on the reefs. A small rat was very troublesome to the natives. This island has some Cocoanut, Bread-fruit, and Pandanus trees; the Pisonia, Tournefortia, and the shrubs that are common to the low islands, also grow upon it.

The huts of the natives scarcely deserve the name; they are merely four or five poles, with both ends stuck in the ground, forming an arch on which strips are tied, and over these the leaves of the cocoa-nut, mats, and grass, are laid. They are about six or eight feet long, four feet high, and about five feet wide, barely sufficient to keep out the sun, and entirely useless as a protection from rain.

Their utensils are small, and seemed ill adapted to their use. Their baskets were suspended from the tops of their huts and from trees. The natives seemed destitute of tapa. No anchorage was found at this

island.

At nightfall the squadron was put under short sail, supposing that the current by the morning would take us to the leeward near Otooho, a distance of ten miles. It lies west-northwest of Wytoohee, distant twelve and one-third miles, and is distinctly seen from it, like a round knoll. This appearance is owing to the trees upon it, for the land is as low as coral islands usually are. We found by the morning, that the current had been about one mile per hour to the west, and therefore much stronger than I anticipated; we were in consequence some distance to leeward of the island. With the light wind, I knew the ship could not reach it before the afternoon. I immediately sent the naturalists on board the tender Flying-Fish, and gave orders to endeavour to land them if possible, and then to pass around the island and survey it, which could not be accomplished. The survey was finally completed by the boats of the Vincennes and Peacock. The naturalists endeavoured to effect a landing, but were opposed

by some dozen natives, who were resolute in preventing them from going beyond the water's edge; in other respects, they were disposed to be quite friendly.

The chief was an old man, and was induced to venture off towards the boat. One of the gentleman swam to those on shore; his reception was similar to that met with at the other islands: rubbing noses, kissing, and shaking of hands. Whenever he attempted to lay his hands on them, they started back, but were continually pawing and whining over him, making a kind of purring noise, not unlike that by which we propitiate or soothe the feelings or doubtful temper of some beast. They presented them with mats made of the pandanus-leaf, and also pieces of worn-out tapa, in return for many articles received, but would not suffer our people to put their feet upon dry ground, and when it was attempted, kept shoving them gently into the water.

The naturalists in the afternoon endeavoured to effect a landing at another place, out of sight of the natives, and succeeded. Mr. Brackenridge, on landing the second time, ran to the thicket, in order to lose no time in making collections, and was employed in gathering specimens, when two stout natives came running up, and made him understand, by very intelligible signs, that he must return to the boat; he pretended not to understand them, and endeavoured to proceed, but they went before him, and crossed their clubs, determined that he should go no farther. This caused him to laugh, in which the two natives joined. Finding there was no alternative, he took an oblique direction towards the boat, hoping by this means to enlarge his collection, which he succeeded in doing, while the natives, as he describes it, shouldered him out of the bush, and then towards the boat. The rest of the party having gone up to the huts, were at once seized and shoved down towards the boat, and into the surf, where they presented rather a ludicrous appearance, with the danger of drowning on the one side, and the natives on the other, who had them completely in their power, as they had neither arms nor any other means of defence. No harm, however, was done them, but the alarm incident to being threatened with spears. The only mishap met with was the loss, by one of the gentlemen, of a pair of spectacles, and a bruise or two from the coral, in their hurried retreat. As the surf was heavy, life-preservers were sent to those who could not swim; and after much detention, they reached the boat in safety. Had such a circumstance occurred at Clermont de Tonnerre, I am satisfied that most serious consequences would have resulted to us.

The superficial extent of the island of Otooho is about a square mile; it has no lagoon, is well covered with trees, and has fresh water