CHAPTER XV.

PAUMOTU GROUP.

1839.

On the 13th July we had finished the necessary outfits and taken in our stores. The remainder of the latter were embarked in the storeship Relief, which was ordered to land a part of them at the Sandwich Islands, and the rest at Sydney, New South Wales, after which to proceed to the United States by the way of Cape Horn.

We took leave of our kind friends, Edwin Bartlett, Esq., United States Chargé d'Affaires, and Edward M'Call, Esq., United States Consul. To both of these gentlemen I am under many obligations for their kindness, and information in relation to the country and its affairs. Their long residence had made them familiar with those subjects; and many of the transactions they communicated had happened under their own eyes.

At 5 P. M., having a light breeze, the signal was made to get under way, and we were soon standing out of the bay under all canvass. Captain M'Keever accompanied us until we reached the point of San Lorenzo. On his taking leave, we expressed our thanks for the important aid he had rendered us, by giving him several hearty

cheers.

The day after our departure, we fell in with a Peruvian brig, from San Blas, in want of water, which we supplied. She had fallen to leeward of her port, and her people were reduced to much distress for want of that necessary article.

I had felt much anxiety lest the small-pox should make its appearance among us, and looked forward daily with apprehension to the hour when the sick reports were made. On the 14th my worst fears were realized, for the Peacock made signal that they had a case of that disease on board. It fortunately proved of a mild type, and no

other symptoms occurred that left any doubt of the entire extinction of the contagion. I was, therefore, greatly relieved, as day after day elapsed, to be assured that we had not only escaped so dreadful a scourge ourselves, but that there was no danger of its being communicated to the islanders.

Being now about to enter upon a new field of observation, in which we should necessarily come much in contact with the natives, I issued the following General Order, to guard against any misdemeanours, and insure a correct deportment in both officers and men, during our intercourse with the islanders.

GENERAL ORDER.

The undersigned, commanding the Exploring Expedition, informs the officers and crews under his command, that as they are now about to visit the Islands of the Pacific, and to have intercourse with their inhabitants, he wishes to inculcate on all in the squadron, that courtesy and kindness towards the natives, which are well understood and felt by all classes of mankind; and trusts that neither contempt of, nor interference with, their customs, habits, manners, and prejudices, nor arrogance over them will be shown by any one belonging to the squadron; bearing always in mind, that savage nations have but vague ideas of the rights of property, and that theft committed by them has been the great cause of collision between them and civilized nations.

He would therefore enjoin upon all great moderation in every thing respecting their intercourse with them, that no act of hostility will be committed, and that an appeal will be made rather to their good-will than to their fears.

That the manner of trading with them which will be established in the squadron, will be most strictly adhered to by all, and that in the event of difficulties or collision, all acts of force will be avoided, unless for self-protection; in short, our aim shall be peace, good-will, and proper decorum to every class, bearing constantly in mind, that the future intercourse of our countrymen with the natives of the islands we may visit, will very much depend on the impression made on their minds by us, and recollecting, that it is in the nature of the savage long to remember benefits, and never to forget injuries.

It therefore behooves us, wherever we go, to leave behind us, whether among civilized or savage nations, favourable impressions, not only as respects this national Expedition, but of our flag and countrymen. The Commander-in-chief feels a confidence in relying on the officers and crews to carry out these views, from their good and exemplary

conduct heretofore, and trusts that he will not have to regret the confidence he reposes in them.

Any acts inconsistent with these views, will meet with the most exemplary punishment.

(Signed)

CHARLES WILKES, Commanding Exploring Expedition.

July 13th, 1839.

United States Ship Vincennes.

I had determined, on leaving Callao, to take up the examination of the Paumotu Group, recommended to the Expedition by that distinguished navigator and promoter of science, Admiral Krusenstern, whose notes were made a part of my instructions, and have been already referred to in Appendix V. I therefore steered for the island of Minerva, or Clermont de Tonnerre, one of the most eastern of the Paumotu Group, or Cloud of Islands, as the name implies. I deemed this to be the most interesting point at which to begin our surveys, and the researches of our naturalists, particularly as it was inhabited, and would thus enable us to trace the inhabitants from one end of Polynesia to the other, across the Pacific. At the same time, it afforded a very desirable point for magnetic observations, and a visit to it would also enable me to settle a dispute between the two distinguished English and French navigators, Captains Beechey and Duperrey, relative to its geographical position. The longitude adopted for Callao, from which our measurements were made, was 79° 11' 10" W. This I found to correspond well with that of Valparaiso, the meridian distance between the two being 5° 31′ 50′′.

On the 14th we found the current setting to the northwest-by-west three quarters of a mile per hour.

The 15th, at one hundred and twenty miles from the land, we had changed the temperature of the surface to 67°, being a difference of 7°. At three hundred fathoms depth, it was found to be 51°. This day the current was found setting south-half-east, half a mile per hour.

The 16th brought several showers of rain, the first we had experienced since the 8th of June, off Valparaiso. Here we again tried the current, but found none. I now continued the usual experiments on the deep-sea temperature, dips, variation, currents, the visibility of a white object in water, and the dip of the horizon, for which I must refer the reader to the tabular results, only mentioning such as are generally interesting.

On the 18th, the surface water was 70°, and at two hundred and ninety fathoms depth, 50°.

On the 24th, in longitude 99° 39′ W., we found the current setting