fishery, and in the course of time, by continual emigrations and the natural increase of population, would so multiply as to establish a new nation within their precincts, and wage hostilities with them.

It appears from the accounts of the Tucopians and Anutoans, that in the days of their ancestors these islands were invaded by five large double canoes from Tongataboo, the crews of which committed dreadful outrages, destroyed the plantations, robbed the houses, violated the females, and murdered the males.

At 6 P.M. I was not more than forty miles off Tucopia, upon which account I shortened sail and stood to the north-east for the night, that I might not pass the island before daylight.

5th.-Strong trades, with light squalls and mizzling rains at intervals. At half-past seven this morning the island of Tucopia was seen from the poop bearing W.S.W. twenty-one miles. Hauled up S.W. by S. to pass round to the southward of it. On passing round its south side, I observed several natives on the beach, but not one canoe; a circumstance at which I wondered much, as upon my two former visits to this island several canoes put off from this part of the shore. At 111⁄2 the ship was abreast of the west point of the island, which is near its centre. Here there were several hundreds of natives

upon the beach, and though I was not more than three-quarters of a mile from them, there was not a canoe yet to be seen, nor the least perceptible attempt on the part of the islanders to put off to the ship.

I could not account for this seeming coolness, which appeared the more extraordinary as contrasted with their conduct on all former occasions, when every canoe in the island used to be alongside the ship before she had approached within a league of the shore. Under these circumstances, I apprehended that some ship had been here since my last visit, and that a misunderstanding had taken place between the crew and islanders. I now sent the chief officer in charge of an armed boat to land Martin Bushart, for the purpose of opening an intercourse with the natives, so as to enable me to carry into effect the orders of the Government, which directed me to procure interpreters here for the Mannicolos. After landing Bushart, I ordered the officer to sound along shore for a place where the ship might anchor.

Got an indifferent observation at noon, which shewed the latitude of the north-east point of the island to be 12° 16′ S., and the longitude of its centre 168° 58′ E.

About 2 P.M. recalled the boat from sounding by signal of a gun, the officer having taken a

wrong direction, and pointed out to him how he was to act. I then despatched him again to seek for anchorage, and during the interval two canoes came off, paddled or rowed by five men each. Eight of these leaped into the water and swam to the gangway, where they caught hold of ropes, and came upon deck with the greatest unconcern. On seeing the New Zealanders, they inquired from what country the Marquis of Whymattee and the others came, and appeared much astonished at their tattooed faces. The two canoes shoved off for the shore, leaving the eight men on board the Research. I made a tack to the south-west, and stood back for the island, and on reaching

it night was approaching fast. Five of my eight visitors returned on shore in some of the canoes that came off to us, leaving the other three to spend the night on board.

At 4 P.M. the boat returned, the officer having sounded all along the west side of the island, and at a half cable's length from the shore found fifty fathoms water. Twelve fathoms outside of that he had one hundred and two fathoms to leeward of a small reef that ran off the south-west point of the island he had fifty fathoms at two cable-lengths from the reef. Soundings coral and coarse sand.

Martin Bushart, with the Tucopian, lascar,

and one of the .islanders, returned in the boat, and shortly after them an Englishman came out of a canoe upon deck, without having first obtained permission, for which reason I ordered him back to his canoe. I inquired of the lascar who this European was, and learnt that about four months ago a ship's long-boat, sloop-rigged, had anchored off the west side of the island. The crew, consisting of five Englishmen, landed, represented themselves as having belonged to the ship Mary of Liverpool, Captain Williams, employed in the South-sea whale fishery, which had been wrecked on a low island to the eastward of Tucopia, from which those in the boat escaped as just described. He said, however, that they told many different stories concerning their wreck and ship, which induced him to doubt the truth of the whole tale. These men with the lascar were the only foreigners I found on the island. My informant further stated to me, that a ship had come off the west side of the island shortly after the St. Patrick's departure from hence, but that all his intreaties could not induce the natives to take him off to her, and she bore away without having any intercourse with the shore.

The Tucopians robbed the five Englishmen of every thing they possessed, and broke up their boat in order to procure the nails in her.

These tidings tended to confirm my suspicions that some cause existed for keeping the islanders at so great a distance. He further informed me that one canoe was run away with about six months ago by some young lads of Tucopia, who went in it to Mannicolo, where they were well received and kindly treated by the natives; and after having refreshed there for six days they returned to their native island, without having experienced any dangers on the passage.

These accounts I received from the lascar, who appears, notwithstanding a residence here of fourteen years, not to be tired of his secluded life. I tried all in my power to prevail upon him to accompany me to Mannicolo, but without effect. As an objection to proceeding with us, he observed in the first place, that he was an old man and quite unable to work, and that if he returned to his native country he must either beg or starve; alternatives he did not choose to adopt while plenty awaited him in Tucopia. Further, that he had lost his caste, and would therefore be disowned by his friends and relations, who would regard him as an infidel; that among Christians he would be similarly circumstanced, and neither party owning him for a member, he would be an outcast from all. Besides this, he had a wife at Tucopia whom he tenderly loved, and whom he would never