on my part, cloaked under the specious shew of generosity, I could not decide.

At 4 o'clock four other canoes came alongside, three of them paddled by three men each, and the fourth by four men, which had a mast and sail, and was somewhat larger than the others. They brought a few cocoa-nuts, a little tara,* and four small fish, which had been killed with arrows (the people of Mannicolo being excellent marksmen); but as the arrows with which these fish had been killed might be poisoned, I ordered them to be thrown into the sea.

In one of the canoes was a man with a very pleasing countenance, whose first inquiry was for Rathea. I found that I could understand several words which he spoke, though I had never before visited this island. He asked where was Rathea of Tucopia, and where was Billow (meaning Martin Bushart). I made him understand that they were both on shore. This man was employed by his countrymen to trade for them, and he behaved more liberally than the proprietor of the first canoe with whom I had dealings that morning. I threw him a rope by which he made the canoe fast, and then I lowered another, to which he attached the several

* A species of root often weighing three or four pounds, used as an article of food in the South Sea islands, as the bread-fruit, potatocs, and yams, are elsewhere; but the tara is much superior to any of these.

articles he intended to dispose of successively, as I hauled them up, nor did he demand any thing in return till the whole cargo was transshipped, and he then appeared perfectly content with the articles I thought proper to send him in exchange. The articles most sought for here I find are Tongataboo and Tucopia cloths. They appear to have abundance of iron tools, which consequently decrease in their relative value to other articles. The iron was no doubt procured originally from the unfortunate la Pérouse's ships, and has been manufactured in a rude manner by them into tools, after the pattern of those used by the Frenchmen in building their brig.

In one of the canoes was an aged chief, of about sixty-five or seventy years old, who I supposed to be the man that promised to come on board to-day when the boats were ashore yesterday; and I might have procured much valuable information from him, had not my interpreters been unluckily on shore at the time.

The Mannicolans are exactly the same description of people as inhabit Santa Cruz, which they call Indenney. Their implements of war, ornaments, clothing, &c. are all similar. I had an interview with several of the Santa Cruz people in May 1826, and was able to form my comparisons accurately from personal observation. They are jet black with woolly hair,

which is combed backward and tied behind, being then bagged, and hanging from the top of the head to the pole of the neck, resting on the shoulders. They have a band about four inches wide girt round the waist, from which a bit of cloth, such as is used among the islands in the Pacific, is made fast in front, passed between the legs, and then attached to the girdle behind. They have necklaces of white shells, several bracelets of a white and black colour on the arm above the elbow, and generally from ten to twenty rings of tortoiseshell suspended from each ear. The gristle of the nose is perforated, and two white feathers of the domestic cock or hen introduced transversely. Their lips and teeth are red, which is occasioned by using lime and betle-nut. They want but one appendage more, viz. a pair of horns, to complete the appearance of his infernal majesty, as represented in the picture shops of London, for they are already furnished with a tail in the Fan-palm, which they thrust into their belts behind, and which tends not a little to heighten the resemblance.

At half past four the canoes left the ship, with assurances of returning next morning. A drawing and description of their canoes will accompany this work, for the gratification of the curious.

The boat returned about sunset unsuccessful,

having sailed along the reef from Lord Amherst's Island to the north-west point of the main island, and there observed the coast and reef to take a south-west direction. The town or village of Wannow stands on this spot, which I have called Murderers' Point, in memory of a number of Frenchmen who must have been killed here, on escaping from the wreck of their vessel which was cast away off

this part.

Within the reef was deep water in most places. But the reef runs along at a distance of from one to one and a-half and two miles off shore, without the least appearance of a passage through. The officers were of opinion, however, that by tracing the reef farther to the westward an entrance might be found.

10th.-Light variable airs. Being of opinion that there was a passage from sea through the reef into Charles Lushington Bay, I despatched two armed boats at 5 A.M., with directions to pull in for the extreme point of the reef off Lord Combermere's Island, and row close alongside of it, so as to discover a passage, if such existed, and on no account to omit examining every fathom of the reef as they passed along. This last injunction I laid particular stress on, being apprehensive that the last survey was made with less care than the importance of the question at issue demanded. We were at this

time about five miles to northward of the island, and consequently not more than two miles from the reefs.

Having expected some canoes from the shore to-day, I detained Rathea and Martin Bushart on board. At noon four canoes came off, and I succeeded in persuading one man out of each to come on deck, which I accomplished by having Rathea in the ship. Among our visitors was a man whom I supposed to be about sixty or sixty-five years of age, from whom I expected to obtain most important information; but I was baulked by the stupidity of my Tucopian interpreter. The Tucopian language is a mixed dialect, compounded of the Otaheitan, New Zealand, and Feejee languages, all of which I understand very well. Thus I could comprehend the greater part of what Rathea said, while I was unable to ask him a single question. To obviate this difficulty, I employed Bushart as an intermediate interpreter between him and me; but was much vexed to find that, notwithstanding Martin's long residence upon Tucopia (about thirteen years), his knowledge of that language was very imperfect. To add further to my annoyance, Bushart was a Prussian, and not thoroughly acquainted with the English language, in which I was forced to put my questions to him; and he, to the best of his ability, communicated it to the Tucopian, who,