plates; a pewter vessel resembling a porter-pot, with the handle and brim bruised; a copper hoop, with a mark on it bearing a strong resemblance to a fleur de lis; and five pieces of iron bolt of various lengths and sizes much oxydized. I conjecture that the copper hoop belonged to a powder barrel.

At 2 P.M., it being low water, I set out with the long-boat to buoy the channel, which I had attempted to do yesterday without success. We succeeded, although the weather was unfavourable to our purpose, the wind blowing strong, and the sun every five minutes being overcast with clouds, which prevented us from discovering during the intervals of dulness the spots we were in quest of. The natives brought off several rattans for sale, quite as good as those procured at Malacca, which may in time become an article of commerce with New South Wales for couch and chair-bottoms, &c., which is now supplied with that article from Calcutta and Canton.

A poor islander came alongside to-day grievously afflicted with a disease in the testicles, such as I have seen a Spaniard labour under at Otaheite. Without exaggeration, this wretched man's parts were swollen to the size of an English half-barrel of gunpowder. The islanders on board made the poor fellow's infirmities a subject of merriment, at which I evinced my

displeasure so effectually as to check their illdirected mirth. Feeling for the poor creature's situation, I sent him two or three yards of blue gurrah which he received with gratitude, and taking a dozen of tortoise-shell rings from his ears, sent them to me as an acknowledgment.

The surgeon and I had paid particular attention to the health of the pig on which I tried the experiment of the poisoned arrow, and could not as yet perceive any alteration in the animal's health; he relished his meals, and eat with a keen appetite. The wound was somewhat festered, and an issue from it had taken place.

28th.-Strong trades approaching to a gale, with thick cloudy weather, and a heavy long swell rolling into the bay; the effects of which we experienced in no small degree, notwithstanding we were well shut in with the land. If the ship had been anchored half-way between her present situation and the shore, she would have been clear of all dangers that might arise either from the wind or sea. The weather being so boisterous, I did not attempt to get under weigh to run through Dillon's Passage. I visited it with boats, sounded over its various parts, and let go some more buoys, as guides for going through when the weather would permit.

A canoe from Whannow came off, out of which I procured the bent or elbow part of an iron knee, with a very large iron ship's bolt and a

small one. The large bolt did not appear to have been long out of water, I was therefore led to suppose that some remains of the wrecks might yet be found on the reefs, if we could hit on the spot where the accident occurred. I accordingly determined to anchor the ship in a more secure part of the bay, and set out myself with four boats to examine the surface of the reefs from Whannow to Denimah.

In good weather the reef which surrounds the east, south, south-west, and west sides of this island, is dry from half ebb to half flood, and on the highest tides has not more than four feet water in most places, while others are always dry. During heavy gales from the above points, a dreadful sea breaks over these coral buttresses, and may run twenty feet high over the reef into the bays, harbours and roads that separate it from the main island. The reefs off the north side of the island have in most places from nine to twelve feet water on them at ebb tide, and it seldom breaks, which renders them the more dangerous to shipping.

29th. At daylight, began to unmoor the ship. At 8 A.M. I took the opinion of the draughtsman, who was now second in command in case of accident, and the chief officer, what passage we ought to pursue in going out: the former was of opinion that we might go out the same way we came in ; while the latter, with myself, was

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of opinion that we ought to proceed through Dillon's Passage, buoyed off yesterday.

As we had to go round the island once more in the boats, I thought the ship had better remain in this bay, so as to proceed through Dillon's Passage on the spring tides, when there would be five or six feet more water on the banks in the channel than at present. We therefore warped the ship closer in shore toward the watering place, and moored her in twenty-five fathoms at 4 P.M. I then got four boats ready, to make a tour round the island to-morrow.

We had no canoes off till late this afternoon, when four came, from one of which I procured the upper part of a crow-bar, with the claws complete, a piece of iron bolt, and a preventerchain-plate.

Though five nights had passed since the experiment made on the pig with the poisoned arrow, the animal appeared still in perfect health.

30th. At 8 o'clock this morning I sailed with four boats containing twenty-nine armed men, for the purpose of making a complete survey of the island and reefs round by the east and south sides, so as to ascertain, if possible, the exact spot on which the two ships had been wrecked.

On sounding Research's Head, it blew a strong gale from the south-east, with the sea running so high as to endanger the safety of any other

than a whale-boat. At 7 A.M. made signal to the other boats to bear up and stand after me round by the north and west sides of the island. We shortly after passed through Dillon's Channel and round Cape Hayes.

We landed on Cape Harrington, where we found a few people from Whannow, who came there to plant tara, sugar-cane, and bananas. I soon discovered that they possessed nothing of consequence from the wrecks; but one of them had a piece of a green glass tube put transversely through the gristle of his nose, which I prevailed upon him to part with. I inquired where he found it: he said "on the reef where the ship was lost near Paiow." It measured 28 inches, and was shaped exactly like the glass of a thermometer in which the quicksilver is deposited.

We sailed from hence with a brisk gale, and at 11 A.M. reached Whannow, where such inhabitants as were in the village came to the beach to receive Mr. Russell, M. Chaigneau, and my. self, and conducted us to the spirit-house, where mats were placed for us to sit upon. Some cocoa-nuts and cooked turtle were then set before us, which the villagers represented as excellent. They informed us that most of the inhabitants were abroad upon different parts of the island at their plantations, and said that they had good success yesterday in fishing, having