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could see as yet. It appeared to be indented on the east side with three large bays: between the centre and south bay, on a headland there was a larger village than I had before seen among these islands.

The coast is fronted by a coral reef which lies two miles off shore in most places, and appeared to extend no farther along the coast from south than to that part where the shore took a north-west direction. It appeared from the ship that round the end of the reef, and between it and the most eastwardly part of the coast, there was a large open entrance to pass inside of the reef, where there would probably be found a good reef harbour. We saw one canoe under sail close to the reef, apparently standing out to meet us, but suddenly lost sight of her.

At 3 P.M. tacked to the eastward and shortened sail, it being now too late to send the boats ashore and allow of time to return before dark. At 5 P.M. tacked to south-west, and stood close to the wind on the larboard tack. At 6 our fate was nearly decided, and all my labour utterly destroyed, by the neglect of a man at the masthead who had the look-out.

It being generally dark about 6 P.M. since our arrival among these islands, I directed the chief officer to go aloft and take a look round the horizon. I went myself upon the forecastle to take a view of the coast ahead, when the

officer came down and informed me that no other island was in sight. I then gave orders to tack to the eastward for the night, and proceeded towards the poop; but in my way, on looking out of one of the ports, I was horror-struck at seeing the bottom quite plainly, and not more than three fathoms water alongside. The helm was instantly put down to bring the ship about. On raising tacks and sheets, the pin to which the main bowline was made fast broke, and allowed the main-sail to come moment I expected to fortunately she stayed. to heave the lead: on the first and second casts he found five and a half fathoms; the third, eight fathoms; and the fourth cast no bottom could be found with thirteen fathoms of line. The point or end of the before-mentioned reef was now in sight, bearing per compass southeast by south from one and a half to two miles; the extremes of the coast from S.E. to southwest by west. My business at Otooboa was to see if the chief of the Pawcorie tribe had arrived there with the Frenchman named Mara.

aback. At this critical see the ship strike, but By this time I got a man

9th.-Moderate trades with fine clear weather. The draughtsman and several seamen confined to their beds by fever and ague. I now experienced the utility of the South-Sea islanders both as boatmen and marines. In case of attack from the natives of the islands among which we

now were, I could not without them man two boats, for the lascars do not understand the use of arms, and are regarded with great contempt by the warriors of the South-Sea.

At daylight we had Mannicolo in sight bearS.E.and by S.per compass: Otooboa bore S.S. W.; and Santa Cruz or Indenney N.W. by W. These are all the islands we could see: there are several others however laid down on Captain Carteret's charts of this part, which do not exist. The only island to be seen from the ship in this situation is Otooboa; and the islanders now on board, and the Mannicolans, assert that there are no more on this side of Indenney. I make the latitude of Otooboa to be at its eastern part, 11° 11′ 18′′ S., and long. 166° 53′ E.

During my cruize off this island I had a full view of it, and could see nothing of Lord Edgecumbe's Island or New Lark of Carteret, nor of the three small islands laid down off the west

point of the former. In fact, no such islands - now exist, and Captain Carteret must have been deceived in thick weather, mistaking the peaked mountains on Otooboa for the four islands to which he has given a place on his chart to the west of this island.

At 7 A.M. sent two armed boats under the chief officer's command to Otooboa, accompanied by M. Chaigneau, Martin Bushart, Rathea, and the man who came from Manni

colo with us. At 4 P.M. they returned with two strange Tucopians; the officer reported that the reef which fronts the shore on the S.W. and S. and S.E. sides of the island extends nearly abreast of the east cape, where it breaks no farther. That from the part where the reef ceases to break a narrow coral spit runs along the line of the shore to the north-west as far as could be seen from the boats. That the water appeared deep enough for ships to pass over it to the shore, where there were several bays with good anchorage. They visited two native villages, at one of which the passenger from Mannicolo left them, and the two Tucopians embarked.

Martin Bushart recounts that on approaching the shore a fine large village opened to view, to which the boats pulled up. The people came to the beach, and were friendly, which reception, as he afterwards learnt, was caused by some Tucopian who resides on the island, and spoke to the natives in favour of the Europeans.

Here Martin landed with Rathea, and found that the greater part of the people were furnished with iron tools procured from Mannicolo. He inquired if they had seen the white man who left Mannicolo with the Pawcorie tribe; they said he had never been at their island. Martin then asked whether they could tell if he was on any of the islands to leeward: they

replied that there were several islands both to windward and leeward of Mannicolo, and he might be on one of them.

The houses of this village are much larger than those at Mannicolo, and laid out in streets crossing each other at right angles, with cocoanut trees planted on each side opposite the houses, forming an agreeable shade. The population is more numerous and healthy than at Mannicolo, and no scarcity of food appears. He proceeded two or three miles to the southeastward, where there is another village much larger. Here he landed, and found three Tucopians, who informed him that they wished to return home, or go with the ship to the Leeward Islands. He said they might embark in the boats, which they did, but one relanded to take leave of his sweetheart, and did not return. This village is laid out and planted like the former. He saw several pigs much larger than those at Mannicolo, but could not prevail on the natives to sell one, being, as they said, the property of the gods. He inquired here, as at the other village, for the Frenchman, and received similar answers. both places he made diligent search for any articles that might tend to elucidate the object in view, and was informed by the inhabitants that the only things they had were tokees (iron-ware). The oldest of the Tucopians never saw an Eu

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