Murray's largest island is nearly two miles long, by something more than one in breadth; it is rather high land, and the hill at its western end may be seen from a ship's deck at the distance of eight or nine leagues, in a clear day. The two smaller isles seemed to be single hills, rising abruptly from the sea, and to be scarcely accessible; nor did we see upon them any fires, or other marks of inhabitants. On the shores of the large island were many huts, surrounded by palisades, apparently of bamboo; cocoa-nut trees were abundant, both on the low grounds and the sides of the hills, and plantains, with some other fruits, had been brought to us. There were many Indians sitting in groups upon the shore, and the seven canoes which came off to the ship in the morning, contained from ten to twenty men each, or together, about a hundred. If we suppose these hundred men to have been one half of what belonged to the islands, and to the two hundred men add as many women and three hundred children, the population of Murray's Isles will amount to seven hundred; of which nearly the whole must belong to the larger island. The _latitude_ of the highest hill, deduced from that of the ship at the following noon, is 9° 54' south, and _longitude_ by the time keeper corrected, 144° 2' east; being 3' north, and 20' east of its position by captain Edwards. A regular tide of about one knot an hour set E. by S. and W. by N., past the ship; and by her swinging, it was high water at half an hour after midnight, or about _ten hours and a half after_ the moon had passed over the meridian. The bottom seemed to be loose at our anchorage; but were these islands examined, it is probable that better ground and shelter would be found on their western sides. I distinguished from the mast head the north end of a reef, three miles distant to the W. N. W.; but could not see whether it joined the reef surrounding the large island. At N. N. W. ¾ W. four miles, was the south-west end of another reef; and when we got under way at half past eight in the morning, our course was directed between the two. Ripplings of a suspicious appearance caused the whale boat to be kept ahead for some time; but finding no ground upon them with 30 fathoms, and the breeze becoming fresh, the boat was called on board. At 9h 40' the following bearings were taken: Darnley's Island, highest part, N. 39° W. Murray's Islands, the largest, S. 58° to 40 E. Murray's Islands, two smaller, nearly touching, S. 36 to 27 E. Rippling off the N. end of a reef, dist. ½ mile, S. W. ½ W. East end of a reef, distant 1½ miles, N. 6 E. Mr. Westall's second view of Murray's Isles was taken from this position. (Atlas Pl. XVIII. View 11.)