During all the time we were at table, the crowd pressed round the verandahs, and perched themselves upon the walls and house-tops in the vicinity, or wherever they could get a peep at us. The satisfaction here was mutual, as we were anxious to make the most of the opportunity, not knowing if we should ever be allowed to land again. After sitting two hours we rose, and were escorted to the boats in the same order as when we landed. An attempt had been made during the feast, when the whole party were in good humour, to prevail upon the old gentleman to sanction our taking a walk into the town; but the bare mention of such a thing sobered the whole party in an instant, and the subject was accordingly dropped. The sailors, who had been kept in the boats for fear of their doing mischief, had not been neglected by the Chief, who had sent them part of the feast, nor did it seem that they had any objection to the sackee. We looked anxiously on the right and left as we passed through the crowd, in hopes of seeing some of the women, but in this expectation we were disappointed. At a considerable distance indeed, on the opposite side of the harbour, we saw a group of women, several of whom came down to the causeway to obtain a better view of the boats as they passed. Six or eight young girls ran to the pier head, round some rocks near the end; they reached this spot just as we rowed past, but looked quite frightened at finding themselves so near us, and immediately drew back out of our sight. We fancied that we could discover a good deal of beauty in some of their faces, and that their figures were handsome; but as we had not seen a fair lady's face for nearly half a year before, our judgment in this case is not perhaps to be depended on. Ookooma and his associates put off to accompany us in one of their own boats, but as it blew hard, they came no farther than the pier head: Jeeroo, however, was sent along with us, to see that there were no stray sheep. What is to follow is uncertain, but it is clear that we have made little progress of late, while fresh obstacles have been hourly rising against our landing; in the meantime, the Loo-chooans shew no little sagacity and kindness of disposition in supplying us liberally with all kinds of stock. 24th of September.--Last night and to-day it has blown a hard gale of wind, beginning at north north-east, and shifting to north-west, but the reefs and the land break its force, and enable us to ride in perfect security: in all probability it blew severely in the open sea. The barometer fell from 29.62, to 29.50, yesterday; in the evening it had reached 29.48, and this morning stood at 29.40. About four in the morning it began to rise rapidly, and the severity of the gale did not come on till it had risen a good deal. The thermometer both in the day and night stands at 82º, with very little variation, but the sky being constantly clouded, no observations could be made.