_Christmas_ Island (2° N., 157° W.). Captain Cook, in his “Third Voyage” (vol. ii, chap. x), has given a detailed account of this atoll. The breadth of the islets on the reef is unusually great, and the sea near it does not deepen so suddenly as is generally the case. It has more lately been visited by Mr. F. D. Bennett (_Geograph. Journ._, vol. vii, p. 226); and he assures me that it is low and of coral-formation: I particularly mention this, because it is engraved with a capital letter, signifying a high island, in D’Urville and Lottin’s chart. Mr. Couthouy, also, has given some account of it (“Remarks,” p. 46) from the Hawaiian “Spectator”; he believes it has lately undergone a small elevation, but his evidence does not appear to me satisfactory; the deepest part of the lagoon is said to be only ten feet; nevertheless, I have coloured it blue.—_Fanning_ Island (4° N., 158° W.) according to Captain Tromelin (“Ann. Maritim.,” 1829, p. 283), is an atoll: his account as observed by Krusenstern, differs from that given in Fanning’s “Voyage” (p. 224), which, however, is far from clear; coloured blue.—_Washington_ Island (4° N., 159° W.) is engraved as a low island in D’Urville’s chart, but is described by Fanning (p. 226) as having a much greater elevation than Fanning Island, and hence I presume it is not an atoll; not coloured.—_Palmyra_ Island (6° N., 162° W.) is an atoll divided into two parts (Krusenstern’s “Mem. Suppl.,” p. 50, also Fanning’s “Voyage,” p. 233); blue.—_Smyth’s_ or Johnston’s Islands (17° N., 170° W.). Captain Smyth, R.N., has had the kindness to inform me that they consist of two very low, small islands, with a dangerous reef off the east end of them. Captain Smyth does not recollect whether these islets, together with the reef, surrounded a lagoon; uncoloured.