October the 5th, we got under way, and stood out with a light and baffling wind, tacking very close in with both shores. At nine, A.M., we passed the Sentinels, and bore up to the westward with a moderate breeze from E.S.E. The islands Rooahooga and Rooapooa, were plainly in sight. In clear weather they may be seen at least fifty miles. The amiable character of the inhabitants of Nooaheeva, and the friendly disposition they had evinced towards us upon all occasions, made us feel regret at leaving them so soon. The course that now lay before us, carried us away from all the civilized world; and the islands in our way affording but little to tempt navigators to visit them, were known to us only as places, existing on the wide surface of the ocean, where, with few exceptions, the inhabitants had never seen the face of a white man. We could anticipate no other gratification from our contemplated visit to them, than the indulgence of our curiosity. The weather became squally after our departure from the Marquesas, and continued so for several days, during which time we were frequently deceived by the clouds assuming the strongest appearance of land, for which we steered two or three times, under a full conviction that we had made a discovery. We could picture to ourselves, the mountains, and valleys, and bays, and, to confirm the deception, we frequently saw land birds flying about us. At day-light, on the 10th of October, we discovered Caroline Island, bearing W.S.W., and distant fourteen miles. We were on the weather side of it, and a furious surf was every where in sight, breaking upon a reef some distance from the shore. We stood along to the westward, and at nine, A.M., passed a reef, that makes out from the N.W. end of the island, protecting it to the S.W. from the heavy easterly swell, and prevailing winds. Under the lee of the reef, we stood in, with the hope of finding anchorage, getting frequent casts of the lead, until, to our great disappointment, it was discovered that there was deep sea-water within a few feet of a bed of coral, that stretched off three or four hundred yards from the shore, farther to the south and west, a high surf was breaking, and this being the only place where we could land, and, desirous of exploring the island, we took a small kedge to the coral bank, by which we rode to the easterly trade winds. Here we landed without much difficulty, and made our way to the shore, over the coral, although it was full of holes, and looked as though it would give way under our feet. The holes in the coral-bed were from one to three feet deep, and some of them had the appearance of communicating with the ocean. In these holes, we found an abundance of large and very fine fish, with which we supplied the crew in great plenty. They were of several different kinds, the best of which were the red grouper, and a long fish, of a dark colour, for which we had no name. Boarding pikes and boat-hooks