At daylight, we passed a reef of considerable extent upon the N.E. end of the island, and ran down upon the west side of it. When we had approached the shore, within the distance of a league, canoes made their appearance in every direction, sailing off to us. We stood in, and found anchorage within two cables' length of the bank of coral, that stretched one or two miles from the shore, and which, at low water, was almost every where dry. Here we hove to, having in sight, along the shore, twenty or thirty large villages, besides other habitations, that were thickly interspersed amongst the trees beyond it. The island, indeed, was swarming with inhabitants, and, from its extent and forest of cocoa-nut trees, seemed well adapted to sustain a large population. It was low, and being quite level, promised but a poor prospect of affording a supply of water. We had not been long hove to, before we were surrounded by from one to two hundred canoes, having in each of them, with few exceptions, two men and a woman, the latter of whom was kept constantly employed baling the water out. They betrayed a greater degree of timidity than the natives of any island we had seen before, keeping in their canoes, at a distance from us, or approaching, with caution and distrust. At length some of them got on board, and others hung upon the sides of the vessel, talking and exchanging their cocoa-nuts, and flying-fish, for old nails, or pieces of tin. One of them, an interesting looking youth, was noticed by one of the seamen, who made him several presents, and in other respects, treated him very kindly. The youth appeared to be sensible of the favour shown him, and expressed his gratitude by smiles, and by repeatedly patting the sailor on the shoulder; but, after this dumb show had been going on for some time, and when his patron's face was turned from him, he snatched his hat from his head, and jumped overboard with it, making his way as expeditiously as possible to the nearest canoe. The canoe took him in, and pulled off dead to windward of us, until they were out of our reach, although we threw several shot over their heads, to convince them of the danger they encountered in such bold adventures. From our first stopping place, we ran down a few miles, followed by all the canoes, which were joined by many more. Some of the natives again came on board, and one man, to whom the captain had made presents, seized upon a fixture of the waist-boat, and abruptly took his leave. He was as suddenly saluted with a charge of bird-shot, from a pistol, but manfully clung to his prize, and bore it off in triumph to his canoe. Aided by his companion, he was playing us the same trick, as the fellow who stole the sailor's hat. But a few shot over their heads brought them to, when they lay down in the bottom of the canoe, until we lowered a boat, and sent it to them. When they saw the boat approaching, they took to their paddles, and made an