The island was low, of coral formation, and, in all respects, resembled Caroline, Clarence, York, Byron's, and Drummond's Islands. The inhabitants were not numerous, and differed from all we had seen before in dress and manners. They gave us a most kind and hospitable reception, freely offered whatever any of us expressed a wish for, and in all respects acquitted themselves in a manner highly satisfactory. Near our landing place we had the satisfaction to find two or three old wells of water, which, after being cleared out, would afford us a supply without much labour in getting it off, the landing being tolerably good. On the twenty-first and twenty-second of November, we filled our water-casks, and, with several parties, explored the island. In our search we found a whaler's lance, and several pieces of old canvass; but all our efforts to obtain a knowledge, from whence they came, or of the persons who brought them, were unavailing. Some of the natives came on board, all of whom were neatly ornamented. They wore wreaths of flowers round their heads, bracelets and necklaces of beautiful shells; a large roll of leaves, from one to two inches in diameter, through slits in their ears, and as a covering for their loins, two bunches of a kind of grass, that resembled hemp, hanging below their knees, one bunch being behind, and the other before. Nothing was stolen by them. They behaved in a most orderly manner, looking round the deck inquiringly, or seated themselves, and chatted familiarly with our people, taking pains to make themselves understood. In their look and action they appeared to be lively and intelligent; but whenever the subject of our visit was pressed upon them, by pointing to the whaler's lance, they became silent, pretending to be ignorant of our meaning. The activity of our exploring parties, in traversing all parts of the island, and our close examination of every thing amongst them, that had belonged to the whites, produced a sensible alarm by the third day; and, besides the desertion of their habitations by some of them, a large canoe was missing, that had departed from the island during the night.