Beyond us, to the south and west, was a range of islets, as far as we could see from the masthead, and having thoroughly explored the island, where we were anchored, completed our watering, and made such repairs upon the vessel as were necessary, we determined to proceed further in that direction. At our anchorage here the wind several times changed from blowing off shore, which, as we had not room to ride in shore of our anchor, made it, upon such occasions, necessary to get underway, and stand off. At such times, we remarked, with particular satisfaction, the advantage we possessed in our vessel, being schooner rigged, as none but a fore and after could, with the same facility, have performed the delicate operation of getting underway, and crawling off, when riding upon a lee shore, within a few fathoms of the rocks, to have touched which would inevitably have been attended with shipwreck. Upon the island, besides cocoa-nut, there were a few bread-fruit trees, growing in great luxuriance. The golden yellow fruit, with which the females of Nooaheeva ornamented their necks, grew here in the greatest abundance, and was eaten by the natives almost constantly, who called it bup. A species of small rat, with a tuft of hair upon the tail, was very numerous, and so tame, that hundreds of them were constantly feeding about the huts. The first land we approached in proceeding to the southward and westward, was a narrow islet, made up of dry reefs, and verdant spots, from one to two miles long, and two hundred yards wide. On most of the islets grew cocoa-nut, and bread-fruit trees,--the invariable indication of inhabitants. They were, however, but thinly inhabited. Some of the reefs that connected them were covered with water sufficiently for the passage of a boat. The captain landed upon the eastern extremity, where he found a few people, most of whom fled at his approach, and such as remained, were so timid, that we could hardly look upon them as the countrymen and near neighbours of the natives, who had treated us with so much kindness at our anchorage. A small canoe came off, paddled by one man, who ventured on board, and looked round for a few minutes, when he departed, without seeming to have had any other object in view than to gratify his curiosity. We should have suspected him of being a spy, had we not believed these people too simple, to adopt such an expedient of civilization. This we, however, afterwards ascertained was the capacity in which he came, having been sent by the principal chief of all the Mulgrave Group.