The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-02-03

our FORMER vsit-mAde him some presents, and let In hahan-
hour. Sunday morning the 18Th, was surprised at seeing land
very near ahead, as none Is shown in my charts IN that place
on coming up with 1T, found It to be . group Of IA islands, en-
circang three sides Of a beautiful lagoon, the western part being
projected by a reef with a small channel A canoe came on
having two men ON board 1 gave them some presents, asked
the name OF the group. which is LAi or Raj, and let this little
sem, the lagoon of which is about four miles across, and lies in
north latitude o > 90, and east longitude l66o 26. The canoe
brought Cd some very 6ne brcadfruit and cocoanuts- Continr-
ing our course, we passed over the assigned position OF Scantz
Island, in the night, with a bright full moon, and . sharp look
OCT, but nothing was seen. Neu day came mp with an ISLAND
named by the charts Eschscholtz Island at noon We were close
in shore, in lat IL 80 ~, long. 1869 81 T. could see twelve
islands lying in east and west directions. We being about the
center, stood for a channel three miles in width, between TWO
islands; on getting near, we could see the oouom sue'cnhs
across-serta boat to sound, found IL fathoms, and sailed over
seeing very distinctly the various coaored corais comprising
the reef under our keel ms we dashed along. Amer passing TINS
bas, found ourselves in smooth water soon after, IA iano IL
the W and also In NE, also a shoal with 10 fatboms watef
over ir-ofc course I was now convinced that We had entered
spacious lagoon. I counted from alon II islands, and the lagoon
must Re twenty miles across at least. We tackled and $1,000 ou',
speaking q canoe on our way, with q CHIEF ON board, who INFORM
ed rs that the name Of the group was Bigini. We Cleared ID
western extremity at sunset, which Is q circular reef. This part
Is very dangerous, as all the adjoining islets are small ana very
low, some Of them having only q few bushes 1 noticed pc
cuiiarty in this group, the bars between the Islands a snoA,s
inside are more sunken than any we have seen hefe'o'o'e' wiz"
several deep channels into the lagoon. The canoe followed US
for some time ansr we had left the lagoon, and only gave up te
chase when we made all sail away from them. They were X
tremely anxious to get on board, and 1 very much regreu'eu 'ha'
time and the state Of the weather would not admit o. q sno'
sray. They n a very fine race of people, If those in the canoe
were q fair specimen.
Although the Lai group has no place upon my charts, 1t can,
no doubt, be found upon some others, although the hahck and
Radack chains have been but very imperfectly surveyed Ihe
island supposed to have been discovered by my predecessor last
year can be found upon the old charts Of Node, and Is called
Princessa Island. The south channel also Of the Apian lagoon
is distinctly marked in the very excellent charts OF nnss-
mill group by Commodore Wilkes Standing tn TIE north, we
pzssea over IN gwen position os nacyon rsr~uu, and a
nothing. January s, lat 81 90 ~, long IA AZ T., tooka
heavy gale from s.w, which brought the packet down to straight
Jacket for ID hours 18th, lat. 81 SO ~, long. 174e W.
experienced another gale, heavier than the first, from the SOUTH
ward-was hove to also in this 16 hours, under a storm trysail;
18th, took a third gale, near as hard as both the former the
wind NJ we scud B-s.E. under a close-reefel topsail and
storm trysal, anf finally reefed foresail for SO hours, our decks
drenched fore and AFT during this gale we had very heavy
squalls and much lightning, with n very heavy sea running, but
the Packet behaved well. Our passage thus far has been a very
bois,erous one, i'll except six days Of calm and dOidrums-
When standing 70 the north in the trades, they were very
strung and very squany, frequently bringing US down to a close
reel, and once fuhed our oretopsni- Through ii all, the Morn
ing Star has proved herself an able boat in all sorts Of weather
In speaking Of Arowsmrh Island, 1 forgot to mention the
fact that / found IL placed in both my charts (Blunts and I'm
ray's) IL miles south Of Its true position. Its western point lies
In lat &c Is ", long. liz OoE In all the lagoons l found
high water at full and change Of the moon to take place at half
past 3, with a rise Of FIVE fret-neap tides not over two feet;
their seward shores are bold and steep, having no outstanding
dangers
Upon our arrival at the Mulgraves, we attempted to enter the
lagoon by a narrow channel, which we supposed was the only
one, and through which q ship cannot pass inward while the
trades are blowing-working as near As possible, we anchored
upon The coral shell, awaiting a chance to enter. 1 knew the
tide was running food at the time, and rising upon the shore,
but found IL running out Of the lagoon at the rate Of 3 knots;
this ran for nine hours, and We dragged of the shelf at sunset,
leaving the tide running out still 81 knots This passage Is In
part TO leeTsrd, and when, afterwards. We found three deep
channels to windward. into which the trade-winds were pouring
It's waters, We did not wonder at the pouring out to leeward. They
have no bananas at Mugrave, so we left some very nice plants.
The people Of the Radack and Ralick chains are great seamen,
as well a. navigators, frequently making voyages Of hundreds OF
miles in their frail canoes, with their numbering outriggers, the
whole Of the fastening being but small cord. made Of cocoanut
husk. Strong's and Ascension Islanders are keepers at home
We were at strong's Island when the death Of the King took
place was present at the burial, and also at the ceremonies
Of heather mummery can hardly be imagined. The days Of the
strong's Islanders seem to be numhered-only 500 remain. They
are very pleasant and agreeable in their intercourse with stran-
gers, as are also the people Of Ebon and Mulgrave's- The people
Of the Kingsmin group, on the contrary, are Of a rather morose
turn.
We have now been for three days running in a NE gale.
under close-reefed sails, and everything and everybody well wet
down-from Lady Faith to the man at the wheel. The qualities
Of the Morning Star have been well tried on this passage, and
I think q more able and wen-behaved vessel OF her class in
heavy weather, is not yet built.
Sunday sd / P M 1 am happy to say. we have just raised the
the central part of Molokai. Well uneted we have been ever
bringing US down to stormsais only. But the voyage seems to
be winding up, and 1 win also wind up this, and
remain yours, most truly,
JSo. W. Brown.
P.s. L win merely add that We saw Oahu at halfpast 2 PM,
and let 90 our anchor a quarter to I, in II fathoms wster-Dia-
mond Head e. by s, one and a half mile, which is the thirty
first time our anchor has been dropped on this voyage.
NIB. With regard to carrying arms in the Morning Star, I
can only say I am more opposed to the measure than ever. The
boarding netting il, in my own opinion, perfectly useless. I
have used a part of - as q quarter netting to keep the children
from falling overheard. Ihave cruised among the New Hetrides,
Solomon archipelago, View Ireland, the Louisiade Archipelago,
.-a 49, uavfS The patfv.s n ubi~ba a -h,s.0hs n n N
IN the extreme; yet 1 have landed on all these, entirely unpro-
tected, and always received the kindest treatment. Treat them
with kindness, and il; is all that is required to insure their
friendship. True, the natives of Sydenham did not treat cap
tain Spencer with very much courtesy; but they had a leader
not Of their own race.
L win now close by saying this should have had another place
in these sheets, but my time has been SO very much occupied
with the vessel must be my excuse J. W. B.