northern point, saw at times a body of fire running from the summit to the base, in a cleft or chasm, to the water's edge. It was watched until a very late hour with the same appearances.

Capt. Wilkes saw great numbers of birds upon and around it, and places it in lat. 22° 27' S., lon. 172° 10′ 33′′ E.

HUNTER ISLAND was discovered by Capt. Fearn, in the ship Hunter, in 1798. It is small, but high enough to be seen 11 or 12 leagues off. It was also described by Capt. Fearn as being 14 leagues from Matthew Island.*

LA BRILLANTE SHOAL is a very dangerous reef, discovered in the French corvette La Brillante, under the command of M. Le Comte Dubouzet, 28th August, 1847. It appeared to be a mass of coral, of a round form, and is about 150 feet in diameter. It was the more dangerous, as the sea did not break on it, although there was a heavy swell. Two soundings in 20 and 23 fathoms were obtained; but it was thought that there were not more than 6 to 10 feet on it at most, as the sea was quite yellow. Its position was taken to be in lat. 23° 13′ 52" S., lon. 169° 55′ 38′′ E.†

WALPOLE ISLAND, discovered by Capt. Butler, of the Walpole, November 17, 1794, is only about a mile in extent, about 200 feet in height, with high, perpendicular cliffs on the West side. It is covered with brushwood, and a landing might, perhaps, in fine weather, be effected on some parts of the East side. It cannot be seen more than 7 or 8 leagues off, and Capt. Butler says, had the greatest quantity of birds on it he ever saw. Lat. 22° 40′ S., lon. 169° 15′ E.‡

DURAND'S REEF, seen the same day as Walpole Island, by Capt. Butler, is in lat. 22° 6' S., lon. 169° 2′ E. The rocks broke in seven places, the centre one the highest, breaking as high as the maintop, and supposed to extend 4 or 5 miles.§

NEW CALEDONIA.

To the same great navigator to whom so much of our knowledge of the Pacific is owing, are we indebted for the discovery (in 1774) of this the largest island in the great ocean except New Zealand. It is the only one of his numerous discoveries, too, that he did not make a complete examination of. Capt. Cook attempted to sail around its North extremity, but, on reaching lat. 19° 17', he found that a line of reefs extended beyond his view to the northward, which his want of time prevented him from following up. He then essayed to round its South end, but met with a similar repulse, and thus he abandoned it for that time. The French commander, Admiral D'Entrecasteaux, completed what Cook

* Oriental Navigator, p. 697.

+ Sydney Gazette, October 14th, 1847.

Krusenstern states that Capt. Golownin, in 1817, and Capt. Kroustchef, in 1820, sought for Walpole Island in the above position, but without success.

Oriental Navigator, p. 690; Nautical Magazine, November, 1848, p. 574.

had left undone. He examined both the N.E. and S.W. sides of the island, and determined the limits of the frightful chain of reefs which form a continuation of the island both at its N.W. and S.E. extremities, the former reaching 50 leagues from the end of the island. His stay in Port Balade, where Cook also remained, gave him the opportunity of reversing the opinion that Cook had formed of the natives. He found them to be the same fierce cannibal race that are described to exist at the Feejee Islands; Cook thought them more mild and peaceable than the Friendly Islanders. We shall presently give some recent remarks which confirm what D'Entrecasteaux experienced. Besides these two navigators, H.M.S. Sulphur, and other ships have visited it, as will be noticed.

New Caledonia is about 200 miles in length; but with the banks connected with it is 400 miles from N.W. by W. to S.E. by E. The greatest breadth is not more than 30 or 40 miles.

According to the description of Capt. Cook, this large island is a country full of hills and valleys, of various extent, both for height and depth. From the hills spring many rivulets, which greatly contribute to fertilize the plains, and to supply the wants of the inhabitants. The summits of most of the hills seem to be barren, though some few are clothed with wood, as are all the plains and valleys. "By reason of these hills, many parts of the coast, when at a distance from it, appear indented, or to have great inlets between the hills; but, when we came near the shore, we always found such places shut up with low land, and also observed low land to lie along the coast, between the sea-shore and the foot of the hills. As this was the case in all such parts as we came near enough to see, it is reasonable to suppose that all the coast is so. I am likewise of opinion, that the whole or greatest part is surrounded by reefs or shoals, which render the access to it very dangerous, but, at the same time, guard the coast from the violence of the wind and sea, make it abound with fish, secure an easy and safe navigation along it for canoes, &c., and most likely form some good harbours for shipping. Most, if not every part, of the coast is inhabited, the Isle of Pines not excepted, for we saw either smoke by day, or fires by night, wherever we came." The southern and western coasts of the island were explored by M. D'Entrecasteaux in 1792, as explained before, who has described them as presenting a frightful chain of reefs, extending beyond the islands, and barring the sea for the space of 324 miles from S.E. to N.W. In the vicinity there are also many little islands surrounded with reefs, and linked together by shallows. "New Caledonia, viewed from the sea, presents three ranks of mountains of different heights, an appearance in general barren, and signs of a small population."

The people and vegetable productions appeared to be much like those of Van Diemen's Land. The inhabitants have frizzled hair, are of a moderate stature, and are as black as those of Van Diemen. They seem to be unacquainted with the use of the bow; but are armed with darts and clubs, which they make with much care. Slings are also used. They subsist chiefly on fish, shell-fish, and vegetables. The women only have a girdle of bark fibres. Those who inhabit the mountains are extremely lean, have no kind of industry, and sleep in the open air. The others have huts, shaped like a beehive, which are, in general, neatly formed.

A chain of mountains appears to extend throughout the whole range of the island; they rise gradually towards the E.S.E., to about 3,200 feet above the level of the sea. Cocoa-nuts appear to cover the sides of most of the fertile valleys. Among the plants cultivated by the natives are bananas and sugar-canes. CAPE QUEEN CHARLOTTE is the S.E. point of New Caledonia, and was thus named by Cook as Queen Charlotte's Foreland. It is in lat. 22° 16′ S., lon. 166° 55'. The reefs extend to a very considerable distance S.E. of this, but the main island here terminates.

CAPE PRINCE OF WALES, or Prince of Wales's Foreland, is the other or S.W. point of this end of New Caledonia, in lat. 22° 29′ S., lon. 166° 38′ E. BOTANY ISLAND lies on the extensive reef to the southward of the last-named cape, and is in lat. 22° 47′ S., lon. 167° 1' E.

The South extremity of the reef, which lies to the southward of this island, is in lat. 23° 3′ S., lon. 166° 50' E. It was in this part of the reef that Capt. Hunter, in the Waakzaamheyd, got embarrassed in 1791, and hence the bay formed between the S.W. portion and that off the Isle of Pines, is called Waakzaamheyd * Bay. The ISLE of PINES is the south-easternmost land of New Caledonia. We have had no particular description of it until a recent and copious one from a mercantile commander given in the Nautical Magazine for 1848. This island, and also the neighbouring country, have been visited for several years by Sydney vessels in search of sandal-wood, more especially since the cessation of the trade at the Feejee Islands. We have given the extract at length, as it will also give a clearer insight into the character of the country and its inhabitants than can be found elsewhere.

The peak of the Isle of Pines is situated in lat. 22° 38′ S., lon. 167° 25′ E. The island is 42 miles in circumference; the N.E. part is clear of reefs, with the exception of a fringe reef, extending about 100 yards from the shore; but from East, round by South and West to North, the island is connected to and surrounded by coral reefs, with many small islands, which form several good harbours inside. None of the small islands have any permanent inhabitants; but they are resorted to occasionally for fishing and catching turtle. There are also many detached shoals and coral patches within the barrier reefs. The reefs and shoals extend from the Isle of Pines in a westerly direction to the S.E. end of New Caledonia, which is about 28 miles distant, and in sight in clear weather. Near the shore the land is generally low and rocky, with little soil, but very thickly wooded: about 2 miles inland the soil improves; and from that to the centre of the island (on the North side), the ground rises with a gentle ascent, with very little timber; and a rich alluvial soil, forming a large clear space of hundreds of acres. From this clear space the land rises gradually towards the peak (which is situated on the S.E. part of the island), and is thickly wooded to the top. There is good fresh water at the foot of the hill, but it is not convenient for shipping.

Being situated within the southern tropic, the prevailing winds are from S.E., veering round at times to E.N.E. and N.E., and generally blowing a fresh gale

* Vigilant (Dutch).

during the winter months. From November to April, northerly and westerly winds are often experienced; and sometimes, in February and March, heavy gales prevail, but they are of short duration. October and November are the hottest months in the year, the winds being generally light with much fine weather. Gales begin at the N.E., passing round to North and N.W., from which quarters they blow hardest; and as they moderate, haul round to S.W. and South. They are always accompanied with much rain and thick weather. The mean temperature during the winter months is about 75°, and in summer season about 80°. The barometer is seldom affected, except in the severe gales, when it sometimes falls as low as 29-45 inches. The tides are very irregular. It is high water on full and change of the moon at 8", greatest rise and fall 5 feet. At neap tides there is only one tide in the twenty-four hours, and which is generally in the night; the rise and fall at that time not above 2 feet. On the first of the flood the tide runs strong in the passages through the reefs, but as soon as the reefs get covered, it then flows in all directions, and with less velocity.

If bound to VICTORIA HARBOUR (thus named by Sir Edward Belcher in 1840), get the peak to bear S.W., then steer for it, and when within a quarter of a mile of the reef bear away to the westward, keeping it close aboard. So soon as it terminates you will see the small island bearing from you about South; that island forms the East side of the channel; and a reef, with a small sandbank on it, forms the West side. The channel is not above 200 yards wide, and the course in is about South; borrow on the sand-bank side, as a coral ledge runs from the Pine Island some distance.

After getting inside, steer for a small rocky islet which you will see on your larboard bow; leave it on your larboard hand, and anchor between it and the main in 3 or 5 fathoms, coral and sand.

If the wind will not allow a vessel to lay through the small channel, she will require to run down along the reef for the large entrance. It is half a mile wide, and the peak bears S.E. from it. In working in, keep a good lookout for a large coral patch, which lies a little inside the entrance; leave it on the starboard hand, and work up inside the reef for Victoria Harbour, keeping a good lookout from the mast-head for coral patches, of which there are several. In working a ship amongst coral reefs, a careful and experienced officer ought always to be at the topmast head. All dangers can be seen from aloft when the sun is not ahead.

If bound in to the S.E. harbour, steer in for the land, with peak bearing about West, until you get near the two sand islets which lie from 3 to 4 miles from the shore (to which they are connected by reefs, and are very dangerous in a dark night); when abreast of them, and within a quarter or half a mile, steer to the south-westward for some rocky islets, which will be then seen; they form the South side of the Seven Fathom Bar Channel. After getting about halfway between them and the woody island which forms the North side of the channel, you may then steer to the westward, crossing the bar about mid-channel; then steer towards the peak, keeping a good lookout for some black rocks 2 or 3 feet above water, which lie fronting the cove; or a vessel may anchor in the cove in 5

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fathoms, as it is clear of coral patches. You may pass the rocks on either side, but if to the southward, be sure and give them a good berth.

The sandal-wood tree is Many species of fine timber grow on the island. found on the level ground 1 or 2 miles inland; and those that I have seen cut were found in places destitute of soil, and on coral rock. After getting inland, clear of the coral flats, the vegetation is very luxuriant all over the island.

There are numerous pine trees growing on the island, some of which are very large, and similar to the Norfolk Island pine.

Their

The natives of the Isle of Pines are generally about the middle size, and in complexion between the black and copper-coloured races. Although dark in colour, they have nothing of the Negro appearance about them. Their faces are well formed, with rather a large mouth and a fine set of teeth; but there is something restless and savage-looking about the expression of their countenance. hair has a frizzly appearance, and they generally comb it out in a mop-like form. The males are circumcised, and both sexes go nearly in a state of nudity. They are great thieves, extremely ferocious and treacherous, and so addicted to lying, that it is hardly possible to get the truth out of them; they consider stealing and lying as great accomplishments. Although in the lowest state of savage barbarity, yet they are possessed of great cunning, and are quite as well. versed in villainy as the worst characters in our country.

The natives of the Isles of Pines are cannibals, and always eat the bodies of their enemies slain in battle, not merely to gratify their revenge, but to satisfy their craving appetite for this sort of food: and the operation of cutting up and cooking their victims is gone through without the least emotion or feeling of shame. They are extremely cruel, void of affection, and are truly wretches in every sense of the word, degraded beyond the power of conception. All aged and decrepid persons, and men, women, and children, who have been long ill of a lingering disease, are either put to death by their relations, or carried to one of the small islands, and left there to perish without food. With regard to the population, I found it impossible to obtain correct information. From the number of villages and natives I have seen at different parts of the island, I should take it to be not less than 2,500 souls. All the villages are situated near the coast, and are built among groves of cocoa-nut trees. There are no inhabitants in the interior of the island.

Their food consists of yams, taro, sweet potatoes, bananas, sugar-cane, cocoanuts, and fish. They bake their food in ovens, made by heating stones, and are cleanly in their cooking and eating.

Polygamy is practised at this island, and a promiscuous intercourse of the sexes before marriage is allowed.

With respect to the religious or rather superstitious observances of these islanders, I may remark that right and wrong are utterly unknown to them. Murder, cannibalism, theft, covetousness, lying, and knavery of every description, are not looked upon as sins.

Vessels visiting the islands for the purpose of trade ought to be well armed, and continually guarded against treachery, as the natives are not by any means to be trusted. The brig Star, of Tahiti, was cut off at this island by the natives