A.—4

12

wooded and cultivated, but during the usual trade-winds landing would be very difficult, even if practicable, on the southern and eastern sides. The information respecting this island is somewhat limited, owing to the quarrelsome nature of the inhabitants of the western side, who s.eldom failed to shoot arrows after the boat on her leaving the shore. This occurred at Lakona, a village near the waterfall at the north end of the western bay. Although the natives at Lakona proved themselves unfriendly, those at Losolava, Avire, and Tarosag were disposed to be friendly to strangers, though quarrelling amongst themselves. The population appeared to be great, but the island cannot -.be recommended to strangers for obtaining supplies, in consequence of the uncertain nature of communication with inhabitants. Mola or Sugar-Loaf Island, is about eight or ten miles in circumference, and derives its English name from its peculiar shape. It lies about nine miles to the eastward of Port Patteson, in lat. 13° 49' S., long. 167° 39' 30" E., and attains an elevation of 1,350 feet. The island is better known by Bishop Patteson than any other; the inhabitants are quite friendly, and some of them understand a little English. The number of villages amount to forty-two, with an aggregate population of about 2,000, but no recognized cEiefs. The weapons of the natives consist of spears, clubs, bows, and poisoned arrows, li'uit, sugar-cane, taro, potatoes, and yams, and occasionally pigs, are to be procured; the articles of barter being beads, fish-hooks (very small fish-hooks at Mota), calico, and axes. Valua or Saddle Island lies between lat. 13° 36' and 13° 41' S., and long. 167° 34' and 167° 41' E., and is about eight miles long, north-east and south-west. Araa, Island. — Off the S.W. end of Valua Island is the small island of Araa. The distance between Araa and the main island can be waded. The natives, numbering from 2,000 to 3,000, are friendly and well disposed. Urep/wapara or Bligh Island, about sixteen miles to the north-west of Eowo Eeef, attains an elevation of 1,950 feet, is nearly circular in form, and about twelve miles in circumference; it is steep, too, except a few fringed reefs close in on its lee side; is well watered, and produces abundance of taro, though but little else. Santa Gruz Islands. This group is composed of seven larger islands, Vanikoro, Santa Cruz (Nitendi), Guerta, Volcano (Tinakoro), Edgecombe, Ourry, and Lord Howe, besides several smaller ones to the north and northeast of Volcano Island. Vanikoro is the southernmost of the group. It is an important island in the eyes of Exxropeans, not from its extent or riches, but from its being the scene of the disastrous loss of the two ships of La Perouse in 1788, an event which was not ascertained with any certainty until May, 1826, or thirty-eight years afterwards. The group forming the Vanikoro Islands is composed of two of unequal extent: the first is not less than thirty miles in circumference ; the other is not more than nine miles. They are both high, and covered with trees to the water's edge. Vanikoro has but a slender population. The coasts are alone inhabited, all the interior being only a dense forest, wild and nearly impenetrable. Santa Cruz Island is thus described by Captain Tilley : — " Santa Cruz Island is about fifteen or sixteen miles in length, with fringe reefs along the shore, but apparently no off-lying dangers. The north point, near the centre of the island, was found to be in lat. 10° 40' S., long. 166° 3'. The high land extends close out on its north-east side, but towards the north-west the hills slope at some distance from the extreme, leaving a considerable extent of low land near the coast. The island is well wooded and watered, the streams in some places running through the villages into the sea. " The natives are a fine athletic-looking race, and come off readily to the ship, bringing pigs, breadfruit, and yams; mats, in the manufacture of which great skill is displayed, are also offered for sale. The appearance of the canoes, houses, &c, evinces great ingenuity. Canoes with outriggers, and mostly limewashed, have a neat appearance; they have also large sea-going double canoes. The villages are large, and hreses surrounded by stone fences. On the north side the villages are close to the sea, with from 300 to 400 inhabitants to each. " The natives are apparently merry and good-natured, but not to be trusted; for without any known reason they attacked the bishop's boat on leaving a village at the north-west extremity of the island, and nearly succeeded in cutting it off. Three of the crew were wounded with arrows, and of these two died from the effects of their wounds. Their bows are formidable-looking weapons, being 7 feet in length, with arrows in proportion." The Solomon Aeohipelago Extends north-west and south-east for the space of 2CO leagues. It is composed of eight or ten principal islands, and many other smaller ones. The largest are Bougainville, Choiseul, Ysabel, Gaudalcanar, Malayta, and San Christoval. The last named is stated to be seventy-three miles long and twenty-three miles broad at its widest part. Malayta is seventy miles long; Ysabel, 120 miles long and twenty-five miles in its maximum breadth. The sizes of Bougainville and Choiseul have not been ascertained, but they must be of greater area than those named above. The structure of these islands is throughout the same; it is a long chain of mountains, often very lofty, which form their axes in the general direction of the group. On either side the slopes incline gently towards the sea; the shores generally appear low, and often furnished with a belt of mangroves, the edge of which is washed by the salt-water. An active and vigorous vegetation covers the whole of the land, and it is only here and there that in rare intervals the soil may be seen, or only covered with ferns, or often consumed by fire intentionally. The principal islands have all the advantages of extensive land; extended plains and large rivers descend from the hills, and, if we may judge by the trees which cover the land, the soil is of great fertility. The inhabitants of these islands are generally shorter than those of the groups previously described, and appear to be characterized by greater energy and activity than are usually exhibited.

I.—The Islands generally: Mr. Seed.