DISCOVERY OF A NEW GROUP OF ISLANDS.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 65, 30 March 1868, Page 78

DISCOVERY OF A NEW GROUP OF ISLANDS.

The following account of the discovery of a group of islands in the Pacific by the ship Dundonald, is written by the captain of that vessel, and was published in the North China Daily News, a Shanghai paper:— The Dundonald left Sydney on the 29th of September, and on the 3rd of October made Norfolk Island, bearing E. by S. ten miles. From this date to the Bth instant, had light N.N.E. wind which drove the ship far to the eastward. Passed Hunter’s Lotaka, and Amanda Islands, respectively. Midnight, on the 20th October, sighted Pleasant Island, distance nine miles, where I proposed calling, hut could not do so, on account of passing at midnight. At 6 a.m., 24th, made the Island of Onalu (one of the Caroline Islands.) At 6 p.m., took our departure from the island, distance sixteen miles, and proceeded on our. voyage to the N.W. with a fresh breeze from N.E. About 10 a.m. on the 26th, when walking on the quarter-deck was very much surprised to see laud dipping on the horizon. At first I could not believe it was land, as I knew if my reckoning was right, that there was no land known to Europeans nearer than forty miles; but in half-an-hour the trees were distinctly visible, I therefore kept the ship direct for it, determined to satisfy myself as to its position, &c. At 11 a.m. four more islands appeared, in right, all covered with trees, and at noon I got a good observation and found my reckoning quite correct; so that these islands had hot been discovered before. At l*p.m., we came up.to them, and the ship was then rounded-to with the the southernmost islands bearing N.N.W., distant two miles. A boat was lowered, and I proceeded towards the island accompanied by a Mr M‘Kay, passenger. After getting within a hundred yards of the shore our progress was stopped by an extensive reef. Up to this time we had seen no signs of life upon the island. We then rowed along the shore for five miles until we came to a break in the reef, and immediately pulled for it, but on getting closer, to it found that there was no possibilty of crossing, owing to the water being too shallow. We then discovered that the reef was a bed of red coral; . completely surrounding the island, inside of which the water was apparently about six feet deep, and as smooth as a mirror. We then pulled for the next island, which was connected with the first by a coral reef, but, the water did. not break on it; and when about a mile from the second island, saw the masts of two canoes lying inside the island; Feeling quite satisfied that if those canoes could get in we also could do so, we we piffled along the -island for about two miles, and then found an opening in the .reef through which we passed, and found ourseives in the centre of a beautiful lagoon with.about 14 feet of water; and the bottom perfectly dear, consisting of corals and other calcareous productions. • We! then went alongside of the canoes, but finding no natives in them,-made for the shore, on which I was the: first to land, being immediately ‘ the crew and Mx;Si*l&y» As soon as the boat was

made fast, fired a few shots in the air, having taken the precaution to arm ourselves before leaving the ship, and proceeded through a large opening in the trees, keeping a sharp look out for anyone that might he concealed in the bush,. After walking about 50 yards inland, we came to a beautiful clear space of about 300 yards long by 80 or 100 broad, of which we took a good survey before proceeding further; not thinking it judicious to go into the bush, as there was quite space enough for a' large number of natives to be concealed in it. Cocoa-nut trees were in abundance,, with plenty of nuts in immense clusters, and the ground was strewed with those that had dropped down from the trees. There were a great many moretreesof different kinds, but we could not find any other fruit, though we found a large basket full of potatoes, so it would seem the natives had been disturbed by our firing when coming on shore. The basket was made out of the cocoa-uut leaf, and the potatoes were similar to ours, only very bitter in taste and very much like quinine. After spending about two hours looking over the island, we returned to the boat loading her with cocoa-nuts and regretting very much that time would not allow us to take a further survey. Before getting into the boat, the health of the Queen and Royal Family was drank with the honors, and at the request of the crew and Mr M‘Kay, the islands were christened Kewley’s Group, and the one I landed on Kewley’s Island, as I was the first to land, and feel certain I was the first white man that ever set foot on it. We took each a little part of whatever we could get out of the canoes, to keep in remembrance of our visit, and the peculiar figure-head of the largest canoe is now on board of my ship. The position of the islands are—southernmost islands, latitude 9 degrees 47 minutes N., longitude 161 degrees 15 minutes 45 seconds E. The group extends in an E. by S., and W. by N. direction for about 30 miles, but cannot say what their extent is north and south, as I had no time to explore them properly. The latitude and longitude may be relied on, as I only left the Island of Onalau two days before and my instruments were quite correct then.