June 16th.

The ship was moved in one and a half miles to the southward, towards the land, and anchored in ten fathoms, close to a reef covered at high-water, and about a mile distant from a small bank of dead coral and sand; the former of these was selected by Captain Stanley as the starting point of the survey, and on the latter magnetical observations were made by Lieutenant Dayman.

PIG ISLAND.

In the afternoon I took a passage in a boat sent with a party to Pig Island—­the name afterwards given to that nearest us—­to search for water, and endeavour to communicate with the natives.  A party of eight men, fishing upon the reef surrounding a small islet, allowed us to approach within a short distance, but upon our attempting to leave the boat they became alarmed and retreated to their canoe in which they paddled off in great haste to a landing-place under a small village in sight of the ship.  This consisted of three or four long barn-like huts, raised from the ground on posts.  A large village was also seen on Joannet Island, situated, like the other, on the brow of a hill in a commanding position.

COMMUNICATE WITH NATIVES OF PIG ISLAND.

Five of our party landed about half a mile from where the canoe had disappeared, apparently in some creek of a mangrove swamp; while walking along the muddy shore we were met by about a dozen natives, who gradually fell back as we approached.  Seeing them apparently afraid of our number and weapons—­they themselves being unarmed—­I left my gun behind, and, advancing alone, holding up a green branch in each hand, was allowed to come up to them.

THEIR APPEARANCE.

They were apparently in a state of great agitation, and very suspicious of our intentions.  The spokesman of the party was much lighter in colour than the others, and I at first fancied he spoke some Malay dialect from the similarity in sound and intonation of his words, nor was it until I had used some of the commonest and least changeable Malay words—­as those meaning fire, water, etc.—­without being understood, that I was convinced of my mistake.  Two others of our party were allowed to come up one by one, and some trifling articles were exchanged for various ornaments.  Still they would not suffer anyone with a gun to approach, although anxious to entice us singly and unarmed to their village towards which they were gradually leading us, and where they could be reinforced by another party, whom we saw watching us on the edge of the mangroves.

But it was not considered expedient to waste more time upon the natives, so we turned back and walked along the eastern side of the island one and a half miles, with the boat in company outside.  A small stream of fresh water was found, not sufficient, however, for our wants, nor was the place suitable for the approach of boats.  The rock on Pig Island, where exposed at some of the points, is mica slate, soft