Two of the natives gladly went in one of the boats--the same two who had previously invited us onshore, as if to return our hospitality and point out the fresh water about which we had made repeated inquiries, our stock of that all-essential article being now much reduced, and the ship's company on an allowance of six pints each per diem.
LAND ON THE LARGE BRUMER ISLAND.
We landed at a little bay near the centre of the western side of the nearest and largest of the Brumer group.

Although perfectly sheltered from the wind, a heavy swell broke upon the margin of a fringing coral reef running out fifty or sixty yards from the sandy beach and stretching across the bay.

The boats were backed in from their anchors, and, after seven of us had got onshore by watching an opportunity to jump out up to the middle in water, and cross the reef, hauled out again to await our return.
Some women on the beach retired as we were about to land, but a number of boys and a few men received us, and after a preliminary halt to see that our guns were put to rights after the ducking, we all started together by a narrow path winding up a rugged wall of basaltic rock, fifty feet in height.

From the summit a steep declivity of a couple of hundred yards brought us to the village of Tassai, shaded by coconut-trees, and beautifully situated on a level space close to the beach on the windward side of the island, here not more than a quarter of a mile in width.

No canoes were seen here, and a heavy surf broke on the outer margin of a fringing reef.
FRIENDLY RECEPTION.
On the outskirts of the village we met the women and remainder of the people, and were received without any signs of apprehension.