Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2- Appendix): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

192 APPKNDIX. quedando legada su observancia bajo responsabilidad a losiuncionarios a quienes estas letras se presentasen. Dado en la Casa del Supremo Gabierno en Lima a 18 de Enero de 1836. 17o de la Independencia : 15° de la Repiiblica. El Ministro Secretario Gral. Mariano de Sierra. No. 34. That multitude of islands, of which the native name is Paamuto, to us more commonly known as the Dangerous Archipelago of the Low Islands, may be said to lie strewed between the parallels of thirteen and twenty-five south, and the meridians of 120 and 150 west : though stricter limits would be 13° and 22° S. ; 135 and 150 west ; because some of those south of 22, and east of 135, are high islands, and but rarely have communication with the groups in a lower latitude. Easter Island, though without the boundaries specified, is but an outpost, as it were, of the Dangerous Archipelago ; and, no doubt, was first peopled from that extensive region of (generally speaking) low coral islands. The high, or rather hilly exceptions, such as Gambler, Osnaburgh, Pitcairn, Easter, &c. are few, in comparison with the seventy or eighty groups of islets which surround lagoons, besides many mere dry reefs. By far the larger number of the lagoon islands have at least one harbour in each cluster accessible to shipping ; and a considerable trade has been carried on with the natives for pearl oyster- shells. What the number of inhabitants may be, who are dispersed through the Archipelago, it is exceedingly difficult to estimate, for two reasons : we know very little of them ; and they are migratory. From the httle I have learned on the subject, I think they cannot be less than ten thousand, nor more than thirty thousand, exclusive of children. Fish, and shell-fish, hogs, and cocoa-nuts, are the principal sub- sistence of the Low islanders ; but the natives of Gambler, and a few other hUly islands, have plenty of vegetable food in addition. Those Paamuto islands which are not very remote from Otaheite, affect to receive laws from her sovereign : they have, however, no resi- dent authority among them, except the head of eaeh family. i