294 THE OCEAN. 



scene was unusually impressive. On one side, the 

 mountains of the interior, having their outline edged, 

 as it were, with silver from the rays of the moon, 

 rose in lofty magnificence, while the indistinct form, 

 rich and diversified verdure, of the shrubs and trees, 

 increased the effect of the scene. On the other 

 hand was the illimitable sea, rolling in solemn ma- 

 jesty its swelling waves over the rocks which de- 

 fended the spot on which we stood. The most pro- 

 found silence prevailed, and we might have fancied 

 that we were the only beings in existence; for no 

 sound was heard, excepting the gentle rustling of 

 the leaves of the cocoa-nut tree, as the light breeze 

 from the mountain swept through them ; or the 

 hollow roar of the surf, and the rolling of the 

 foaming wave, as it broke over the distant reef, 

 and the splashing of the paddle of our canoe, as 

 it approached the shore. It was impossible, at 

 such a season, to behold this scene, exhibiting im- 

 pressively the grandeur of creation and the insig- 

 nificance of man, without experiencing emotions of 

 adoring wonder and elevated devotion, and exclaim- 

 ing with the Psalmist, ' When I consider thy hea- 

 vens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the 

 stars which thou hast ordained ; what is man, that 

 thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that 

 thou visitest him ?' w * 



The same pleasing writer iias given us a vivid pic- 

 ture of the emotions awakened by passing a night 

 upon the open sea in a small boat. He was pro- 

 ceeding from the island of Eimeo to Huaheine: 



* Polynesian Researches, 2nd ed. vol. ii. p. 2ib. 



