PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 271 



their wives and female relatives with them, we CI ?v P " 



J. A. • 



looked forward to the pleasure of varying our inter- x «— -v*. 

 course with the uncouth natives by more agreeable jj^' 

 society — an anticipation which was fully realised by 

 their unremitting attention, especially on the part 

 of the consul, whose house was the general resort 

 of all the officers. 



Our arrival was immediately communicated, 

 through the proper channel, to the queen regent, 

 who lived about a mile from the anchorage, and we 

 received an intimation of her intention of paying an 

 early visit to the ship. 



The arrival of a man-of-war at Otaheite is still an 

 event of much interest, and brings a number of the 

 inhabitants from the districts adjoining the port, 

 some in canoes, others on foot. The little hamlet 

 opposite the ship was almost daily crowded with 

 strangers, and a vast number of canoes skimmed the 

 smooth surface of the harbour, or rather the narrow 

 channel of water which is tied to the shores of this 

 luxuriant island by reefs of living coral. A re- 

 markable exception to this scene of bustle occurred 

 on the day of our arrival, which, although Saturday, 

 according to our mode of reckoning, was here ob- 

 served as the Sabbath, in consequence of the mis- 

 sionaries having proceeded round by the Cape of 

 Good Hope, and having thereby gained a day upon 

 us. Next morning, however, a busy scene ensued. 

 Canoes laden with fruit, vegetables, and articles of 

 curiosity, thronged as closely round the ship as their 

 slender outriggers would allow, while such of the in- 

 habitants as wanted these means of approaching us 

 awaited their harvest on the shore. 



We soon found that the frequent intercourse of 



