1779' THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 135 



third is remarked to be always much larger than the 

 others, and to flow higher on the shore, the rest 

 breaking in the intermediate space, their first object 

 is to place themselves on the summit of the largest 

 surge, by which they are driven along with amazing 

 rapidity toward the shore. If by mistake they should 

 place themselves on one of the smaller waves, which 

 breaks before they reach the land, or should not be 

 able to keep their plank in a proper direction on the 

 top of the swell, they are left exposed to the fury of 

 the next, and, to avoid it, are obliged again to dive 

 and regain the place from which they set out. Those 

 who succeed in their object of reaching the shore, 

 have still the greatest danger to encounter. The 

 coast being guarded by a chain of rocks, with, here 

 and there, a small opening between them, they are 

 obliged to steer their board through one of these, or, 

 in case of failure, to quit it, before they reach the 

 rocks, and, plunging under the wave, make the best 

 of their way back again. This is reckoned very dis- 

 graceful, and is also attended with the loss of the 

 board, which I have often seen, with great terror, 

 dashed to pieces, at the very moment the islander 

 quitted it. The boldness and address with which 

 we saw them perform these difficult and dangerous 

 manoeuvres, was altogether astonishing, and is scarcely 

 to be credited. * 



An accident, of which I was a near spectator, 

 shews at how early a period they are so far familiar- 

 ized to the water, as both to lose all fears of it, and 

 to set its dangers at defiance. A canoe being over- 

 set, in which was a woman with her children, one of 

 them an infant, who, I am convinced, was not more 

 than four years old, seemed highly delighted with 

 what had happened, swimming about at its ease, and 



* An amusement somewhat similar to this, at Otaheite, has been 

 described, Vol. VI. p, 139. 



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