Departure for Tahiti. — Dr. Iloclistctters Movements. 177 



rate at which the- frigate was now cleaving the water, and tlie 

 difficulty which his long black cloak interposed to his move- 

 ments, he would not let go his hold, but held on to the Jacob's 

 ladder in order to get personal speech with the Commodore. 

 It was, however, obviously impossible to grant his request 

 without further delaying the departure of the frigate, and 

 the poor Vicar-general, a Avarm-hearted Irishman, had to 

 make his way down the slippery ladder again into his little 

 boat, and return with his proteges to Auckland, his praise- 

 worthy object unaccomplished. 



As, favoured by fair winds, we sjoed gaily along to the next 

 object of our travels, the Island of Tahiti, our thoughts and 

 wishes were repeatedly reverting to New Zealand, where one 

 of our number had remained behind, to undertake the 

 solution of so difficult but important a problem. The in- 

 formation obtained by our colleague during his eight months' 

 residence only came to hand long after the frigate had been 

 safely laid up in ordinary in Trieste harbour. However, in 

 order to show more fully the activity displayed in surveying 

 this little-explored England, we avail ourselves of the follow- 

 ing condensed narrative of his labours, drawn up by Dr 

 Hochstetter himself. 



" My first field of emj^loyment was the province of Auck- 

 land. The ample assistance placed at my disposal by J. 

 Williamson, Esq., the very deserving superintendent of 

 Auckland, enabled me within the short space of five months 

 to travel over the greater part of this province, which consti- 



VOL. III. 



