Arrival at Papeete. — Salutes. 197 



cities and palaces, protected by towers, battlements, and 

 embrasures. About 4 p. m. we hove to off Papeete. The 

 entrance into this harbour, surrounded by coral reefs which 

 indeed form the haven, is exceedingly narrow, the fair way 

 for the frigate not exceeding half a cable's length. As no 

 pilot boat was visible, a blank shot was fired, and a certain 

 signal hoisted, upon which a small boat pulled off with the 

 long-looked for pilot. At 6 p. m. we cast anchor in 11 

 fathoms water, in clay ground. In the harbour were three 

 whalers, a French transport, and the dispatch steamer Milan^ 

 which had left Sydney twelve days before us, had remained 

 three days at New Caledonia, whence it had been 54 days 

 on the voyage to Papeete, only making use of its steam in 

 the most urgent cases. We ran up the flag of the French 

 Protectorate at the main-mast-head, and saluted the city 

 with the customary 21 guns, which were replied to by a 

 field battery, which had to be brought down to the beach for 

 the purpose. Much astonishment was expressed that we 

 should have ventured to run the frigate through the narrow 

 channel between Eimeo and Tahiti, which has a very bad 

 repute, and is very rarely attempted by vessels of large size, 

 but, as we ourselves experienced, is perfectly practicable with 

 a favourable wind, and greatly shortens the approach to the 

 harbour. 



With the consent of the Governor, who received us with 

 much cordiality (no intelligence having as yet reached these 

 waters of the diplomatic misunderstandings which at our 



