Captain Freycinet's Voyage of Discovery, 



252 



nntl to wait for such winds as permitted 

 lier to k(!ep her way, until she had got 

 clear of that perilous situation. 



She cast anchor on the Ifilli of De- 

 cemher, at the Isle of Rawak, after 

 having at a short distance coasted along 

 the northeu side of Waigion. 



An ohservalory was established on 

 shore, and its ])osition, in latitude only 

 l{ minute south, was the most favour- 

 able for experiments with the pendulum 

 Avhich they could get under the equator. 

 The period of this stay was employed 

 in researches respecting geography and 

 natural history. 



Two or three days hefore they sailed, 

 they heard, on a sudden, the martial 

 music of tom-toms, kettle-drums, &c. 

 Some moments after there appeared, at 

 the large point of the island, the fleet 

 of the Kimalaha of Gueb^, who, faitii- 

 ful to his promise, had come to pay the 

 visit he had before announced. This 

 little sqiiadron presented a spectacle at 

 once imposing and whimsical. The 

 Gut'heau prince was accompanied by his 

 brothers and sons, to the number of 

 eight; all, like himself, of good mien, 

 and remarkable for their intelligence. 

 They remained on board until the mo- 

 ment of the corvette's departure ; they 

 gave, as presents to M. de Freycinet, 

 various curiosities of their country, 

 and, among others, hats made of straw 

 interwoven, with ta!c, ^^ orked with ad- 

 mirable art. 



Having sailed from Rawak on the 

 5th of January, 1S19, the Urania 

 stretched towards tiie Avon Isles, which 

 they saw on the 6th and 8th of the same 

 mouth. 



The dysentery continued still to tor- 

 ment the crew ; it was not long before 

 it was joined to fevers, one of the first 

 victims of which was IM. Labiche, the 

 second lieutenant, an otBcer of great 

 merit, and of the most amiable disposi- 

 tion. This was the second loss of the 

 kind during the voyage, and it was 

 keenly felt. 



After having visited several of the 

 Caroline Isles, which are not pointed 

 out on the maps, and having received 

 throughout the most friendly reception 

 from the islanders, M. de Freycinet 

 arrived, on the 17th of May, in sight 

 of the Isle of Guam, and cast anchor 

 on the night of the same day in the 

 roadstead of Huniata. This delay, and 

 that which the corvette made at Port 

 San Louis in the same island, restored 

 health to the crew, thanks to the ge- 

 nerous eagerness with M-hiclt the go- 



[April J 



vernor, Don Jose de Meilinillo y Pine- 

 da, anticipated all the wants of the 

 expedition, by procuring them refresh- 

 ments and comforts of all kinds. 



M. de Freycinet appears to hare col- 

 lected, respecting the people of the Ma- 

 rianne Islands, information more ex- 

 tensive than that with which precetling 

 voyagers have enriched their accounts. 

 He gives various details lespecting 

 their manners, languitge and laws, as 

 well as that singular government of 

 which much has been said, and in 

 which the women act an important 

 part. He communicates toxis interest- 

 ing notions respecting the arts which 

 they practise, respecting their money, 

 which is established on principles ab- 

 solutely different from ours, and re- 

 specting their architecture, of which 

 he still saw numerous ruins at Tinian. 



Two months were employed in mak- 

 ing these researches; and at the same 

 time they were occupied with those 

 observations and experiments which 

 formetl the principal object of the ex- 

 pedition. M. de Medinillo had, during 

 all this time, the kindness to provide 

 the corvette abundantly with fresh 

 provisions, to which lie added provi- 

 sions f(-r the voyage, and for which he 

 afterwaids refused to accept any reim- 

 bursement. 



The course of the Urania, from Guam 

 to the Sandwich Islands, presents no- 

 thing remarkable. On the 5fh of Au- 

 gust, 181'J, she made the island of 

 Owhyhee, and anchored in the bay of 

 Harahona m three days after. 



Tamahama, king of the Sandwich 

 Isles, was dead; his palace had been 

 reduce<i to ashes, and almost all the 

 hogs on the island had been slaughtered 

 on account of his obsequies, according 

 to the custom of the coimtry, which 

 was a real disappointment in the re- 

 victualling of the corvette. 



Uno Rio, the eldest son and succes- 

 sor of Tamahama, enjoyed at that time 

 but a badly established authority. The 

 chiefs, compelled to submit to the arms 

 of his father, raising extraordinary 

 pretensions, caused him to dread an . 

 approaching war. He came with his 

 wives and a nnmerous suite on board 

 the Urania, on the occasion of the - 

 baptism of one of the principal chiefs 

 of the island. That ceremony was* 

 performed with much pomp by thei 

 Abb^ Quelen, chaplain of the vessel. 



The Sandwich Islands were, like the 

 Marianne, the object of the assiduous 

 researches of M. de Freycinet and of 



the 



