HIS THREE CRUISES 17 



Maury was on the Vincennes when she sailed away from 

 the island. In leaving the bay, the ship narrowly es- 

 caped destruction, for the vessel was at first becalmed 

 and then suddenly carried by the swell toward the 

 breakers. Every face was pale with fear and the silence 

 of the grave hung over the ship, but a timely breath of 

 air filled the topsails and finally slowly carried her out 

 to the open sea. In five days she was seven hundred 

 miles away at Tahiti, one of the Society Islands. Here 

 Maury had the pleasure of joining several shore parties, 

 and was also present at an interesting reception to the 

 Queen of Tahiti on board the Vincennes, when the firing 

 of the salute to the queen greatly alarmed her and caused 

 her to behave in a very humorous and undignified 

 manner. 



The ship then set sail, after a month's visit, for the 

 Sandwich Islands. On the island of Hawaii Maury 

 visited the Cascade of the Rainbow and probably saw 

 also the volcano of Kilauea, about both of which Chap- 

 lain Stewart goes into rhapsodies in his account of the 

 voyage. Captain Finch went also to Honolulu, on the 

 island of Oahu, and there presented to King Kameham- 

 eha III a pair of gloves and a large map of the United 

 States, and a silver vase to the regent and two silver 

 goblets to the princess. A letter from the Secretary 

 of the Navy was then delivered to the king. This was 

 well received by his majesty, and his reply was in the 

 friendliest possible tone, agreeing to treat American 

 sailors with more consideration and fairness in the future. 

 The purpose of the visit having thus been accomplished, 

 several deserters having been reclaimed, and the settle- 

 ment of claims for about $50,000 for American citizens 

 having been negotiated, the ship departed for China. 



