RIM A TAR A. 15 



many, and at once started so much speculative 

 nonsense and sentimentality about primeval in- 

 nocence and bliss embosomed in the Pacific. 



" A coral rock, by gentle Nature made 

 Verdant and beautiful, through tropic sun, 



And fertilizing rain, and grateful shade ; 

 Placed far amid the melancholy main." 



It is about seven miles long, one and a half 

 or two wide, and lies in 152 west longitude, 

 and 22 45' south latitude ; about five hundred 

 miles southwest from Tahiti. It is properly, 

 perhaps, one of the Society Island group, being 

 a mere pile of corallite and wave-washed coral 

 sand. We came in sight of it in the after- 

 noon, a blue hummock on the bosom of the 



ocean, and ran on till we discovered, to our 





 great delight, what could not be mistaken for 



a meeting house and a white flag flying on 

 a post near by, to indicate the friendliness of 

 the natives, and induce us to stop for trade. 



The sea broke so high upon the northeast 

 and southwest points of the island, and, indeed, 

 ;ill along shore, that our captain did not deem 

 it prudent to attempt landing that night. We 



