TAHITI. 177 



the rate of 150 or 160 miles a day before the steady 

 trade-wind. The temperature in this more central 

 part of the Pacific is higher than near the Ameri- 

 can shore. The thermometer in the poop cabin, 

 by night and by day, ranged between 80° and 83°, 

 which feels very pleasant ; but with one degree or 

 two higher, the heat becomes oppressive. We 

 passed through the Low or Dangerous Archipela- 

 go, and saw several of those most curious rings of 

 coral land, just rising above the water's edge, which 

 have been called Lagoon Islands. A long and 

 brilliantly-white beach is capped by a margin of 

 green vegetation ; and the strip, looking either 

 way, rapidly nari'ows away in the distance, and 

 sinks beneath the horizon. From the mast-head a 

 wide expanse of smooth water can be seen within 

 the ring. These low, hollow coral islands bear no 

 proportion to the vast ocean out of which they ab- 

 ruptly rise, and it seems wonderful that such weak 

 invaders are not overwhelmed by the all-powerful 

 and never-tiring waves of that great sea miscalled 

 the Pacific. 



November 15th. — At daylight, Tahiti, an island 

 which must forever remain classical to the voyager 

 in the South Sea, was in view. At a distance the 

 appearance was not attractire. The luxuriant 

 vegetation of the lower part could not yet be seen, 

 and as the clouds rolled past, the wildest and most 

 precipitous peaks showed themselves towards the 

 centre of the island. As soon as we anchored in 

 Matavai Bay we were surrounded by canoes. 

 This was our Sunday, but the Monday of Tahiti : 

 if the case had been reversed, Ave should not have 

 received a single visit ; for the injunction not to 

 launch a canoe on the Sabbath is rigidly obeyed. 

 After dinner we landed to enjoy all the delights 

 produced by the first impressions of a new countrv, 

 IT. 13 



