THE SOCIETY ISLANDS 513 



extolled by almost every traveller who lias visited it. 

 In Captain Cook's description, he says : — " Perhaps there 

 is scarcely a spot in the universe that affords a more 

 luxuriant prospect than the south-east part of Otaheite. 

 The hills are high and steep, and in many places craggy ; 

 but they are covered to the very summit with trees and 

 shrubs in such a manner that the spectator can scarcely 

 help thinking that the very rocks possess the property 

 of producing and supporting their verdant clothing. The 

 flat land which bounds those hills towards the sea, and the 

 interjacent valleys also, teem with various productions 

 which grow with the most exuberant vigour, and at once 

 fill the mind of the beholder with the idea that no place 

 upon earth can outdo this in the strength and beauty of 

 vegetation." 



Tahiti is entirely formed of lavas and other volcanic 

 products, but it is so very ancient, and has suffered so 

 much denudation, that its craters have entirely disap- 

 peared, enormous valleys have been excavated, and a wide 

 belt of excessively fertile soil been formed around its 

 base. The American geologist Dana considered it to 

 present the most wonderful and instructive example of 

 volcanic rocks to be found on the globe. The fantastic 

 shape of these is no doubt due largely to sudden up- 

 heaval and disruption. Eemains of plants and insects 

 similar to those now living in the country are found under 

 some of the ancient lava flows, showing that the 

 formation, as well as the denudation, of the island is, 

 geologically, a recent phenomenon. 



This terrestrial Eden is peopled by one of the finest 

 races in the world, whose slightly veiled, or even fully 

 displayed, symmetrical proportions did not fail to excite 

 the admiration of the first European discoverers. Eecent 

 opinions, however, are less enthusiastic on the subject, 



2 L 



