402 TAHITI. [chap, xviii. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



TAHITI AND NEW ZEALAND. 



Pass through the Low Ai'chipelago — Tahiti — Aspect — Vegetation on the 

 Mountains — View of Eimeo — Excursion into the Interior — Profound 

 Eavines— Succession of Waterfalls — Number of wild useful Plants — • 

 Temperance of the Inhabitants — Their moral state — Parliament convened 

 — New Zealand — Bay of Islands — Hippahs — Excursion to Waimate — 

 ^lissionary Establishment — English Weeds now run wild — "Waiomio — 

 Funeral of a New Zealand Woman — Sail for Australia. 



October 20th. — The survey of the Galapagos Archipelago being 

 concluded, we steered towards Tahiti and commenced our long 

 passage of 3200 miles. In the course of a few days we sailed out 

 of the gloomv and clouded ocean-district which extends duringf 

 the winter far from the coast of South America. We then en- 

 joyed bright and clear weather, while running pleasantly along 

 at 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 American shore. The thermometer in 

 the poop cabin, by night and day, ranged between 80^ and 83°, 

 which feels very pleasant ; but with one degree or two higher, 

 the heat becomes ooDressive. We oassed through the Low or 

 Dangerous Archipelago, 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, look- 

 ing either way, rapidly narrows 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 abruptly rise ; and it seems wonderful, that such weak in- 

 vaders are not overwhelmed, by the all-powerful and never-tiring 

 waves of that great sea, miscalled the Pacific. 



Novemher I5th. — At daylight, Tahiti, an island which must 



