386 TAHITI. [CHAP. xvm. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



TAHITI AND NEW ZEALAND. 



Pass through the Low Archipelago Tahiti Aspect Vegetation on the 

 Mountains View of Eimeo Excursion into the Interior Profound 

 Eavinos Succession of Waterfalls dumber of wild useful Plants- 

 Temperance of the Inhabitants Their moral state Parliament con- 

 vened New Zealand Bay of Islands Hippahs Excursion to Wai- 

 mate Missionary 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 gloomy and clouded ocean-district which extends during tho 

 winter far from the coast of South America. Wo then enjoyed 

 bright and clear weather, while running pleasantly along at tho 

 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 

 oppressive. We passed through, the Low or Dangerous Archi- 

 pelago, 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 

 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 propor- 

 tion to the vast ocean out of which they abruptly 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. 



