CHAPTER VII. 



TAHITI.— NASSA U ISLAND.— UNION GROUP. 



WE sailed from Coquimbo on the 14th of June; and after 

 a somewhat uneventful voyage across the Pacific, which 

 was considerably prolonged by sounding operations, and which 

 lasted fifty-three days, we arrived at Tahiti. 



Tahiti was discovered, in the year 1606, by a Spanish exploring 

 expedition, which set out from Peru under the command of Pedro 

 Fernandez de Quiros, a navigator who had previously acquired 

 some renown in Mendana's exploration of the New Hebrides 

 group. One of his vessels anchored for a short time off the 

 island ; but as a landing could not be safely effected by means 

 of the ship's boats, an adventurous young Spanish sailor stripped 

 and swam to the shore, where he was well received by the 

 natives ; so that the honour of having discovered Tahiti and 

 communicated with the natives is justly due to this expedition. 

 The name then given to the island by Quiros was "La Sagittaria." 



In 1767 Tahiti was visited by an English exploring ship, the 

 Dolphin, commanded by Captain Wallis, who, unaware of the visit 

 of Quiros, and imagining himself to be the original discoverer, set 

 up an English flag at Matavai Bay, took possession in the name 

 of King George III., and named the island "King George's 

 Island." The account given by Wallis of this visit (published in 

 Hawksworth's "Voyages") is full of most curious and interesting 

 information, and perhaps in this respect equals the well-known 



