THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 287 



guage, and many peculiarities in their customs, seem 

 to indicate iheir Asiatic origin ; while, on the other 

 hand, it was deemed highly improbable that the 

 progress should have been made in a direction 

 opposed to that of the trade-wind, and in such 

 feeble craft as they possessed. But the trade-wind 

 is occasionally exchanged for violent and continued 

 gales in other directions ; and instances have come 

 to our knowledge, in which voyages of several 

 hiindred miles have been performed by native 

 canoes, directly to windward. Thus, Captain Beechy 

 found at Byam Martin Island a native of Tahiti, 

 named Tuwarri, who, with a few companions, had 

 sailed from Chain Island on a voyage to Tahiti ; 

 but after being out some time, he was met by a 

 violent storm, which drove him far out of his course 

 and knowledge. At length, after very severe pri- 

 vations and sufferings, he arrived at Byam Martin, 

 four hundred and twenty miles distant in a wind- 

 ward direction from the point of embarkation.* 

 Such involuntary emigrations as this, when we con- 

 sider how intimately the various groups are con- 

 nected with each other, and with the Indian Archi- 

 pelago, seem sufficient to warrant the conclusion, 

 that the tide of population has flowed in a direction 

 from west to east. 



In the transparent waters of the lagoons and 

 sheltered bays, fishes of great variety and beauty 

 are seen ; and as many of them are of large size, 

 and of exquisite flavour, the obtaining of them forms 

 no small part of the occupation of the Polynesians. 



• Voyagfi to the Pacific, &c. 



L- 2 



