Hatt.—On the Island of Rapa. 83 
I may just mention that the remarkable group of rocks called the“ Four 
Crowns,” and which on many charts are marked doubtful, not only exist, 
but may be seen on a clear day from Rapa, some forty miles off. 
The French Resident, Mons. Caillet, gave me one piece of information 
which is generally interesting, and to navigators, valuable. It is that 
Easter Island, the natives of which have hitherto been found fierce and 
treacherous, rendering any attempt at communication dangerous, may now 
be visited without apprehension, and supplies obtained. This happy change 
has only recently been effected by the influence of some courageous and 
benevolent French priests, who ventured upon the difficult task of endeavour- 
ing to civilize these hitherto savages. 
But the coaling is done, the signal gun is fired, and the “ Ruahine,” by 
the fiercely blowing-off steam, seems impatient to be away again; so the 
stragglers get on board, with their spoils of coral and fern, &c., we cast off 
from the hulk, and with captain and pilots onee more at their posts, we 
move slowly ahead towards the sinuous pathway amid the reefs, and which, 
at a distance, is only indicated by the buoys on either side of it, looking like 
small red spots on the north of the channel, whilst black ones mark the limit 
of safety on the south side. 
I took my post in the fore-top, that I might the better see the reefs 
mapped out, as they beautifully were, below and around us. The light 
gleams again on the scarcely covered rocks, here and there, which we have 
to pass, and the general interest in this short but intricate bit of navigation 
is greater than ever. We at length pass between the last of the black and 
red buoys, and are once more in clear water. We bid adieu to our skilful 
pilots, their boat returns to the harbour, we again go “ full speed ahead,” 
and then have a capital view of this interesting little island as we sail and 
steam round it. 
It was a beautiful sight watching the many varied and varying forms, 
and tints of colour, too, of the needle-like peaks and crags, and deep valleys, 
with their exuberant vegetation, and here and there a dark precipitous cliff, 
having a sparkling stream of water, like a silver thread, running down its 
face. But we rapidly left behind this our last stopping-place, becoming 
very soon too distant for us to admire any more; and Rapa at length melted 
away from our view, absorbed in the purple haze of sunset, leaving us to 
turn our thoughts, hopes, and expectations exclusively to New Zealand. 
