Hall. — On the Island of Bapa. 83 



I may just mention that the remarkable group of rocks called the " Four 

 Crowns," and wliich on many charts are marlced doubtful, not only exist, 

 but may be seen on a clear day from Rapa, some forty miles off. 



The French Eesident, 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 bio wing-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 cajDtain and pilots once 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 w^ere, 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 Eapa 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, 



