402 TAHITI. [cHaAP. XVIIT. 
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 
Ravines—Succession of Waterfalls—Number of wild useful Plants— 
Temperance of the Inhabitants—Their moral state—Parliament convened 
—New Zealand—Bay of Islands—Hippahs—Excursion to Waimate— 
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 
the winter far from the coast of South America. We then en- 
joyed bright and clear weather, while running pleasantly along 
at the 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 Archipelago, and saw severai 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, look- 
ing 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 proportion to the vast ocean out of which 
they abruptly rise; and it seems wonderful, that such weak in- 
vaders are not overwhelmed, by the all-powerful and never-tiring 
waves of that great sea, miscalled the Pacific. 
November 15th.— At daylight, Tahiti, an island which must 
