NARRATIVE 



OF 



THE EXPLORING EXPEDITION 



CHAPTER I. 



TAHITI. 



1839. 



The beauty of the distant view of Tahiti has been celebrated by 

 all navigators, but I must confess that it disappointed me. The entire 

 outline of the island was visible for too short a time and at too great a 

 distance to permit its boasted features to be distinctly seen. Upon a 

 second and nearer view, its jagged peaks and rugged inaccessible 

 mountains were visible, but we looked in vain for the verdant groves 

 which are said by all writers to clothe it. These indeed exist, but are 

 confined to a narrow belt of low land, lying between the mountains 

 and the shore, and being unseen at a distance, the general aspect of 

 the island is that of a land recently thrown up by volcanic action. 



When, however, Tahiti is approached so near as to make separate 

 objects visible, the contrast between it and the barren coast of Peru 

 becomes striking. Even upon the steep surface of its cliffs, vegetation 

 abounds ; the belt of low land is covered with the tropical trees pecu- 

 liar to Polynesia ; while the high peaks and wall-faced mountains in 

 the rear are covered with vines and creeping plants. This verdure is 

 seen to rise from a quiet girdle of water, which is again surrounded 

 by a line of breakers, dashing in snow-white foam on the encircling 



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