30 TAHITI. 



journey was continued, but it became necessary to stop before night, 

 in order to build a shelter and make a fire. The latter was a difficult 

 operation, where every thing was dripping with water. A hut was 

 soon built of boughs of the banana, and thatched with its leaves. 

 This, although not perfectly water-tight, served their purpose. 



Their provisions fortunately held out. The natives after every meal 

 had been careful to gather up all the remnants of food, and to wrap 

 them in banana-leaves, by which all waste was avoided. They had 

 been disappointed in obtaining any game, or any fish from the lake, 

 both of which had been calculated upon. Mr. Peale saw nothing to 

 shoot except a few birds, which were limited to four or five species, 

 among which were swallows, tropic-birds, and small herons. In the 

 lake, nothing was seen, although it had been represented as full of 

 huge eels. 



In the morning they rose early and began the descent, which was 

 slow and fatiguing. They found the Ooaigarra very rapid, and were 

 compelled to cross it frequently. In this their clothing was an encum- 

 brance, for it remained wet, and was consequently heavy, while the 

 natives, being naked, became dry in a few minutes after they emerged 

 from the water. This toilsome descent occupied about four hours. 



The first inhabited place they reached was Mirapahe, where the 

 Ooaigarra runs into the sea. This is situated on the south side of the 

 island, near the isthmus by which the two peninsulas are united. 



Most of the party were now exhausted by fatigue, so that it was 

 with some difficulty that any of them proceeded onwards to Ooari- 

 teeva, while a canoe was procured for those who were most overcome. 

 Here they were hospitably received by Teharo, the son of the governor, 

 Taati, who was himself absent, and took up their quarters at the house 

 of the latter. 



It was Wednesday evening, (by the account of the island,) and the 

 natives were attending lecture in the church. Some of our gentlemen 

 entered the congregation, and excited some sensation among the 

 younger part of the assembly; far less, however, than would be 

 evinced should a Tahitian enter one of our churches. The service 

 was performed by a native, and consisted of praying, reading the 

 Bible, and singing. The old people appeared very devout, and it was 

 remarked that many of them were provided with spectacles, to enable 

 them to follow the reader in their own books. 



The reading was performed in a low monotonous tone ; and the 

 hymn was sung to an old English tune, with considerable taste, by 

 the female part of the congregation. 



The assembly consisted of about one hundred persons, three-fourths 



