SOCIETY ISLANDS. 303 
trast whereby to measure its parts. But when we looked back upon 
the harbour of Taloo, and saw the steep declivities by which we had 
ascended from the beach, diminished, like peaked points, beneath our 
feet, we were thus made almost tremblingly sensible of the magnitude 
of the mountains that here engirdled our horizon, and the breadth of 
the interjacent valley, in the midst of which we stood.”* This pecu- 
liar character is highly interesting to the geologist, who may trace in 
it analogies with other ancient volcanic regions. 
The mountains of Eimeo have never been measured : their esti- 
mated height is four thousand feet. 
On the northeastern side of the island, between the mountains and 
the sea, there is an extensive lake, called ‘T'amai. 
Cook’s Harbour is another large bay, separated from ‘Taloo Harbour 
by a mountain ridge. 
Huahine.-—A. channel, about a mile wide, separates Huahine-iti 
from Huahine, two islands, which appear as if parts of a single trape- 
zoidal island, broken through along a diagonal; a single coral reef 
includes the whole. In the distant view, the mass of mountains con- 
stituting Huahine has a conical outline; but approaching it, it is 
found to resemble Eimeo, though somewhat less broken. ‘The val- 
leys are deep, and run in general from the centre towards the shore. 
The strait between the two islands is bordered by “ craggy preci- 
pices, crowding one upon the back of another, to a height of three 
thousand feet. Over the top of one of these hangs a huge rock, as 
though it were disruptured from its seat, and falling instantly upon 
the valley beneath. On the contrary shore, gigantic masses of the 
same character rear their weather-beaten but immovable ridges. 
Even the perpendicular faces of the rocks are often overgrown, in this 
genial climate, with rank and luxuriant vegetation.”” In these straits, 
the rocks are somewhat columnar. 
Huahine has also deep harbours, but they are inferior to those 
of Raiatea. ‘There are two lakes or lagoons on the northern part 
of the island, each of which is about five miles long by two or three 
broad. Ellis, speaking of one of them, Lake Macoa, suggests that 
it was originally a part of the sea, and has been cut off from it by 
the growth of coral, and accumulation from the action of the sea and 
winds. ‘The western side is low and flat, yet covered with cocoanut 
and other trees. On the east there is a flat, nearly a mile wide in 
* Tyerman and Bennett, i, 30, 
