CHAPTER V. 



SOCIETY ISLANDS. 



TnE prevailing winds among these islands are from the east-south- 

 east to east-northeast during good weather ; from any other quarter 

 the weather is usually unsettled, cloudy, and rainy, with occasional 

 gales from the southwest, north, and northwest. The months of 

 December, January, February, and March, may be termed the bad 

 season : it is then that the north and northwest winds prevail. The 

 rest of the year the weather is fine, although occasional southwest 

 winds are experienced, bringing rain ; these are usually followed by 

 light westerly breezes ; during their prevalence the weather is ex- 

 tremely sultry and warm. 



The Society Group include all the high islands in the neighbor- 

 hood, in other words, they comprehend both the Society and Georgian 

 Islands, and embrace Tahiti, Ulieta, Huahine, Otaha, Borobora, Maurua, 

 Matia, Eimeo, Tapamanoa, Tetuaroa, and Tubai ; these are all, with 

 the exception of the last two, high volcanic islands, and differ from 

 those of the Low Archipelago. The reasons given by some for uniting 

 them under one head is, that they are subject to one rule ; but this 

 would equally apply to most of the Paumotu Group. It seems much 

 more reasonable that all those that can be combined within distinct 

 geographical limits should form a group, whether they are of the 

 same description or not ; high or low islands, of volcanic or coral 

 formation. 



TAHITI. 



Tahiti was no doubt discovered by Quiros, in 1606, who gave it the 

 name of Sagittaria ; Captain Wallis saw it in 1767, and called it King 

 George's Island; Bougainville again named it in 1768, Nouvelle 

 Cythera; and again, in 1772, it was called by Boccheno, A mat. ; but 

 these names have long since given place to that of the native, Tahiti. 



