porter's 30KRJNAL. 



135 



game nation. On his arrival at one island they could 

 inform him of the existence of another, further to wind- 

 ward : and his adventurous spirit led him on from island 

 to island, until he reached Nooaheevah. Months, nay 

 years, may have appeared to him short, while engaged in 

 this pursuit, naturally proud of the honour of having 

 proceeded farther than any of his countrymen, and the 

 glory of founding a new colony. No doubt he visited 

 those of the whole group in succession, but gave the pre- 

 ference to this on account of its size and beauty. His 

 eldest son was named Po, or night. Opposite this valley, 

 where he established himself, is the island called by the 

 natives Ooapoo^ or, there is night. May not this lead us to 

 conjecture that he here fixed his first born. But still it 

 may be objected, that in such frail machines as the double 

 canoes of the South Sea Islands, it would \>e impossible to 

 perform so long a navigation as from the Society Islands 

 to Nooaheevah. From the accounts given us by Captain 

 Cook, it appears that the natives of that cluster, are re- 

 markable for their skill in navigation ; that they are guided 

 in the day by the sun, and in the night by the stars ; and 

 when these are not observed, they have recourse to the 

 points from whence the winds come upon their vessel. 

 But if at such times the winds and waves should shift, they 

 are quite bewildered, and often miss their intended port, 

 and sometimes are heard of no more. It is not probable 

 they are always lost where there are so many islands to 

 afford them shelter ; and indeed it may be supposed, that 

 they are capable of keeping a kind of dead reckoning for 

 a few hours, which the first sight of the sun or stars would 

 enable ihem to correct. Captain Cook made several ex- 

 periments as to the sailing of their canoes, and found with 

 the breezes, which generally blow in that sea, that they 

 would sail close hauled, on an average seven or eight miles 

 an hour, which must be acknowledged is very good sailing. 

 If this was the case, of which we have no reason to doubt, 

 all difficulties, as to the passage of Oataia from Vavao 

 to Nooaheevah, seem removed; for the canoes of Nooa- 

 heevah, although not so perfect as those of some other 

 islands, are capable of keeping the sea for a great length 

 of time. 



The cocoa-nut tree, as I before remarked, was said to 



