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CHARLES DARWIN 



her majesty; the ship was dressed with flags, and the yards 

 manned on her coming on board. She was accompanied by 

 most of the chiefs. The behaviour of all was very proper: 

 they begged for nothing, and seemed much pleased with Cap- 

 tain Fitz Roy's presents. The queen is a large awkward 

 woman, without any beauty, grace or dignity. She has only 

 one royal attribute: a perfect immovability of expression 

 under all circumstances, and that rather a sullen one. The 

 rockets were most admired ; and a deep " Oh ! " could be 

 heard from the shore, all round the dark bay, after each ex- 

 plosion. The sailors' songs were also much admired; and 

 the queen said she thought that one of the most boisterous 

 ones certainly could not be a hymn! The royal party did 

 not return on shore till past midnight. 



26th. — In the evening, with a gentle land-breeze, a course 

 was steered for New Zealand; and as the sun set, we had a 

 farewell view of the mountains of Tahiti — the island to which 

 every voyager has offered up his tribute of admiration. 



December igth. — In the evening we saw in the distance 

 New Zealand. We may now consider that we have nearly 

 crossed the Pacific. It is necessary to sail over this great 

 ocean to comprehend its immensity Moving quickly on- 

 wards for weeks together, we meet with nothing but the 

 same blue, profoundly deep, ocean. Even within the archi- 

 pelagoes, the islands are mere specks, and far distant one 

 from the other. Accustomed to look at maps drawn on a 

 small scale, where dots, shading, and names are crowded 

 together, we do not rightly judge how infinitely small the 

 proportion of dry land is to water of this vast expanse. 

 The meridian of the Antipodes has likewise been passed; and 

 now every league, it made us happy to think, was one league 

 nearer to England. These Antipodes call to one's mind old 

 recollections of childish doubt and wonder. Only the other 

 day I looked forward to this airy barrier as a definite point 

 in our voyage homewards; but now I find it, and all such 

 resting-places for the imagination, are like shadows, which 

 a man moving onwards cannot catch. A gale of wind last- 

 ing for some days, has lately given us full leisure to measure 

 the future stages in our homeward voyage, and to wish 

 most earnestly for its termination. 



