138 
PORTER’S JOURNAL, 
among the Society Islands and the Archipelago situated to wind¬ 
ward, as well as many other islands scattered along- his track. They 
speak the same language and, in fact, are of the same nation. On 
his arrival at one island they could inform him of the existence of 
another, further to windward: and his adventurous spirit led him 
on from island to island, until he reached Nooaheevah. Months, 
nay years, must have appeared to him short while engaged in this 
pursuit, proud first of the honour of having proceeded farther than 
any of his countrymen, and secondly (after having discovered this de¬ 
lightful spot) of the glory of founding anew colony: no doubt he vis¬ 
ited those of the whole group in succession, but gave the preference 
to this on account of its size and beauty. His eldest son was named 
Po or night: oposite this valley where he established himself is 
the island called by the natives, Ooafioo 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 be impossible to perform 
so long- a navigation as from the Society Islands to Nooaheevah; 
but from the accounts given us by captain Cook, it appears that 
the natives of that clustre are remarkable for their skill in navi¬ 
gation; 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: but 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 reck¬ 
oning for a few hours, which the first sight of the sun or stars 
would enable them 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; and if this was the ease, 
of which we have no reason to doubt, all difficulties, as to the pas¬ 
sage of Oataia from Vavao to Nooaheevah, seem removed; for the 
canoes of Nooaheevah, although not so perfect as those of some 
other islands, are capable of keeping the sea for a great length of 
lime. 
