40 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
1791.* According to the observation made at the time^ it 
was found to he situated in lat. 27. 36. S. and long. 144. 
11. W. The mountains are lofty and picturesque, and 
the summits of those forming the high land in the centre, 
singularly broken, so as to resemble, in no small degree, a 
range of irregularly inclined cones, or cylindrical columns, 
which their discoverer supposed to be towers, or fortifi¬ 
cations, manned with natives. 
The higher parts of the mountains seemed barren, 
but the lower hills, with many of the valleys, and the 
shores, were covered with verdure, and enriched with 
trees and bushes. The island did not appear to be 
surrounded by a reef, and, consequently, but little low 
land was seen. The waves of the ocean dashed against 
the base of those mountains, which, extending to the sea, 
divided the valleys that opened upon the eastern shore. 
As we were not far from the island when the sun with¬ 
drew his light, we lay off and on through the night, and, 
at daybreak, the next morning, found ourselves at some 
distance from the shore. We sailed towards the island 
till about 10 A. M. ; when, being within two miles of the 
* The mingled emotions of astonishment and fear, with which the 
natives regarded every thing on board Vancouver’s ship, prevented their 
replying very distinctly to the queries he proposed; and he observes, 
Their answers to almost every question were in the affirmative, and our 
inquiries as to the name of their island, &c. were continually interrupted 
by incessant invitations to go on shore. At length, I had reason to believe 
the name of the island was Oparo, and that of their chief Korie. Although 
I could not positively state that their names were correctly ascertained, 
yet, as there was a probability of their being so, I distinguished the island 
by the name of Oparo, until it might be found more properly entitled to 
another/’ The explicit declarations of the natives, made under more 
favourable circumstances, have now determined Rapa to be the proper 
name of this island. 
