60 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
are. The entire mass of matter composing the latter^ 
has evidently been in a state of fusion^ and in that state 
has been ejected from the focus of an immense volcano^ 
or volcanoes^ originating, probably, at the bottom of the 
sea, and forming, by their action through successive 
ages, the "whole group of islands ; in which, nothing like 
primitive or secondary rock has yet been found. In 
Tahiti, and other islands of the southern cluster, there 
are basalts, whinstone dykes, and homogeneous earthy lava, 
retaining all the convolutions which cooling lava is known 
to assume; there are also kinds of hornstone, limestone, 
silex, breccia, and other substances, which have never, 
under the action of fire, altered their original form. 
Some are found in detached fragments, others in large 
masses. The wild and broken manner, however, in 
which the rocks now appear, warrants the inference, that 
since their formation, which was probably of equal 
antiquity with the bed of the ocean, they have been 
thrown up by some volcanic explosion, the disruptions 
of an earthquake, or other violent convulsions of the 
earth; and have, from this circumstance, assumed their 
bold, irregular, and romantic forms. 
Midday was past before we entered Matavai bay. 
As we sailed into the harbour, we passed near the coral 
reef, on which Captain Wallis struck on the 19th of 
June, 1767:? when he first entered the bay. His ship 
remained stationary nearly an hour; and, in consequence 
of this circumstance, the reef has received the name 
of the Dolphin rock. As we passed by it, we felt grate¬ 
ful that the winds were fair and the weather calm, and 
that we had reached our anchorage in safety. Ma-ta-vai, 
or Port Royal, as it was called by Captain Wallis, is 
situated in latitude 17°. 36'. S. and longitude 149°. 35'. W. 
