180 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
hine ^ a female servant was sitting in the fore part of 
the canoe, with our little girl in her arms, our little 
boy was at his mother’s breast, and a native, with a 
long light pole, was paddling the canoe along, when 
a small buhoe, with a native youth sitting in it, darted 
out from behind a bush that hung over the water, and 
before we could turn, or the youth could stop his canoe, 
it ran across our outrigger. This in an instant went down, 
our canoe was turned bottom upwards, and the whole 
party precipitated into the sea. The sun had set soon 
after we started from the opposite side, and the twilight 
being very short, the shades of evening had already 
thickened around us, and prevented the natives on the shore 
from perceiving our situation. The native woman held 
our little girl up with one hand, and swam with the 
other towards the shore, aiding, as well as she could, 
Mrs. Osmond, who had caught hold of her dark hair, 
which floated on the water behind her; Mrs. Barf, on 
rising to the surface, caught hold of the outrigger of 
the canoe that had occasioned our disaster, and, call- 
ing out for help, informed the people on the shore 
of our danger, and speedily brought them to our 
assistance. 
Mr. Osmond no sooner reached the beach, than he 
plunged into the sea; Mrs. O. leaving the native by 
whom she had been supported, caught hold of her hus¬ 
band, and not only prevented his swimming, but sunk 
him so deep in the water, that, but for the timely arrival 
of the natives, both would probably have found a watery 
grave. Mahine-^vahine, the queen, sprang in, and con¬ 
veyed Mrs. Barf to the shore. I came up on the side 
opposite to that on which the canoe had turned over, 
and found Mrs. Ellis struggling in the water, with the 
