POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
9 
pleasure-ground, though often from eighteen to thirty 
fathoms deep. The coral reefs form natural and 
beautiful breakwaters, preserving the lowland and the 
yielding soil of the adjacent shore from the force 
and encroachment of the heavy billows of the ocean. 
Numbers of singular and verdant little islands are 
remarkably useful, as they are most frequently found 
at those points where the openings into the har¬ 
bours are formed. They are, therefore, excellent 
sea-marks, and furnish convenient temporary resi¬ 
dences for the fishermen, who resort to them during 
the season for taking the operu, scomber scomber of 
Linneus, and other fish, periodically visiting their 
shores. Here they dry and repair their nets while 
watching the approach of the shoals, and find them 
remarkably advantageous in prosecuting the most 
important of their fisheries. 
The sun had nearly set when we reached the 
settlement. As we approached the shore, crowds of 
the natives, who had recognized some of our party, 
came off to meet us, wading into the sea above 
their waist, in order to welcome our arrival. While 
gazing on the motley group that surrounded our 
boat, or thronged the adjacent shore, and exchang¬ 
ing our salutations with those nearest us, before we 
were aware of their design, upwards of twenty 
stout men actually lifted our boat out of the water, 
and raised it on their shoulders, carrying us, thus 
elevated in the air, amid the shouts of the bearers, 
and the acclamations of the multitude on the shore, 
first to the beach, and then to the large court-yard 
in front of the king’s house, where, after experienc¬ 
ing no small apprehension from this unusual mode 
II, c 
