POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
393 
remaining at Tahiti, she should give up all interference 
with the government of the island, and delegate it to 
them, independently of all foreign control. 
The wind continuing to blow from the westward 
through the night, our bark was launched early on the 
morning of the sixteenth, and we prepared for embarka¬ 
tion. The boat was rather rude in appearance, being 
one I had from necessity built, with the assistance of the 
natives, while visiting in the island of Raiatea, in the 
early part of 1820. It was about thirty-six feet in 
length, and capable of carrying forty persons. The 
breeze increased in strength as the morning began to 
dawn, and about day-break we sailed from Fare harbour. 
Auna, Matatore, and Matapuupuu were my companions, 
and our boat was manned by about ten strong and active 
natives. As we were bounding over the waves of the 
harbour, and entering upon the wide-spread bosom of the 
Pacific, we lost the sprit of one of our matting-sheets in 
the sea, and could only carry one sail. This circum¬ 
stance, although it prevented our proceeding so rapidly 
as we should otherwise have done, contributed perhaps 
to our safety, for the wind was high and the sea rough. 
By noon we had entirely lost sight of Huahine, and 
about sunset we obtained our first distant glance of the 
lofty peaks of Eimeo. The wind now blew what the 
natives called a strong toerau^ or westerly gale, and the 
agitation of the sea was proportionably increased. The 
inside of our open boat was, however, perfectly dry, and 
it appeared to shoot along, as the natives expressed it, 
upon the tops of the waves, until at length we heard, 
amid the stillness of the night, the welcome sound of the 
long heavy surf, rolling in solemn grandeur, and dash¬ 
ing in loud, though distant roar, upon the coral reefs, 
ri. 3 E 
