194 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
Pacific, whose landscapes, though circumscribed in 
extent, are 
“ So lovely, so adorned 
With hill, and dale, and lawn, and winding vale, 
Woodland, and stream, and lake, and rolling seas,” 
that they are seldom surpassed, even in the fairest 
portions of the world. 
On the morning of the 16th of February, 1817, 
as the light of the day broke upon us, we disco¬ 
vered that during the night we had drifted to a con¬ 
siderable distance from the island; the canoes of the 
natives, however, soon surrounded our vessel; num¬ 
bers of the people were admitted on board, and we 
had the long desired satisfaction of intercourse 
with them, through the medium of an interpreter. 
They were not altogether so prepossessing in per¬ 
son, as, from the different accounts I had read, 
I had been led to anticipate. The impression pro¬ 
duced by our first interview was, notwithstanding, 
far from being unfavourable; we were at once 
gratified with their vivacity, and soon after with 
the simple indications of the piety which several 
exhibited. A good-looking native, about forty years 
of age, who said his name was Maine, and who 
came on board as a pilot, we invited to our break¬ 
fast. We had nearly finished, when he took his 
seat at the table ; yet, before tasting his food, he 
modestly bent his head, and, shading his brow 
with his hand, implored the Divine blessing on the 
provision before him. Several of the officers were 
much affected at his seriousness ; and though one 
attempted to raise a smile at his expense, it only 
elicited from him an expression of compassion. 
To me it was the most pleasing sight I had yet 
beheld, and imparted a higher zest to the enjoy- 
