ABATEMENT OF THE STORM. 313 
But to return to our voyage to Raiatea: the 
storm, which had raged with violence ever since 
an hour after our departure from Huahine, began 
to abate towards the close of the day: we 
did not, however, see the land, and knew not 
whither we had drifted; but soon after the setting 
of the sun, the clouds dispersed, and a streak of 
light lingering in the western sky, indicated the 
direction in which we ought to proceed. The rain 
now ceased; the wind subsided ; and although the 
surface of the sea was considerably agitated, it was 
no longer that quick dashing conflict of the waves 
to which we had been exposed, while “ a war of 
mountains raged upon its surface/’ but a long and 
heavy sluggish sort of motion. We pulled in our 
bundle of masts and oars—the natives manned the 
oars, and rowed towards the west. 
The moon rose soon after the light of the sun 
had departed, and although she shone not at first 
in cloudless majesty through an untroubled sky, 
yet the night was a perfect contrast to the day. 
The light fleecy clouds that passed over the surface 
of the sky, fringed with the moon’s light, gave a 
pleasing animation to the scene, and 
“With scarce inferior lustre gleamed the sea, 
Whose waves were spangled with phosphoric fire, 
As though the lightnings there had spent their shafts, 
And left the fragments glittering on the field.” 
After rowing some time, we heard the hoarse 
roaring of the surf, as it broke upon the coral reef 
surrounding the shore. To us this was a most 
welcome sound, indicating our approach to the 
land. Shortly afterwards we saw a small island 
with two or three cocoa-nut trees upon it, and 
subsequently the coral reef appeared in view. 
We now found ourselves near the Ava Moa, 
