[Illustration: _S. Freeman, Sc. _

RECEPTION OF CAPTAIN KOTZEBUE AT THE ISLAND OF OTDIA]

 A

 NEW VOYAGE

 ROUND

 THE WORLD, IN THE YEARS 1823, 24, 25, AND 26. 

 BY OTTO VON KOTZEBUE, POST CAPTAIN IN THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL NAVY. 

 IN TWO VOLUMES. 

 VOL. I. 

 LONDON:

 HENRY COLBURN AND RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1830. 

 LONDON:

 PRINTED BY SAMUEL BENTLEY, Dorset Street, Fleet Street. 

PREFACE. 

The flattering requisitions of those readers who found amusement in thenarrative of my former voyage, independently of its scientific details, form an incentive to my present publication. All mere nautical minutiæ, which might be deemed tedious, with the exception of such as wereindispensable, have been omitted. Various contingencies have delayed theappearance of these Volumes; but I still hope they will not havealtogether lost the charm of novelty. 

With respect to my style, I rely upon the favour formerly shewn me. Devoted from my earliest youth to the sea-service, I have had no leisurefor cultivating the art of authorship. 

 TO HIS EXCELLENCY ADMIRAL VON KRUSENSTERN, THE FIRST RUSSIAN CIRCUMNAVIGATOR;

 WHOSE NAME WILL BE IMMORTALIZED BY HIS ACTIVE AND BENEFICIAL PATRONAGE OF THE NAUTICAL SCIENCE:

 TO MY PATERNAL FRIEND, WHOM, WHILE STILL A BOY, I ACCOMPANIED ON HIS CELEBRATED EXPEDITION, AND UNDER WHOSE AUSPICES I RECEIVED MY EARLY EDUCATION AS A SEAMAN;

 THESE VOLUMES ARE DEDICATED WITH THE MOST AFFECTIONATE RESPECT. 

 CONTENTS

 OF

 THE FIRST VOLUME. 

 Page. 

 INTRODUCTION 1

 VOYAGE TO BRAZIL 5

 RIO-JANEIRO 27

 DOUBLING OF CAPE HORN, AND RESIDENCE IN CHILI 57

 THE DANGEROUS ARCHIPELAGO 101

 O TAHAITI 119

 PITCAIRN ISLAND 225

 NAVIGATORS' ISLANDS 251

 RADACK ISLANDS 289

 LIST OF PLATES. 

 Page. 

 Reception of Captain Kotzebue at the Island of Otdia, To face Title of Vol. I. 

 Plan of Mattaway Bay and Village 200

 Chart of the Navigators' Islands 250

 Chart of the Islands of Radak and Ralik 288

 Nomahanna, Queen of the Sandwich Islands, To face Title of Vol. II. 

INTRODUCTION. 

In the month of March of the year 1823, I was appointed by his ImperialMajesty Alexander the First, of glorious memory, to the command of aship, at that time unfinished, but named the Predpriatie (theEnterprise). She had been at first destined for a voyage purelyscientific, but circumstances having occurred which rendered itnecessary to change the object of the expedition, I was ordered to takein at Kronstadt a cargo to Kamtschatka, and to sail from the latterplace to the north-west coast of America, in order to protect theRussian American Company from the smuggling carried on there by foreigntraders. On this station my ship was to remain for one year, and then, being relieved by another, to return to Kronstadt. The course to befollowed, both in going and returning, was left entirely to my owndiscretion. 

On the first of May, the ship, whose Russian name, Predpriatie, I shallfor the future omit, was declared complete. She was the first vesselbuilt in Russia under a roof, (a very excellent plan, ) was the size of afrigate of a middling rank, and, that she might not be unnecessarilyburdened, was provided with only twenty-four six-pounders. 

My crew consisted of Lieutenants Kordinkoff, Korsakoff, Bordoschewitsch, and Pfeifer; the Midshipmen Gekimoff, Alexander von Moller, Golowin, Count Heiden, Tschekin, Murawieff, Wukotitsch, and Paul von Moller; theMates, Grigorieff, Gekimoff, and Simokoff, eight petty officers, and onehundred and fifteen sailors. We were accompanied by ProfessorsEschscholz and Lenz as Naturalists; Messrs. Preus and Hoffman asAstronomer and Mineralogist; and Messrs. Victor and von Siegwald asChaplain and Physician; so that, in all, we reckoned one hundred andforty-five persons. 

We were richly stored with astronomical and other scientificinstruments: we possessed two pendulum apparatus, and a theodolite madeexpressly for our expedition by the celebrated Reichenbach. Thisvaluable instrument was executed with wonderful precision, and was ofthe greatest use in our astronomical observations on shore. 

In June the ship arrived at Kronstadt, and on the 14th of July (oldstyle, according to which all reckonings will be made in this voyage, )she lay in the harbour fully equipped and ready to sail. On that day thecannon of the fortress and of the fleet in the roads announced thearrival of the Emperor, whom we had the pleasure of receiving on boardour vessel. 

His Majesty, after a close examination of the ship, honoured us by theassurance of his imperial satisfaction; the sailors received a sum ofmoney, and I and my officers a written expression of thanks. 

With the gracious cordiality peculiar to him, the amiable monarch wishedus a happy voyage, and retired followed by our enthusiastic blessings. 

We did not then anticipate that we had seen him for the last time. Onour return, his lofty spirit had ascended to the regions of bliss: fromwhence he looks down on his beloved brother, rejoicing to be evensurpassed by him in the virtues of a sovereign. 

VOYAGE TO BRAZIL. 

VOYAGE TO BRAZIL. 

We remained in the roads of Kronstadt till the 28th of July, when, aftera painful parting from a beloved and affectionate wife, the wind provingfavourable, I gave the order to weigh anchor. 

The whole crew was in high spirits, and full of hope: the task ofweighing anchor and setting sail was executed with alertness andrapidity; and as the ship began her course, cutting the foaming billows, the men joyfully embraced each other, and with loud huzzas expressedtheir hearty wishes for the success of our undertaking. To me this scenewas highly gratifying. Such a disposition in a crew towards anenterprise from which toils and dangers must be anticipated, afforded asatisfactory presumption that their courage and spirits would not failwhen they should be really called into exercise. With a good ship and acheerful crew the success of a voyage is almost certain. We fired asalute of seven guns, in reply to the farewell from the fortress ofKronstadt, and, the wind blowing fresh, soon lost sight of its towers. 

As far as Gothland all went well, and nothing disturbed the generalcheerfulness; but here a sudden storm from the west attacked us sounexpectedly as scarcely to give time for the necessary precautions. Tossed to and fro by the swelling and boisterous waves, I was not, Imust confess, altogether free from anxiety. 

With a new and untried ship, and men somewhat out of practice, a firststorm is naturally attended by many causes of disquiet not afterwards soseriously felt. In the present instance, however, these untowardcircumstances were rather productive of the ludicrous than the terrific;and whatever might be my solicitude as commander, I experienced butlittle sympathy from my officers. The strength and extent of the motionto which we were about to be exposed had not been duly estimated, andthe movable articles in the cabins were generally ill secured. This wasparticularly the case in the state-cabin, occupied by twenty persons:not a table or a chair would remain in its place; every thing rollingabout in its own stupid way, in defiance of all rule and order. Thefrolicsome young officers were delighted with the confusion; and evenour seasick men of science could not refrain from laughter when awell-fed pig, which, disturbed by the inconvenience, had taken refuge onthe hatchway, ventured from thence to intrude itself among them by aspring through the open window, and looked around in pitiable amazementon finding that, amidst the general clamour, repose was no moreattainable in a state-cabin than in its own humble abode. I wasmeanwhile occupied in narrowly observing the vessel that was to bear usthrough so many and long-enduring difficulties. Amidst the conflict ofthe elements, a commander becomes acquainted with his ship, as in thestorms of life we learn duly to appreciate our friends. I weighed thedefects of mine against its good qualities, and rejoiced that thelatter had greatly the preponderance. She was a friend on whom I mightrely in case of need. Such a conviction is necessary to the captain:through it alone can his actions acquire the decision and certainty soindispensable in time of danger, and so essential to success. In thecourse of four-and-twenty hours the storm abated; a favourable windagain swelled our sails, and we enjoyed it doubly after the littletroubles we had undergone. At daybreak on the 8th of August we left theisland of Bornholm, and found ourselves surrounded by a Russian fleetcruising under the command of Admiral Crown. This meeting with ourcountrymen was an agreeable surprise to us: they could carry to ourbeloved homes the assurance, that thus far at least our voyage had beenprosperous. We saluted the Admiral with nine guns, received a similarnumber in return, and continued our course with full sails. 

On the 10th of August we anchored opposite the friendly capital ofDenmark, where we received on board the theodolite, which had beenprepared for us at Munich by Reichenbach, and sent hither. Before thesun appeared above the horizon on the 12th, we were again under sail, with a good wind and a tranquil sea. The sail along the Danish coast wasinteresting from its beautiful prospects, and numerous buildingsillumined by the morning sun. 

We passed the Sound the same day, and entered the Categat. Here we werevisited in the night by another violent storm. The sky, pealing withincessant thunder, hung heavy and black above us, and spread a fearfuldarkness over the sea, broken only by tremendous flashes of lightning. The electric fluid, in large masses of fire, threatened us momentarilywith destruction; but thanks be to the strong attractive power of thesea, which forms so good a conductor for ships, --without it we had beenlost! In the North Sea our voyage was tedious, from the continuance ofcontrary winds; and in the English Channel dangerous, from theuninterrupted fog. We however reached Portsmouth roads in safety on the25th of August. 

Since it was my intention to double Cape Horn in the best season, namelyJanuary or February, it was necessary to lose no time in England. Itherefore hastened to London, and resisting all the allurements offeredby the magnificence of the capital, immediately procured my charts, chronometers, and astronomical instruments, and returned on board myship on the 2nd of September, to be in waiting for the first fair wind. The wind however chose, as it often does, to put our patience to theproof. Its perverseness detained us in the roads till the 6th; andthough a temporary change then enabled us to sail, we had scarcelyreached Portland point when a strong gale again set in directly in ourteeth. 

The English Channel, on account of its numerous shallows and strongirregular currents, is at all times dangerous: vessels overtaken thereby storms during the night are in imminent peril of wreck, and thusevery year are great numbers lost. 

I myself, on my former voyage in the Rurik, should have infalliblysuffered this fate, had the day dawned only half an hour later. Warnedtherefore by experience, I resolved not to trust to the chance of thenight; and fortunately our English pilot, from whom we had not yetparted, was of the same opinion. --This man, who had grown grey in hisemployment, and was perfectly acquainted with these waters, advised ourimmediate return to Portsmouth, and that every effort should be made toreach it before sunset. I therefore had the ship put about, and settingas much sail as the violence of the wind would allow, we fled towardsour place of refuge, the storm continually increasing. Although we ranpretty quick, we had scarcely got half-way back, before it became sofoggy and dark, that the land, which had hitherto been our guide, was nolonger discernible. We could not see three hundred fathoms from theship. The change in our pilot's countenance showed that our situationhad become critical. The little, stout, and hitherto phlegmatic fellowbecame suddenly animated by a new spirit. His black eyes lightened; heuttered several times the well-known English oath which Figaro declaresto be "le fond de la langue, " rubbed his bands violently together, andat length exclaimed, "Captain! I should like a glass of grog--Devil takeme if I don't bring you safe into Portsmouth yet!" His wish was ofcourse instantly complied with. Strengthened and full of courage, heseized the helm, and our destiny depended on his skill. 

It was now barely possible to reach Portsmouth with daylight by takingthe shortest way through the Needles, a narrow strait between the Isleof Wight and the mainland, full of shallows, where even in clear weathera good pilot is necessary. The sun was already near setting, when ananxious cry from the watch announced the neighbourhood of land, and inthe same instant we all perceived, at about a hundred fathoms' distance, a high fog-enveloped rock, against which the breakers raged furiously. 

Our pilot recognised it for the western point of the Isle of Wight atthe entrance of the Needles, and the danger we were in only animated hisspirits. He seized the helm with both hands, and guiding it withadmirable dexterity, the ship flew, amidst the storm, through the narrowand winding channels to which the shallows confined it, often so closeupon the impending rocks, that it seemed scarcely possible to pass themwithout a fatal collision. 

A small vessel that had sailed with us for some time at this momentstruck, and was instantly swallowed by the waves without a possibilityof saving her. This terrible sight, and the consciousness that the nextmoment might involve us in a similar fate, made every one on board gazein silent anxiety on the direction we were taking: even the pilot saidnot a word. 

The twilight had nearly given way to total darkness when we reachedPortsmouth roads; the joy with which we hailed this haven of safety, andour mutual congratulations on our preservation, may be easily imagined:our pilot now fell back into his former phlegm, and seating himself witha glass of grog by the fireside, received our thanks and praises withequal indifference. 

This equinoctial storm raged itself out during the night, and the firstrays of the sun again brought us fine weather and a fair wind, whichenabled us once more to quit the English harbour. In no situation arethe vicissitudes so striking as those experienced at sea. The wind, which had so lately attacked us with irresistible fierceness, was nowbecome too gentle, and we were detained nine days in the Channel bycalms, before we could reach the Atlantic Ocean. 

Here a fresh north wind occasioned near our track the appearance calleda water-spout; which consists of a three-cornered mass of foaming water, with the point towards the sea, and the broad upper surface covered witha black cloud. --We now held a southerly course, and after encounteringmuch rough weather, on the 22nd of September reached the parallel ofLisbon, where we enjoyed the warmer temperature, and congratulatedourselves on having left behind us the region of storms. We steeredstraight for the island of Teneriffe, where we intended providingourselves with wine. A fresh trade-wind carried us rapidly and smoothlyforward; the whole crew was in fine health and cheered by one of themost beautiful mornings of this climate, when our pleasure in the nearprospect of a residence on this charming island was most painfullyinterrupted by the accident of a sailor falling overboard. The rapiditywith which we were driving before the wind frustrated all our efforts tosave him, and the poor fellow met his death in the waves. Ourcheerfulness was now perfectly destroyed; and my regret for the accidentwas increased by the fear of the evil impression it might make on theminds of the other men. --Sailors are seldom free from superstition, andif mine should consider this misfortune as a bad omen, it might becomesuch in reality by casting down the spirits so essential in a long andperhaps dangerous voyage. A crew tormenting itself with idle fears willnever lend that ready obedience to a commander which is necessary forits own preservation. The messmates of the unfortunate man continued togaze mournfully towards the spot where he had sunk, till the sight ofland, as we sailed about noon past the small rocky island of Salvages, seemed to divert their thoughts from the occurrence; their formercheerfulness gradually returned, and my apprehensions subsided. 

This evening the island of Teneriffe became perceptible amidst the mistand clouds which veiled its heights. During the night we reached thehigh black rocks of lava which form its northern points; and at break ofday I determined to tack, in order to run into Santa Cruz, the onlyplace in the island where ships can lie at anchor. 

The night was stormy, and the high land occasioned violent gusts of windfrom various directions. Towards morning the weather improved, but wefound that the current had carried us twenty miles to the south-east. [1]These strong currents are common here in all seasons, and, to vesselsnot aware of them, may in dark nights produce injurious consequences. Having now passed the northern promontory, we steered southward for theroads of Santa Cruz. The shore here, consisting of high, steep masses oflava, presents a picturesque but desolate and sterile landscape, amidstwhich the eye seeks in vain for some spot capable of producing the richwine of Teneriffe. Upon a point of rock about a thousand feet above thelevel of the sea, we saw a telegraph in full activity, probablyannouncing our arrival. The town next came in sight, and with itsnumerous churches, convents, and handsome houses, rising in anamphitheatre up the side of a mountain, would have offered a noble andpleasing prospect to eyes accustomed to the monotony of a sea view, butthat the majestic Peak, that giant among mountains, rearing in thebackground its snow-crowned head 13, 278 feet above the level of the sea, now stood clear and cloudless before us, enchaining all our faculties, the effect of its appearance rendered still more striking by the suddenparting of the clouds which had previously concealed it from us. Thisprodigious conical volcano is from its steepness difficult of access, and the small crater on the summit is so closely surrounded by a wall oflava, that in some places there is scarcely room to stand. He who isbold enough to climb it, however, will find himself rewarded with one ofthe finest prospects in the world. Immediately beneath him, stretchesthe entire extent of the Teneriffe, with all its lovely scenery; roundit the other nineteen Canary Islands; the eye then glances over animmense expanse of waters, beyond which may be descried in the distancethe dark forests of the African coast, and even the yellow stripe whichmarks the verge of the great Desert. With thoughts full of theenjoyments which awaited us, we approached the town. We planned partiesto see the country and climb the Peak; and our scientific associates, holding themselves in readiness to land as soon as the boat could belowered, already rejoiced over the new treasures of mineralogy andbotany of which the island seemed to promise so ample a store: meanwhilewe had made the usual signal for a pilot; but having in vain waited hisappearance, I resolved, as the road was not altogether unknown to me, tocast anchor without him; when, just as we had made our preparations, aball from the fortress struck the water not far from the ship. At thesame time we perceived that all was bustle on the walls; the cannonswere pointed, the matches lighted, and plenty of Spanish balls wereready for our reception. Our government being at peace with Spain, thishostile conduct was quite unintelligible to us; but as I had no desirefor a battle, I contented myself with drawing off the ship, and lying tobeyond the reach of cannon shot, in the hope that a boat would be sentto us with some explanation of it. After, however, waiting aconsiderable time in vain, perceiving the continuance of warlikepreparations on the walls, we were reluctantly obliged to renounce allhopes of visiting the island or the Peak, and to continue our voyage toBrazil, where we might reckon upon a kinder welcome. 

Here, then, was an end to all our promised pleasures. The enrichment ofour museum, the merry parties and the choice wine all forfeited to asimple misunderstanding! Whatever might be their motive, it was aninconsiderate action in the Spaniards wantonly to insult the Russianflag; and even if they mistook us for enemies, it was silly to be afraidof a single ship, considering that the renowned Nelson, with an Englishfleet, had found the fortifications impregnable. 

After a few miles' sail we perceived a large three-masted shipendeavouring, with the wind against her, to reach the roads of SantaCruz. We steered towards her, in hopes that we might obtain someinformation that should explain the riddle of the treatment we hadreceived. But the ship seemed as much afraid of us as the fortress;and, as soon as she perceived our intention, made all possible haste toavoid us. 

It was really laughable enough, but it was also vexatious, that suchpeaceful people as we were should be considered so terrible. I sent abullet after the ship, to induce her to stop; she then hoisted theEnglish flag, but never slackened her speed; so that finding we couldget no satisfaction, we thought it advisable to take advantage of thefresh trade-wind, to bear away from Teneriffe as quickly as possible. Onthe following morning we could still see the Peak, a hundred miles off, among the clouds; and we called to mind, as we gazed upon it, themysterious accounts of its aborigines, of whom it was said, from theresemblance of their teeth to those of grazing animals, that they couldonly live on vegetables. They embalmed corpses in the manner of theancient Egyptians, and preserved them in grottoes in the rocks, wherethey are still to be found. The Spaniards, the first discoverers andappropriators of the island, have described in high terms the state ofcivilization, methods of agriculture, and remarkably pure morality ofthese ancient inhabitants, who nevertheless were entirely exterminatedby the tyranny and cruelty of their conquerors. 

The trade-wind and continued fine weather brought us rapidly on our waytowards Brazil. Dolphins, flying-fish, and the large and beautifulgold-fish, called by the Spaniards _bonito_, constantly surrounded theship, and formed by day a relief from the tedium of gazing on theunvarying billows, as did during the darkness of the night theinnumerable phosphorescent animals of the muscle kind, which, studdingthe black ocean with sparks of fire, produced a dazzling and livingillumination. Our naturalist, Professor Eschscholz, has alreadycommunicated to the world his microscopical observations upon thesemarine curiosities. 

On the first of October we doubled the Cape Verd Islands, withouthowever seeing the land, which is almost always lost in mist, andsteered direct for the Equator. Our progress was now impeded by calms, and the heat began to be oppressive; but care and precaution preservedthe crew in perfect health, an effect which strict cleanliness, order, and wholesome diet, will seldom fail to produce, even in long voyages. 

At five degrees North latitude, we took advantage of a calm to draw upwater from a depth of five hundred fathoms, by means of a machineinvented by the celebrated Russian academician Parrot. We found thetemperature five degrees by Reaumur, while that of the water on thesurface reached twenty-five degrees. To us it appeared ice-cold, and wefelt ourselves much refreshed by washing our heads and faces with it. The machine weighed forty pounds, and might contain about a moderatepail-full; but the pressure of the column of water over it was such, that six sailors with a windlass were hardly able to draw it up. We madean attempt to sink it to a thousand fathoms' depth, but the line broke, and we lost the machine; fortunately, however, we were provided with asecond. 

While we were still more than a hundred miles from land, a swallowalighted on the deck. It is wonderful how far these little animals canfly without resting. At first, it seemed weary, but soon recovered, andflew gaily about. When far out at sea, cut off from every other societythan that of our shipmates, any guest from land, even a bird, iswelcome. Ours soon became a general favourite, and was so tame, that itwould hop on our hands and take the flies we offered him without anysymptom of fear. He chose my cabin to sleep in at night; and at sunriseflew again upon deck, where he found every one willing to entertain him, and catch flies for his subsistence. But our hospitality proved fatal tohim; he over-ate himself, and died of an indigestion, universallylamented. 

On the 11th of October we crossed the Equator at twenty-five degrees W. Longitude, reckoning from Greenwich. [2] Having saluted the Southernhemisphere by the firing of guns, our crew proceeded to enact the usualceremonies. A sailor, who took pride in having frequently passed theLine, directed the performance with much solemnity and decorum. Heappeared as Neptune, attired in a manner that was meant to be terriblyimposing, accompanied by his consort, seated on a gun-carriage insteadof a shell, drawn by negroes, as substitutes for Tritons. In theevening, the sailors represented, amidst general applause, a comedy oftheir own composition. These sports, while they serve to keep up thespirits of the men, and make them forget the difficulties they have togo through, produce also the most beneficial influence upon theirhealth; a cheerful man being much more capable of resisting a fit ofsickness than a melancholy one. It is the duty of commanders to useevery innocent means of maintaining this temper in their crews; for inlong voyages, when they are several months together wandering on anelement not destined by nature for the residence of man, withoutenjoying even occasionally the recreations of the land, the mindnaturally tends to melancholy, which of itself lays the foundation ofmany diseases, and sometimes even of insanity. Diversion is often thebest medicine, and, used as a preservative, seldom fails of its effect. 

Below the Equator, we met with a fresh south-east wind, and having alsofine weather, we soon reached the coast of Brazil. 

RIO JANEIRO. 

RIO JANEIRO. 

On the morning of the 1st of November, consequently in the spring of theSouthern hemisphere, we perceived Cape Frio, and in the evening plainlydistinguished, by its well-known conical mountain, the entrance to theBay of Rio Janeiro. A dead calm deprived us of the pleasure of runninginto the port that night, so that we were compelled to drop our anchorbefore it; but we found some compensation for our disappointment, incontemplating so much of this charming country as was visible from ourship. The magnificent scenery of Brazil has often been described, but noexpression can do justice to its ravishing beauty. Imagination canscarcely picture the exquisite variety of form and colouring of theluxuriant and gigantic vegetation that thickly clothes the valleys andmountains even to the sea-shore. A breeze from the land wafted to us themost delicious perfumes; and crowds of beautiful insects, butterflies, and birds, such as only the tropics produce, hovered about us. Natureseems to have destined these lovely regions for the unmixed enjoyment ofher creatures; but, alas! hard labour and a tyrant's whip have, to theunhappy Negro, transformed this Paradise into a place of torment. 

The sight of two slave-ships formed a revolting contrast to theenchantment of the prospect: they had that day arrived from Africa, andlay near us at anchor. The trade in human flesh, that foul blot oncivilized nations, of which most of them are already ashamed, yetflourishes here in detestable activity, and is carried on, with all thebrutality of avarice, under the sanction of the laws. The ships employedin this abominable traffic are so over-crowded that the slaves havescarcely room to move. They are brought up by turns to inhale for awhile the refreshing breeze, but the deck being only capable ofaccommodating a small portion at once, they are soon returned to theconfined and pestilential atmosphere below. One third of the humancargo, as a necessary consequence, generally perishes on the voyage, andthe remainder reach their place of destination in a state of miserablesuffering. The decks of the ships I have just mentioned, were crowdedwith these unfortunate creatures, naked, fettered, and diseased. Evenmothers with infants at their breasts had not been spared by thesespeculators! What still greater misery might not be concealed beneaththe decks!

The darkness, which at once closed from our view all that had delightedand disgusted us, rendered visible an almost incessant flight ofrockets, and we heard occasionally, throughout the night, the dischargeof guns and musketry from the town. These demonstrations of rejoicingled to the supposition that some important festival was celebrating, orthat a great victory had probably been gained; we afterwards learnt, however, that they were occasioned only by the arrest of threeministers, accused of a conspiracy against the Emperor. 

At daybreak the chief pilot came on board. This little fat man, proudof his name of Vasco de Gama, which he professed to have inherited in adirect line from the celebrated navigator to the East Indies, was inmany respects a good specimen of his countrymen. He was whollyuneducated, as they mostly are; and, next to his ancestry, that in whichhe took the greatest pride was the independence of Brazil. This feeling, which is general among all classes, enlists each individual personallyin support of the existing government, and is its surest guarantee. 

Although our pilot had not attained to the renown of his great ancestor, I must do him the justice to say that he understood his business, andguided us very skilfully through the narrow mouth of the Bay. This smallentrance, commanded by a fort on a height, is tolerably well securedfrom the approach of an enemy; and might, by stronger batteries, be madewholly inaccessible, as the channel is so narrow, that a ship in workingits way in must always be within half-shot distance. We anchored nearthe town, among numerous vessels of various nations, and set foot oncemore on terra-firma, after being fifty-two days at sea since leavingEngland. 

Beautiful as this country always appears to an European eye, it hasperhaps no scene so strikingly splendid and picturesque as that whichpresents itself within this Bay. The rich and novel peculiarity of thelandscape is contrasted with the handsome buildings of the town, risingamphitheatrically round the harbour; and these again derive a curiouseffect from the tall and slender palm-trees, which, thickly interspersedamong them, throw their strongly defined and waving shadows upon thewhite surface of the contiguous houses; and the whole is crowned by thenumerous convents which are seen above the town, in the distance, clinging like swallows'-nests, to the precipitous sides of themountains. 

We had hardly reefed our sails, when the Russian Vice-Consul, VonKielchen, and an officer of the Brazilian government, came on board tocongratulate us on our arrival. The latter acquainted me with the orderof his Government, that every ship of war coming in should salute thefortress with one-and-twenty guns; and in order to remove all doubt thatthe compliment was designed for the Brazilian flag, he had brought onewhich, during the salute, he requested us to hoist at the fore-mast. 

New and unprecedented as this order was, from a state not yetacknowledged by our government, I determined, rather than risk anydisagreement, to comply with it; and having fired the one-and-twentyguns, received from the fortress a similar number in return. Being veryanxious not to lose the favourable season for doubling Cape Horn, Iurged the Vice-Consul to expedite as much as possible the delivery ofprovisions and other necessaries to the ship; for this purpose, however, a delay of four weeks was required, and this time I determined to employin astronomical observations. M. Von Kielchen procured me for thispurpose a convenient country-house, situated on the romantic little bayof Botafogo, of which I took possession on the following day, accompanied by our astronomer, M. Preus; leaving the care of the ship tomy officers. 

In the supposition that the history of Brazil may not be familiar toevery reader, male and female, --for I hope to have many of thelatter, --I will preface the narration of my residence here with thefollowing notices. 

This great empire in South America, called Brazil, from a wood whichgrows there in great abundance, resembling in colour a red-hot coal, (inthe Portuguese "_Brasa_, ") is one of the richest and most fertilecountries in the world. It was accidentally discovered in the year 1500, by a Portuguese named Cabral, who with a fleet bound for the EastIndies, was thrown on these shores. 

The riches of the country being at first unknown, it was used as a placeof banishment for criminals; but subsequently, when the convicts beganto cultivate the sugar-cane, and the gold and diamond mines werediscovered, Brazil acquired a higher value in the eyes of the Portuguesegovernment. 

A Viceroy was therefore sent out, with the strongest injunctions toclose the Brazilian ports against all foreign powers, in order topreserve to Portugal the exclusive trade in the diamonds and otherprecious stones with which it was now found that the country abounded. For a long time, this beautiful land, rich in all the gifts of nature, languished under the rule of Portuguese Viceroys, with athinly-scattered population, poor, oppressed, and destitute of allmental culture. At length, the year 1807 opened to it a brighterprospect. Napoleon's ambitious views extending even to Portugal, forcedthe Royal Family to take refuge in the colonies. They were followed byfourteen thousand soldiers, and about twelve thousand other adherents. The presence of a court and government in the capital, Rio Janeiro, hadthe most beneficial influence on all the interests of the country. Theports were opened to all European ships, and commerce, wealth, andcivilization advanced rapidly. 

Napoleon's victories having found a final termination, in his banishmentto St. Helena, the King of Portugal returned, in 1821, to his Europeandominions, leaving the Regency of Brazil to his son, the Crown Prince, Pedro, already married to an Austrian princess. 

But the example of the newly-established republics of America had apowerful effect on the minds of the people; the King's departure was asignal for the breaking out of revolutionary disturbances, which, thoughthe Crown Prince could not appease, he was, nevertheless, by means of astrong party he had gained over, enabled to direct. In the year 1822, hedeclared Brazil independent of the mother-country, --promised the peoplea Constitution, --and was at last proclaimed Emperor, by the title ofPedro the First. From the day when the nation tendered its allegiance, the Emperor and all patriots have worn on the left arm a green cockadeinscribed with the words, "Independence or Death. " At the coronation, the order of the Southern Cross was founded, and the new national flaghoisted: it is green, with a yellow square in the middle, on which isrepresented the Earth, surrounded by thirteen stars (the number of theprovinces), and leaves of coffee and tobacco, as the produce of thecountry. 

The government, at the time of our residence in Brazil, was nothing lessthan constitutional. This is sufficiently proved by the tumultuaryarrest of the above-mentioned three Ministers, by the arbitrarydispersion of the Deputies from the provinces, called togetherexpressly to form a Constitutional Assembly, and by the expression ofthe Emperor, that he required unconditional submission, even if heshould choose, like Charles the Twelfth, to send his boot to them as hisrepresentative. It is possible that the Emperor has been in some measureforced to these violent proceedings by the contentions of the variousparties, each of which seeks its own interest without concerning itselfabout the general welfare. His personal character is much praised. 

A captain of one of the Russian-American Company's ships, who had beenin Rio Janeiro, related to me the following anecdote of his benevolence. Two sailors belonging to his crew had been ashore, and having got drunk, were found lying senseless on the road to Corcovado. The Emperor andEmpress happening to ride that way, attended only by a few servants, sawthem, and supposed them to be sick. The Emperor immediately dismounted, rubbed their temples with his own hand, and endeavoured to restore themto their senses, but in vain. He then sent for his own surgeon, anddispatched them under his care to the hospital, from whence on thefollowing morning, having slept off their intoxication, they weredismissed as cured. --Another, and a different anecdote, I heard from apainter from Vienna, who was residing in Rio Janeiro. The Emperor, wishing to have a whole-length portrait of himself, sent for the painterto place his easel in a room in the palace, and commenced sitting. Thefirst outline was scarcely made, when an officer, whose business it wasto report the arrival of ships, entered with the list. The names of theships and captains, of various nations and languages with which theofficer was unacquainted, puzzled him, and he read so stammeringly, andsometimes almost unintelligibly, that the Emperor, enraged at hisignorance, seized a stick, and the officer, only by a rapid flight roundthe easel, in which he was at first pursued by the monarch, escaped theintended chastisement. We shall be less surprised at this conduct, if weconsider the point of civilization to which the country had attainedwhen this Prince first seized the helm. May he succeed in elevating itto what his government may make it, --the happiest, as well as theloveliest and most fruitful empire in the world!

The Brazilian fleet, then commanded by the celebrated Lord Cochrane, consisted of one ship of the line, two frigates, three brigs, and somesmaller vessels. Inconsiderable as was this force, it was in good order, and under the direction of its skilful and heroic commander, had donewonders. Lord Cochrane had recently, with his single ship of the lineand one frigate only, attacked and defeated a Portuguese squadron of twoships of the line and four frigates, pursued them to the port of Lisbon, and made prize of forty merchant vessels they were convoying. For thisexploit, he received from the Emperor the appointment of Grand Admiral, and the title of Marquis of Marenham, after one of the provinces. He hadbefore served the republic of Chili; and, it is said, in the midst ofhis warlike ardour, he had not forgotten the care of his privatefinances. 

This was his first year in the Brazilian service. I was curious to seeso celebrated a man, and soon found an opportunity of forming anacquaintance with him, which led to a frequent intercourse. Hisexternal deportment is repulsive rather than attractive; he is somewhattaciturn; and it is difficult, in ordinary conversation, to discover theintelligence and information which he really possesses. He is turned offifty years of age, tall and thin: his attitude is stooping, his hairred, his features strongly marked, and the expression of his countenanceserious: his sparkling, lively eyes, concealed by overhanging eyebrows, are generally fixed on the ground, and seldom even raised to the personhe is addressing. His lady forms a striking contrast with him: she isyoung, handsome, lively in conversation, extremely amiable, and sodevotedly attached to him, that she exposes her life to the greatestdanger rather than leave his side, and has remained in his ship duringall his battles in the South American service. 

Cochrane frequently expressed to me a wish to enter the Russian service, in order to assist the Greeks, and fight the Turks. This object he hassince attained by other means. War appears to be an indispensablenecessity to his nature; and a dangerous struggle in a just cause ishis highest enjoyment. How this enthusiasm can be united to the greatlove of money of which he is accused, it is not easy to imagine. 

My short residence in Brazil passed rapidly and agreeably in mynecessary occupations, and the enjoyment of the charming environs of mycountry-house. The effect which so total a change of climate and sceneryproduces on European spirits, even when not experienced for the firsttime, is really astonishing. The eye can fix on no one object which isnot directly the reverse of any thing to which it has been accustomed. The birds, insects, trees, flowers, all wear a foreign aspect, even tothe blades of grass. By its strange forms and colourings, but especiallyby its overflowing abundance, all nature here demands attention. Throughout the day, myriads of the most beautiful butterflies, beetles, and humming-birds, display their various colours in the sun, which hasscarcely set, before innumerable swarms of fire-flies illuminate thescene. I had seldom time for excursions; therefore, as it usuallyhappens to sailors, I can say little of the interior. 

Botafogo, where, on account of the salubrity of the air, the richestand most distinguished of the inhabitants of Rio Janeiro have fixedtheir country-houses, is the most attractive spot in the immediateenvirons of the capital. Among the mountains which form the backgroundof the view from the Bay, is one solid rock, very remarkable from theresemblance of its figure to an enormous church-steeple; it rises, according to a geometrical admeasurement of our scientific companionLenz, to the height of fifteen hundred and eighty feet above the levelof the sea. With infinite pains, a road has been conducted to thesummit, where the space is so confined that a few persons only can beaccommodated at the same time, but from whence the prospect isindescribably magnificent: it is called Corcovado, and is a favouriteride with the Emperor. 

From Botafogo the road to the capital is studded on both sides withpretty villas. The town derives its name, Rio Janeiro, or January river, from an error on the first discovery of the bay, which, owing to thenarrowness of its mouth, was mistaken for a river, and named after thecurrent month. Its interior by no means corresponds with its handsomeappearance from the bay, the streets being narrow and dirty, and thebuildings very tasteless. Clumsy churches and convents are found inplenty, but there is little worthy the attention of the traveller, except the Museum, which has a rich collection of rare naturalcuriosities, and valuable minerals. The extent of the town isconsiderable, and it contains about two hundred and fifty thousandinhabitants, of which however two-thirds are negroes, and the restprincipally mulattoes and other people of colour. A white face is seldomto be seen in the streets; but the blacks are so numerous, that onemight fancy oneself in Africa. 

Among these are a few free men; but the greater part are slaves degradedto beasts of burden. The immense weights they carry are usually fastenedon a plank, each end of which is borne by a negro, keeping time to hissteps by a monotonous and melancholy song in his native language, andgoaded by the whip to renewed efforts, when the failing of his voiceindicates almost utter exhaustion. They often carry heavily ladenbaskets on their heads; and even women are not exempt from this labour. 

On Sundays and holidays they also sing in time to their steps, as theystroll about, but the tune has a more lively character; and theysometimes accompany their voices on a little instrument composed of afew steel springs. They understand no other language than that of theirdistant country, and therefore, though the ceremony of baptism is neveromitted, they receive no instruction in the doctrines of Christianity;thus, while an appearance of anxiety concerning the salvation of theirsouls is maintained, they continue sunk in the state of misery anddarkness which hopeless bodily suffering is so calculated to produce. The few free blacks are either manumitted slaves or their descendants:they are mostly mechanics engaged in trade. The mulattoes are generallyof illegitimate birth, but are sometimes the offspring of marriagesbetween blacks and the lowest class of whites. From their connexion withblacks or whites spring all the various gradations of colour met withamong the inhabitants of Brazil. The mulattoes and free negroes form themiddle classes; the few whites found among them being the worst ofcharacters, ignorant and vicious to the last degree; their repulsiveexterior is worthy of their abandoned lives: they are usually _retail_slave dealers, and keep shops where these miserable beings are exposedto view, and may be examined and purchased like any other ware. Abouttwenty thousand negroes are annually brought to Brazil; the averageprice of a female is three hundred, and of a man six hundred piastres. 

The principal food of the negroes is a sort of thick paste calledManioc, which is prepared from Tapioca by kneading in hot water; to anEuropean palate it has a disagreeable flavour, but may be nutritious, asthe slaves mostly look well-fed; I doubt, however, its being wholesomewithout a mixture of other food, and I even think it possible that itmay be the original cause of a terrible disease to which the negroesalone are subject, and of which they know nothing in their own country. Large tumours appear on their faces and legs, which do not break, butincrease in size till in some of the sufferers the human form canscarcely be recognised. A convent situated on a little island, calledDos Fradres, in the bay of Rio Janeiro, and not far from the town, contains a hospital, under the superintendence of the government, forsick negro slaves. I have not been able to learn whether this diseasehas been successfully treated here. The father of the Emperor, while heremained in Rio Janeiro, often visited the convent; and a room is shownwhere he used to take refuge when it thundered, as he was excessivelyfearful in a storm, and, from some unknown cause, esteemed this chamberpeculiarly safe. 

On the 19th of November, the celebration of the anniversary of thecoronation, and the establishment of the Order of the Southern Cross, attracted me to the capital. 

It was scarcely daybreak when the thunder of the cannon from all thebatteries, and from the ships in the roads, recalled the remembrance ofthis happy event, which had taken place only the preceding year. Thestreets were filled with people; soldiers in their dress-regimentalshastened to their various places of rendezvous; and the negroes, released from labour, formed a part of the cheerful throng. At eleveno'clock, the Emperor and Empress, in a magnificent carriage drawn byeight horses, and escorted by a troop of guards in handsome uniforms, arrived at the principal church. A number of carriages, containing thesuite of the Imperial pair, followed, all at a slow pace, that thepeople might have more time to enjoy the spectacle. 

At some distance from the door, the Emperor and Empress alighted, andentered the church in procession, surrounded by the Knights of theSouthern Cross; they were met by the Bishop and the whole body of theclergy, and conducted with great pomp to a throne erected at the rightside of the altar, which the Emperor ascended, while his consort tookher place in a pew on the left. After the service, performed by a goodchoir to excellent music, the Bishop came forward and delivered a verylong discourse, descriptive of the various virtues of the Emperor, comparing him to Peter the Great of Russia, and pointing out how heought to administer the government for the good of his subjects. Thecomparison he was pleased to institute between the monarch and hisillustrious namesake is only so far just, as, in the uncultivated stateof the two nations, both have had similar materials to work upon. Whether Don Pedro, with much greater means, will effect as much as ourimmortal Peter, time will show. One of the hopes of Brazil is alreadyextinguished by the death of the Empress, who in a short time had donemuch for science and the arts. When the sermon was over, their Majestiesreturned to the Palace, amidst an uninterrupted firing of cannon. Theythen received the congratulations of the court, and at four o'clock theEmperor reviewed in the great market-place, where a temple was erectedfor the imperial family, a body of four thousand five hundred troops, formed in a half circle round the temple. In their venerable commander, Don José de Currado, a field-marshal, of eighty years of age, I joyfullyrecognised the former governor of St. Katharine's, who, on my firstvoyage round the world, under the command of the present AdmiralKrusenstein, received me so hospitably. The observations I had anopportunity of making upon the soldiers, before the arrival of theEmperor, were not altogether unfavourable; though, it must be confessed, the good people seemed to have no very high notion of discipline;smoking, and all kinds of irregularities, being permitted even in thefront ranks. Their uniform was handsome and suitable; that of themusicians chiefly attracted my attention. Every colonel of a regimenthas the right of dressing his band according to his fancy; and as tastesare very various, so of course are these costumes, though the Asiaticpredominates; some being attired as Turks, others as Indians. In oneregiment, indeed, a quantity of coloured feathers, worn on the head andround the body, formed the only covering. 

As soon as the Emperor and Empress, both on horseback and surrounded bya splendid court, were seen in the distance, the cannon sent forth itsloudest roar, the soldiers threw away their cigars, the multitude wavedtheir hats, the ladies in the balconies their whitepocket-handkerchiefs, and all shouted "Viva l'Emperador. " The cortègeapproached slowly; the Emperor, from the superior richness of hisuniform, glittering amidst the splendid throng, like Syrius in thestarry sky. His colossal figure seemed literally covered with gold lace;his breast sparkled with diamonds, and his strong features were shadedby a hat richly decorated with jewels. The Express was more tastefullyattired in a simple black riding-dress, embroidered with gold. When shehad taken her place in the temple, his Majesty assumed the command ofthe troops and paraded them before her. As soon as his powerful voicewas heard, the thunder of the cannon again burst forth; the Turks, Indians, and above-mentioned Popinjays, blew their trumpets, while theshout from the people of "Viva l'Emperador" was loudest amidst theuproar. The columns of the military having several times defiled beforethe Empress, the parade terminated, and the Imperial family and theircourt repaired to the theatre. I had been seated in my box a few minutesbefore they entered the building, which was suffocatingly full, and Iwas surprised to find it as good in its architecture and arrangements asthe generality of European theatres. The boxes were occupied by whitesonly, and many female faces were there to be seen as fair as those ofNorthern Europe; the tender red of the youthful cheek, the bright, blackeye and jetty hair increased the attraction of these brilliantcomplexions; but many of the ladies have brown, and even very lighthair. Their dress was tastefully arranged in the Parisian fashion: theart of the toilet appears indeed to be the only one they study, as theireducation does not always proceed so far as reading and writing, although they are not deficient in natural capabilities; theirconversation is often as graceful and piquant as that of Europeanladies. Nor is general information much more extended among thegentlemen, as the following anecdote will testify. When, in 1817, theRussian frigate Kamschatka anchored in the Port of Rio Janeiro, it wasvisited by many Brazilians of rank, and amongst others by an officer whoexpressed much surprise at finding a crucifix in the cabin. He knew, indeed, that the Russians professed the Greek religion, but was whollyignorant that this church formed any part of the Christian community. 

It is the custom here to pay visits in the theatre, which are indeedmore highly prized than those made at their houses, as the attention ismore publicly manifested. On these occasions the animated intercoursebetween the young people of the different sexes is frequentlyaccompanied by glances sufficiently expressive to betray its object. 

The pit presented a very singular appearance, from its assemblage ofvarious complexions, including every possible shade from black to white, although the darker tints had greatly the preponderance. Nor was thedistinction of manners among the different portions of the audience lessstriking. No theatre in Europe can boast of more decorum and politenessthan prevails here in the boxes; but the noisy and coarse vulgarity ofthe pit would not be tolerated in a more refined nation. All eyes wereeagerly directed towards the Imperial box, when its curtain, whichbefore had been close drawn, was thrown open; their Majesties thenappeared standing in the front, the back of the box being filled byKnights of the Southern Cross. Hats and handkerchiefs were now againwaved, and on every side resounded "Viva l'Emperador, l'Emperadriza, laMonarchia!" This enthusiasm having been rewarded by graciousacknowledgments, the drop curtain rose, and an actress came forward torecite a prologue in praise of the Emperor. Then followed a piece ofwhich I understood very little; and the whole was concluded by a ballet, greatly superior to my expectations. During the performance, the Emperorgave audience in his box to many of his subjects, the interview alwaysbeginning with the homage of kissing hands on the bended knee. As soonas the curtain rose, the company in the pit became tolerably quiet, andmuch more attentive than those in the boxes; the latter appearing totake more interest in conversation with their acquaintances than in theperformance. I paid my respects to Lord Cochrane and his amiable wife intheir box, and remained with them till the conclusion of the piece. 

He spoke much of Chili, and wore even on this day of ceremony, a Chilianuniform and a blue scarf, its honorary decoration. This surprised me themore, as he seemed dissatisfied with the Chilian government. Hisexplanation was, that the Emperor had not yet decided what his Brazilianuniform should be, and consequently, that he was still obliged to wearthat of Chili. The lady preferred Chili to Brazil, and believed thatthe heat of this climate did not agree with her health. 

On the 27th of November, all our stores being laid in, bidding a cordialfarewell to Brazil, I returned to my ship, intending to continue ourvoyage on the following day. Accordingly at five o'clock on the morningof the 28th we spread our sails, and the ebb-tide and a light breezefrom the North, bore us slowly from this lovely coast. The wind soonslackened; and we should have been greatly embarrassed but for a numberof boats sent by the English squadron, then lying in the roads, to towus out to sea, by which seasonable assistance we were enabled to clearthe bay before evening. The heat of Brazil had not injured the health ofour crew. Fresh provisions, much fruit and vegetables, good lemonadeinstead of the ordinary drink, and a sea bath every evening, were themeans I employed for the prevention of sickness. The men were in thebest spirits for encountering the storms of the Southern ocean; and Idestined the port of Conception, on the coast of Chili, for aresting-place, after having surmounted the difficulties of doubling CapeHorn. 

The result of our repeated observations on land, are as follows:--

 Latitude of Botafogo 21° 56' 5" South. Medium Longitude from various observations 43° 7' 32" West. 

Every longitude which is given in the course of this voyage is reckonedby the distance from Greenwich, going from West to East. The variationof the needle amounted to 3° East, its inclination to 9° 28'. As thelongitude of Cape Frio has been variously laid down, I took much painsto ascertain it exactly. By a very good chronometer, I found thedifference between Cape Frio and Botafogo 1° 6' 20"; so that the truelongitude of Cape Frio from Greenwich must be 42° 1' 12". 

DOUBLING OF CAPE HORN, ANDRESIDENCE IN CHILI. 

DOUBLING OF CAPE HORN, AND RESIDENCE IN CHILI. 

We continued our course to the South very agreeably, with fine weatherand a favourable wind. Under thirty-nine degrees of latitude, however, we could already perceive how much further the South pole extends itsunfavourable influence than the North. The sky was no longer clear, thewind became changeable and violent, the air much colder, and thefrequent sight of the whale, and of a giant bird called the albatross, warned us that we were approaching the stormy region. We afterwardsshot one of these birds on the coast of Chili, which measured twelvefeet across the wings. 

In the parallel of Rio de la Plata, although two hundred miles fromland, we were daily carried by the current thirty-nine miles out of ourcourse towards the south-west; so great is the influence of this mightyriver at the distance of two hundred and forty miles from its mouth. 

On the 15th of December, in the beginning of the southern summer, underforty-seven degrees of latitude, where, if the temperature of bothhemispheres were equal, the climate would have been that of the South ofGermany, or the middle of France, we were overtaken by a violent storm, accompanied by hail and snow. It began from the south-west, but thewind, in the course of twenty-four hours, veered the whole round of thecompass, and raised such high and furious billows, that our escape fromdestruction afforded ample proof, notwithstanding a considerable leak, of our ship's strength, and her architect's skill. From this time wecontinued our voyage with a fair wind and serene weather. 

Between Falkland Islands and the west of Patagonia, we saw greatnumbers of storm-birds, betokening the neighbourhood of land, and wesailed within speaking distance of a North-American whaler. The dirtyship, and the crew smeared with blubber, had indeed a disgustingappearance; but if we consider to what toils and dangers these poor menare exposed during their voyages, which commonly last several years, inthe most tempestuous seas, sometimes sailing about for months withoutseeing a fish, and suffering in the meanwhile from the want of wholesomefood, yet pursuing their object with invincible perseverance, it isimpossible to deny them compassion, and even commendation. The NorthAmericans display an industry and perseverance in their commercialundertakings, which is not exceeded even by the English: they are to bemet with upon every sea, and in the most unfrequented regions, disdaining nothing, however trivial, from which they can derive profit. On the north-west coast of America, they barter with the savages allkinds of European trifles for the beautiful skin of the sea-otter, whichthey sell for a high price in China. Many of their vessels take incargoes of sandal-wood in the South-Sea Islands, for which they alsofind a good market in China, where it is in great estimation; otherspursue the spermaceti whale in the neighbourhood of Cape Horn, and carryon an important traffic in this article. 

On the morning of the 23rd of December, we saw in the distance thesnow-covered points of the mountains in the dreaded Staten-land. A freshbreeze carried us so near to this inhospitable and desolate island, thatwe could plainly distinguish the objects on it, even without atelescope. What a contrast to the beauty of Brazil! There nature seemsinexhaustible in her splendour and variety; here she has sparinglyallowed a thin clothing of moss to the lofty masses of black rock. Seldom do the sun's rays lighten this or the neighbouring island ofTerra del Fuego. Vegetation is so blasted by the perpetual cold andfogs, that a few miserable stunted trees can scarcely find subsistenceat the foot of the mountains. The sea-birds avoid these barren shores;the very insects disdain them; the dog, the faithful companion of man, and man himself, the inhabitant of every climate under heaven, canalone exist in this; but the warmth of the sun is essential to thedevelopment of his faculties. Here he is a mere animal, and ofdisgusting appearance; small, ill-shaped, with dirty copper-colouredskin, black bristly hair, and devoid of beard. He inhabits a miserablehut made of boughs covered with dried rushes, and appeases his hunger onthe raw and often half-decayed flesh of the sea animals, whose skinsfurnish him with a scanty covering: this is the utmost extent to whichhis invention has yet led him, in providing defences against theroughness of the climate; and the dreariness of his existence is stillunenlivened by any notion of amusement. Yet is this benumbing countrysituated in the same degree of southern latitude in which in thenorthern lies my beloved Esthonia, where every comfort of civilizationmay be enjoyed--the land of my birth, where in the charming form ofwoman is "garnered up" the happiness of my life, and where I hope torest at last in the haven of friendship and love, till I set out on thatfinal voyage from which I shall never return. 

We had so little wind, that we were only able on the following morningto double the eastern promontory of Staten-land, Cape John; which ourchronometers fixed, almost precisely, in the same longitude assigned toit by Captain Cook. I now steered a westerly course along the southcoast of Staten-land, contrary to the usual practice of navigators, whorun from hence to 60 degrees South, expecting in that latitude to meetwith fewer impediments to their passage into the South Sea. Experiencehas taught me, moreover, that Cape Horn may be doubled with least lossof time by keeping near land, where in the summer months good east windswill often blow, when westerly winds prevail at a distance of fortymiles to sea-ward. When we had passed Staten-land, the Terra del Fuegolay in equally fearful form to our right. We continued our course with amoderate north-east wind, and remarked a strong current to the north. 

On the noon of the following day we perceived the terrible Cape Horn ata distance of twenty-five miles, lying in the form of a high, roundmountain before us. A calm, of which we took advantage to shoot somealbatrosses, delayed us for a few hours; but on Christmas-day we doubledthe Cape without the slightest difficulty. In the evening, after sailingclose alongside the little rocky island of Diego Ramirez, inhabited byimmense numbers of sea-birds, we found ourselves in the South Sea. Afavourable east wind swelling our sails, on the 28th of December, we didour best to clear the island of Terra del Fuego, before a west windshould impede our progress; but in this we were disappointed, for asudden storm drove us out of our course to latitude 59-1/2°. Here, for aNew Year's gift, we fell in with a fresh south wind, which helped usforward at the rate of eleven miles an hour, and continued to swell oursails, till on the 5th we lost sight of the Terra del Fuego, andjoyfully continued our voyage northwards. At Cape Horn, Reaumur'sthermometer stood at four degrees; a temperature rendered verydisagreeable by our having so recently suffered from oppressive heat. Wenow hailed with renewed enjoyment the daily increasing warmth. 

My sailors had heard much of the dreadful storms which raged at allseasons round Cape Horn, and destroyed so many ships. One of them hadrecently read to his messmates the history of Lord Anson's unfortunatevoyage: they were therefore not quite free from apprehension onapproaching this dangerous point, and were agreeably surprised atpassing it so quietly. In their joy they hit on the proud, poeticalidea, that the very elements themselves respected the Russian flag. Thisbold imagination took such possession of their minds, that, in theelevation of their spirits, they resolved to represent it in apantomime, to which I willingly assented, as my own cheerfulness greatlydepended on theirs. Accordingly, a throne was erected on the capstan, adorned with coloured flags and streamers, which we were to take for theextreme point of Cape Horn, upon which, shrouded in red drapery, withall becoming dignity and seriousness of aspect, sat the hitherto unknownGod Horn, (begotten and born of the sailors' fancy, ) the tremendousruler of the winds and waves in this tempestuous ocean. In his strongright hand he held a large three-pronged oven fork, and in his left atelescope, with which he surveyed the watery expanse seeking for asacrifice. A grey beard smeared with tar, hung down to his knees, and, probably as a symbol of his marine dominion, instead of a crown, hishead was decorated by a leathern pail. Before him lay a large open book, and a pen was stuck behind his ear, to write down the names of the shipswhich sailed by. The exact purpose of this I could not understand, butthe effect was equally good. Upon the lower step of the throne stood twofull-cheeked sailors, very much painted, holding bellows, to representthe Winds ready to produce a raging whirlwind at the nod of their ruler. The God seemed in a very ill humour, till at the appearance of athree-masted ship, made of some planks nailed together, his visagesuddenly cleared. The crew of the vessel, which was in full sail, pointed to the Cape, and appeared to rejoice in the expectation ofdoubling it safely. Then did the God Horn give the ominous nod, and thebellows began to work. The ship took in her sails with all possibleexpedition, but was nevertheless terribly tossed about. The crew, indanger of perishing, offered their supplications to the God, who atlength relenting, commanded the winds to subside, and suffered thevessel to pass on in safety. Soon after another vessel appeared bearingour flag, which the God no sooner perceived than he descended from histhrone, took the pail respectfully from his head, and made a profoundobeisance, in token of homage to the Russian flag. The Æolian attendantsblew the gentlest gales, and we soon vanished with out-stretched sailsbehind our own main-mast. The piece concluded amidst universal applause, and a double portion of grog served to increase the generalcheerfulness. 

Thus opened the year 1824. --The crew believed that, with the passage ofCape Horn, the greatest danger of the voyage was over, and were full oflife and spirits. On the 15th of January we saw far off the Island ofSt. Maria, and on the following morning knew, by the two high mountainscalled Biobio's Bosom, from the river which flows between them, that wewere approaching the Bay of Conception. As soon as these hills areclearly distinguished, the entrance to the bay is easily found. --Infine weather they are excellent guides. 

A brisk south wind carried us swiftly towards the land, which, far fromcharming the eye with the picturesque beauty of Brazil, presents analmost undeviating straight line. --The round sides of the mountains arebut sparingly covered with vegetation, and in this dry season had asterile appearance. At noon, having doubled the Island of Quiquirino, atthe the mouth of the bay, we found ourselves in a smooth and spacioussheet of water, surrounded by crowds of sea-dogs, dolphins, whales, andwater-birds, which abound on the coasts of Chili. This part of thecountry is but thinly inhabited, and a few poor and scattered huts onlyare visible. During the centuries that it has been in possession of theSpaniards, it has advanced as little as their other colonies incultivation or civilization. 

The calm made it impossible on that day to reach the village ofTalcaguana, where ships usually lie at anchor, and we were consequentlyobliged in the evening to lay-to at some miles distance. 

At twelve o'clock at night, the watch on deck observed a large boatapproaching with caution to within reach of musket-shot. This slinkingabout in the dark had a suspicious appearance, especially as the colonyhaving revolted against the mother-country, was in a state of war. Wantof light prevented our learning the strength of the boat's crew, or whatarms it carried; but we prepared to repel an attack, in which, however, it was manifest the advantage would be greatly on our side. I orderedthe watch to hail the boat, which in return addressed us through atrumpet, first in Spanish, and immediately afterwards in English, inquiring to what nation we belonged, and whence, and for what purpose, we were come. Upon our reply that we were Russians and good friends, theboat came nearer, and an officer, well armed with sword and pistols, came on deck, but was so alarmed on perceiving our state of warlikepreparations, that he did not utter a word till he had satisfied himselfthat we were really Russians, and had no hostile intentions. 

The cause of his fear lay in the report of a Spanish frigate havingbeen seen cruising on the coast. This officer was an Englishman, in theservice of the republic of Chili, and lieutenant of a corvette lyingbefore Talcaguana. He left us with a request, (which was immediatelycomplied with, ) that we would hoist a lantern at our fore-mast, as asignal of peace to the inhabitants of Talcaguana, among whom ourappearance had spread the greatest anxiety. 

Early in the morning I sent an officer ashore to notify our arrival inproper form to the commandant of the place, and to request hispermission to furnish ourselves with water and fresh provisions, whichwas granted in the most courteous manner possible. 

Sure of a favourable reception, I immediately weighed anchor, and, having a good wind, dropped it again at noon, at the distance of amusket-shot from Talcaguana, in a depth of five and a half fathoms, after having been fifty days on the voyage from Rio Janeiro, during thewhole of which time the crew had enjoyed the most perfect health. Besides our own ship, and the above-mentioned corvette, commanded byCaptain Simson, three merchant ships under Chilian, and three whalersunder English colours also lay here. In the afternoon I went ashoremyself, and paid the Commandant a visit; I was received in the mostfriendly manner, but with a good deal of Spanish etiquette, by an oldman, who was evidently a zealous republican. He told me, that the firstPresident of the Republic, Freire, whose authority, he gave me tounderstand, would be very instrumental in furthering his efforts toassist us, was at that moment in the town of Conception. Thither, therefore, I determined to proceed, hoping to see the President, andprocure from him a written order for our accommodation. 

And here, though it interrupt the course of my narrative, I apprehendsome particulars concerning this country may be agreeable to such of myreaders as are strangers to it. 

The fruitful Chili is a long and narrow strip of coast-land, bathed onthe West by the Great Ocean, so falsely called the Pacific; divided onthe North from Peru by the desert tract of Atacoma; and on the East, from Buenos Ayres, by the chain of the Cordilleras, or Andes, whosesnow-covered summits are diversified by the columns of fire continuallyemitted from numerous volcanoes; on the South it extends as far as theStraits of Magellan, and indeed also claims the wholly useless island ofTerra del Fuego, which is rarely, if ever, visited by a Chilian. 

The Spaniard Valdivia may be considered as the real discoverer of Chili. He established here the first Spanish settlement, the present capital, St. Jago, and subsequently, the town of Conception. For a long time theSpaniards were engaged in bloody and uninterrupted war with the originalinhabitants of the country, called Araucanians. This strong andenterprising people withdrew into the mountains, where they wereinvincible, and from whence they have continued, to the present day, toannoy the descendants of the intruders, who acknowledge and havehitherto respected their independence. They still preserve in theirmountains and fastnesses their ancient mode of living, and remainfaithful to the religion and manners of their ancestors. Unluckily forthe Spaniards, they have become very dangerous neighbours by providingthemselves with horses, which, as they are skilful riders, enable themto execute their predatory expeditions with a rapidity that renders themalmost always successful. A few of them have settled in the valleys, atthe foot of the mountains, and adopted the Christian religion, withouthowever amalgamating with the Spaniards, or losing their freedom. 

The lower class of the present inhabitants of Chili is a mixed race, sprung from the union of Spaniards with Araucanian women: they are wellgrown, of a dark brown complexion, and have a lively red in theircheeks. The men are all good riders, and have brought to greatperfection the art of catching wild animals with the _lasso_. The upperclasses have preserved their Spanish blood pure: they are also very wellformed, the females nearly always handsome, and some of them remarkablybeautiful. La Pérouse found them decorated with metal rings; they nowadorn themselves with much taste in Parisian fashions, which reach themby the way of Peru: their manners, though they do not approach so nearlyto the forms of European society as do those of the upper ranks in RioJaneiro, are nevertheless not deficient in refinement. 

The climate resembles that of the middle of France, and vegetationthrives abundantly in its fertile soil. Among many kinds of nativeanimals, the wild goats are the most numerous, and are scarcely evertamed. Chili is particularly rich in beautiful birds; troops of parrotsare seen on the wing; humming-birds, and butterflies of all kinds, hoverround the flowers, and swarms of lantern-flies sparkle through thenight; while venomous insects and snakes are unknown. 

This fine country has been long neglected. Spanish jealousy allowed notrade with foreign nations; and the introduction of the Inquisition wassufficient to prevent all mental advancement. The inhabitants are alsojustly accused of idleness, in not having taken more advantage of theproductiveness of their soil. Now, however, that they have thrown offthe yoke under which their industry was oppressed, and burst the fettersof the Inquisition, which bowed down their minds, they begin to beashamed of the low grade of civilization on which they stand, incomparison with other nations, and are exerting themselves to attain amore respectable station in the scale. 

The Chilians are chiefly indebted for their independence to thewell-known General San Martin. In the year 1817, he made the celebratedcampaign over the Andes from Buenos Ayres, attacked and completelydefeated the Spaniards, and laid the foundation of the freedom of Chili. It is now governed by plenipotentiaries from all the provinces, underthe presidency of General Freire. 

The Bay of Conception is a most eligible resting-place for the voyagerin these seas to touch at, on account of its safe and commodiousharbour, its abundant supply of provisions, and the healthiness of itsclimate. Evidently destined by nature for the central point of Chiliancommerce, it must certainly supersede the unsafe roads of Valparaiso. Freire has already determined to establish an Admiralty in theneighbourhood of Talcaguana, and as much as possible to encourage thepopulation of that part of the country. The village of Talcaguana, consisting of about fifty small and poor houses, and another stillsmaller, called Pencu, have been the only settlements on this bay sincethe destruction, in the year 1751, of the old town of Conception by anearthquake--no uncommon occurrence in these regions. The new town ofthis name has been built farther inland, on the banks of the beautifulriver Biobio, and is seven miles distant from Talcaguana. 

Early in the morning on the 18th of January, I went with Dr. Eschscholtzto Talcaguana, where horses were in waiting to take us to Conception. The heavy, clumsy cars drawn by oxen, which I believe I described in myformer voyage, are the only kind of carriage known here; and as even theladies use these only on state occasions, they perform all theirjourneys, as in days of old, on horseback. 

The Russian flag having waved here but twice since the foundation of theworld, curiosity had brought a great crowd to witness my disembarkation;and as it was now ascertained that the Captain was the same who, eightyears before, had so much delighted the inhabitants with a ball, manyof my old acquaintances and guests had assembled to welcome me. I couldnot resist their kind and pressing invitations to visit them once more, before going to Conception. I was received with the greatest cordiality, and all possible pains were taken to entertain me; but they complainedsadly of the ravages of war, which had brought its usual concomitants, poverty and ruin, in its train. A melancholy change had taken placesince my former visit; some of the wealthiest families had removed fromLima, and a striking difference was perceptible in the establishments ofthose that remained; while the silver utensils which formerly had beenso common even among the poorer inhabitants, had wholly disappeared, andwere replaced by a bad description of stone ware. 

The same traces of desolation were visible along the once beautiful roadto Conception, whither we proceeded on spirited horses, as soon as wehad paid the required visits. Instead of the numerous flocks and herdswhich once adorned the meadows, burnt villages, uncultivated fields, devastated orchards, and swarms of beggars, presented a painful pictureof universal want and misery. Such are the heavy sacrifices with whichChili has purchased her independence. May she enjoy their fruits under agovernment sufficiently wise and powerful to restore her prosperity!

Our two hours' ride afforded ample time and scope for these reflections;and on reaching the town, we were concerned to find similar symptoms ofmisfortune. A great part of it lay in ruins; and the houses yet standingwere occupied, not by useful citizens, or active, speculating merchants, but by soldiers. The former have, with few exceptions, withdrawn fromConception to Mexico and Peru. But the war of the Revolution is notchargeable with all the desolation which has befallen this unhappy town. A year before it broke out, a great horde of wild Araucanians, availingthemselves of an opportunity when the Chilian troops were elsewhereemployed, fell so suddenly upon the town during the night, that theinhabitants, who had not the slightest warning till the enemy was withintheir walls, were unable to defend themselves. Well knowing that theycould not maintain their post, the Araucanians were active in the workof rapine and murder, and at length withdrew to their mountains ladenwith rich booty. 

These Araucanians, among whom such expeditions are not unfrequent, are, according to the accounts of officers here, a very warlike people, wellarmed with bows, arrows, and lances: they make their onset in greathordes, with a wild yell, and with such fury and rapidity that it is noteasy even for regular troops to resist. If this, however, can be firmlywithstood, they are in a few minutes defeated and put to flight. Whenpursued, they escape shots and sabre strokes by the dexterity with whichthey fling themselves on either side of their horses; sometimes evenhanging under the horse's belly while it is going at full gallop. Whenescape is impossible, they defend themselves to the last, preferringdeath to captivity. 

From Rio Janeiro I had brought a letter of introduction to a once richand still prosperous merchant in Conception, named Mendiburu; Iimmediately sought him out, and was received and entertained with thekindest hospitality. His house proved to be the same which, on myformer visit to Conception, the then Governor had appointed for myaccommodation. At that time many discontented spirits had already shownthemselves, had assumed the appellation of patriots, and were persecutedby the Government; Mendiburu was one of these, and having made hisescape, the Government, till its overthrow, had kept possession of hishouse. 

My complaisant host, a little man, rather advanced in years, who in manyrespects was extremely useful to us, accompanied us, as soon as we hadarranged our dress, to the President Freire. The latter received us inthe full uniform of a general officer, with the most ceremoniouspoliteness, but still kindly, although something of distrust might beperceived in his deportment. 

Our circumstances with respect to Spain were known; and, as I afterwardslearned, it was absurdly enough imagined, that Russia had designs uponChili, and that these formed the secret motive of our visit. Freire, whohad already distinguished himself as a general, is a stately-lookingman, at that time about forty-five years of age, and of a very agreeableexterior; he was born in Talcaguana, of very poor parents, and, withoutenjoying any particular advantage of education, has raised himself, byhis own merit alone, to the high rank he occupies. 

After an unmeaning sort of conversation, consisting of little else thancivilities, I endeavoured to procure the permission of the President forour naturalist and mineralogist to make a journey into the Cordilleras, which he, however, politely but positively refused, on the ground thatthe Chilians were at war with the people in the mountains. I afterwardslearnt from Mendiburu, that this was merely a pretence, as the Presidenthad already succeeded in establishing peace and an amicable league withthe Araucanians. A small military escort would therefore have been amplysufficient to protect the travellers from all danger of annoyance; buthere the weakness of the newly established government betrayed itself. They are distrustful of strangers, and act upon the old Spanishmaxim, --to close the interior of the country against them. The recentdiscovery of gold and silver mines in the mountains, which was stillkept secret, from the fear that foreign powers might covet thesetreasures, probably, also, contributed to a refusal which hasundoubtedly proved, for the present, a serious loss to science. All thearguments I could urge to obviate the President's objections wereineffectual: all I could obtain for our learned associates waspermission to travel round the bay of Conception and the environs ofTalcaguana, for which a passport was made out; and a subaltern officerwas appointed to accompany them, who in all probability had also hisprivate instructions to see that the journey extended no farther. 

Overwhelmed with courtesies and promises to make our residence here asagreeable as possible, we left the President, and concluded the day inpleasant society at the house of our host Mendiburu, who on thefollowing morning accompanied us back to Talcaguana. He had thecomplaisance to surrender for our accommodation and the convenience ofour astronomical observations, a large house belonging to him inTalcaguana, which had once been inhabited by La Pérouse. I tookimmediate possession of it, and our time was now very agreeably dividedbetween the necessary attention to the repairs and provisioning of theship, scientific observations, and the society of the hospitablenatives. 

The little town was soon filled with warlike tumult. A grenadierregiment from Conception marched in with drums beating and a very goodband playing. The uniform was in the French fashion, clean andsubstantial; the muskets were in the best order. 

Freire has most zealously exerted himself to raise a respectable army;but to bring a rabble of adventurers from all nations into properdiscipline is no easy task, especially where there is not money enoughto pay them punctually; even the officers are mostly foreigners, and, with few exceptions, ignorant and stupid beyond all belief. With such asoldiery, patriotism or enthusiasm in the cause is of course out of thequestion. The Chilian soldier fights like a robber, for the sake of thebooty he hopes to acquire; and covetousness will form the foundation ofhis valour, till increase of population shall permit the organization ofa national militia. 

A few regiments had been sent over to the island of Quiquirino, perhapsin order to render desertion more difficult: here they had formed acamp, and were exercised in various manoeuvres. The whole force, consisting of three thousand men, was destined, under the command of thePresident, to attack the island of Chiloe, the only spot still remainingin possession of the Spaniards. They were now waiting the arrival of therequisite vessels from Valparaiso. 

On the 20th of January, amidst the thunder of the artillery, a newConstitution was proclaimed at Conception, signed there in great form byFreire, and afterwards read in many other towns of the Republic. Some ofthe inhabitants received it with enthusiasm, but it by no means gavesatisfaction to all. In Talcaguana, opinions were much divided, andloudly and undisguisedly expressed. In every company the newConstitution became the chief subject of conversation, and often gaveoccasion to violent disputes. Even the ladies were not exempt from thispolitical mania: they gave their opinions with unhesitating confidenceand decision, and, in fact, often appeared fully as capable of forminga correct judgment as the men. 

Without entering into these criticisms, I shall only remark, that oneregulation of the Chilian Constitution must certainly bedisadvantageous--the public exercise of any other religion than theCatholic is forbidden; Catholics only can fill civil offices (with themilitary such strictness is impracticable); nor is any one permitted tocarry on a mechanical trade who does not belong to this Church. 

If the advantage of universal toleration is so evident in the mostflourishing states, how much more desirable must it be for one so thinlypeopled, and where industry and knowledge are so little advanced. 

We frequently received visits on board from the ladies and gentlemen ofChili; and once from an Araucanian chief, accompanied by his daughterand some attendants. A collation was prepared for the Araucanians, ofwhich they heartily partook; and despising the knife and fork, helpedthemselves plentifully with their fingers. The meal being concluded, wemade them some trifling presents, with which they were much delighted;the chief also begged a piastre, and his daughter (a true woman, thougha savage, ) a looking-glass. After she had contemplated her features forsome time with much satisfaction, the treasure was passed from hand tohand among her people, who all appeared extremely well content with thereflection of their own faces, although, according to our ideas ofbeauty, none of them had any cause for vanity. They are of the middlestature, strongly built, and of dark complexions. Their hair is black, and hangs loosely over their shoulders; and their little Chinese eyes, and prominent cheek-bones, seemed to indicate an Asiatic origin. Theexpression of their faces is good-natured, lively, and ratherintelligent. Their dress is very simple, consisting merely of a piece ofmany-coloured striped woollen stuff of their own manufacture: in shape, it is an oblong square, with a hole in the centre through which the headis passed, the longer ends hanging down to the knee before and behind, the shorter at each side falling over the shoulders, and the lower partof their limbs remaining bare. The Spanish Chilians call this garment a_pancho_, and often use it in winter as a surtout: among the commonpeople it makes the daily, and sometimes even the only clothing. 

The officers of the regiment stationed here politely gave a ball in ourhonour, which, as might be expected in this poor village, did not provevery brilliant; but as my young officers found plenty of pretty andagreeable partners, they were perfectly satisfied. The old custom ofopening a ball with a minuet is still practised here, and the Chiliansdance it remarkably well. 

Besides the dances common among us, a sort of fandango is a favouritehere: it is expressly adapted to display the graces of a fine figure tothe best advantage, and is danced by two persons, whose picturesqueattitudes and motions are accompanied on the guitar, and by tendersongs, according in expression with the pantomimical representations ofthe dance. 

We determined to return the complaisance of the natives by giving a ballon board our ship to our acquaintances in Talcaguana, and some fromConception. My officers made every effort to surpass the Chilians in theelegance of their entertainment; and having been detained on shoreduring their preparations, and till the hour appointed for the ball, Iwas really astonished to see how much they had been able to achieve. Thedeck was changed into a large illuminated saloon, decorated with finemyrtle trees, luxuriant garlands, and bouquets of flowers of everycolour, exhaling the sweetest perfumes, and appropriate transparenciesin the background opposite the entrance. The cabins had been cleared forrefreshment-rooms; and the musicians, concealed behind a curtain, wereto pour forth their animating strains unseen by the dancers. Thecheerful scene was rapidly filled with cheerful faces; graceful figuresmoved in the lively dances; and love and beauty alone seemed to presidewithin the joyous precincts. But suddenly a universal confusion andpanic terror was spread among the company, and chiefly among the ladies. Some suspicious simpleton or mischievous wag had whispered that we had adesign of secretly weighing anchor during this festivity, and sailingaway with our beautiful prisoners. My friend Mendiburu, however, atlength succeeded in banishing this ridiculous apprehension, andrestoring tranquillity. Pleasure and confidence again reigned over therevels, till the sun stood high in the heavens; and like every otherearthly enjoyment, even our ball drew to a close, though it bade fair tolinger long in the recollection as well of our returning guests as ofsome of the young entertainers. 

The delightful weather tempted us, soon after this, to make an excursionto the opposite shores of the bay, and visit the ruins of the old townof Conception. Mendiburu was of the party, as were all of our scientificbrethren, and as many of the officers as duty permitted to be absent. Very early, on a beautiful morning, we distributed our party in threelarge boats, and rowed, in two hours, to the destined point. We landedat the village of Pencu, which, like Portici upon Herculaneum, is builtupon the ruins of the former town of Conception, and whose inhabitantslive quietly and cheerfully over the graves of their unfortunatepredecessors, and disturb themselves little with the thought, that thesame fate may bury them one day in a living tomb. 

About fifteen houses, surrounded by gardens, lie scattered here over alovely plain, watered by the small river St. Peter. Nature here appearsmore luxuriant and productive than at Talcaguana. The mountains whichencircle this valley rise gently to a moderate height, and delight theeye by the freshness of the shrubs with which they are covered. 

While we gave chase to many kinds of birds and insects for theimprovement of our collection, the sailors threw out a great net, andtook a quantity of shell and other fish with which the sea abounds inthis neighbourhood, and which make the chief subsistence of the poorerclasses of people. The environs of this village are considered theloveliest district round the bay, and infinitely surpassing Talcaguanain the beauty of its scenery. Few remains of the old town are visible. The earth seems to have actually opened and swallowed it up, leavingscarcely a trace behind. Even the yawning gulph in which it sunk hasfilled again, so that it is only here and there upon the plain that somefragment of a former dwelling reminds one of the fearful catastrophe. 

The inhabitants of Talcaguana and Conception make excursions to Pencu, to examine, as a curiosity, a water-mill established there by someforeigner. We found it so out of repair as to be unserviceable, and theowner complained that he could find no one capable of mending it. Thewheat is here ground to flour by beating it in stone pots with heavywooden clubs; which may serve to give some idea of the progress theChilians have made in the useful arts. 

Mendiburu possessed an estate near Pencu, where we partook of a pleasantmeal under the shade of fruit-trees. After dinner the whole company wentshooting, and in the course of a few hours had killed several hundredwater-birds of various kinds. The flocks in which they fly are sometimesso numerous as to darken the air. During our absence such a one wasdescried from the ship; it appeared a solid mass of about ten fathomsbroad, and its flight lasted full three hours. 

The repairs of our ship had gone on quickly, and the time approached forour leaving Chili, when we perceived that the friendliness and civilitywe had hitherto experienced from the inhabitants was changing intoreserve and evident distrust. Secret cabals were going on against us;and even the Government seemed inclined to act, if not with positivehostility, at least violently and arbitrarily towards us. 

The attention of the unreflecting and easily excited Chilians had firstbeen attracted by the mustachios worn by one of my companions. They tookhim for a disguised Spaniard, who had accompanied us to sow discontents, and gain back the hearts of the people to the old government. Othermisrepresentations may also have been made against us; but we wereneither able to discover them, nor the actual intentions entertainedtowards us. 

When the ship was ready to sail, and I thought to quit Talcaguana in afew days, I returned to Conception to take leave of the PresidentFreire. While on the road, being mounted on a spirited horse, I had gota little the start of my companions, and was stopping on a height tocontemplate the beautiful landscape around me, when a well-dressed youngman, coming from the direction of the town, suddenly met me, stoodstill, looking attentively at me for some moments, and then asked if Iwere the Captain of the Russian frigate. On my answering in theaffirmative, after ascertaining that we were not observed, he said, "Youare aware that the two parties in this country are differently disposedtowards you. The day after to-morrow the officers of the regiment inTalcaguana will give you a farewell ball, when they intend to overpowerthe Russian officers, and take them prisoners. I have adopted thismethod of making you acquainted with the design; be on your guard. " Withthese words he disappeared among the high shrubs. As soon as mycompanions came up, I took Mendiburu aside, and told him what I had justheard. Honourable and warm-hearted, my friend at first grew pale withastonishment and vexation; but, after a few moments' consideration, hefelt convinced, and assured me, that the thing was impossible, and thatmy unknown monitor must be in error. At the same time we bothdetermined, immediately on our arrival in Conception, to mention thecircumstance to the President. Freire received me in a very friendlymanner, and so confidently affirmed the project attributed to hisofficers, to be a mere "coinage of the brain" of my informant, that Itrusted to his opinion, and thought no more of it, especially as our ownball had furnished a proof how easily the silliest and most groundlessreports could gain credit. 

After leaving the President, I passed the remainder of the day, andslept, at the house of my friend Mendiburu. As I was preparing to go tobed, I heard a gentle knock at my room door; I opened it, and a servantof the house came timidly in. He told me that he was a Spaniard, and hadbeen a sailor on board a frigate captured by the Chilians, and that hispresent master had taken him into his service, when a prisoner of war. He then gave me, under the most earnest injunctions not to betray him, the same caution which I had before received, adding some curses on theChilian Government and people, whom he declared to be altogether a setof vagabonds and thieves. This repeated warning was too striking not toexcite some apprehension. I took all the circumstances intoconsideration; and though the motive for such a proceeding remainedperfectly incomprehensible, I still resolved to take measures for mysecurity, in case it should be really attempted. I passed a sleeplessnight, and early in the morning bade adieu to my kind host, to whom Iwas unable to impart my new cause of anxiety, and hastened back toTalcaguana. On my arrival there, I found cards inviting myself and allmy officers to a ball on the following evening: so far, therefore, theinformation I had received was correct. To avoid the appearance ofsuspicion, I accepted the invitation, and went to the ball accompaniedby a few of my officers. The rest remained on board the ship, havingplaced her so as to bring her guns to bear upon the house in which theball was given, and to command the respect of the neighbourhood. ThusTalcaguana was at our mercy; nor had we any thing to fear, either fromthe armed corvette, or the battery on shore; the former being sosituated that it must needs have struck to our first broadside, and thelatter mounting only six guns quite unfit for use, and resting uponbroken carriages. We had also removed our observatory, and conveyed allour effects on board. These imposing preparations did not in allprobability remain unobserved; at all events, the ball passed offquietly enough; but it was remarkable that very few of the officers whohad given it were present; and instead of the gaiety which had reignedon the two former occasions, the greatest constraint was evident in thedeportment of the company, who separated at an unusually early hour. 

At daybreak we weighed anchor, to resume our voyage; but before we werein motion, my faithful friend Mendiburu, who had travelled in the nightfrom Conception, came on board with the news that a Chilian frigate anda corvette, which had arrived two days before from Valparaiso withtroops, now lay at anchor at the mouth of the bay, and had receivedorders to prevent our departure. He had no idea what could have inducedhis government, against which he was excessively indignant, to meditatesuch an outrage; but he felt assured that the ships were by no means ina condition to obey. When in full sail, I parted from Mendiburu, for thesecond time, with hearty thanks for his sympathy and assistance. 

I now ordered the ship and guns to be prepared for battle, in case itshould prove necessary to force our way out. We proceeded with a freshand favouring breeze so rapidly, that in an hour's time we coulddistinguish the two vessels lying at anchor near the island ofQuiquirino. As we approached, a gun was fired from the frigate, on whichsignal both ships got under sail, and took a direction that would enablethem to oppose our progress. No longer doubting their hostileintentions, I lessened my sail to make the ship more manageable duringthe expected engagement. The matches were lighted, and every one stoodat his post; but the Chilian frigate, a bad sailer, having run too farto leeward, could not come up to the assistance of the corvette whichendeavoured to dispute our passage; but clearly perceiving, when withingun-shot, that we were prepared to resist an attack, found it mostprudent to sail peaceably on, contenting herself with calling somethingto us through a trumpet, which we could not understand. Pursuing ourcourse in an opposite direction, we were soon at a considerable distancefrom the corvette, and then saw the frigate tacking to follow us; buthaving already greatly the advantage, and the mouth of the bay clearbefore us, we rehoisted our sails, and without waiting for furtherevidence of Chilian hostility, stood out to sea; thus escaping attemptsupon our liberty, the real motive of which, perhaps, was a desire toemploy our ships in the transport of troops to Chiloe. The two Englishwhalers had already been taken possession of for this purpose, withoutthe consent of their captains. 

The result of our observations on land are as follows:

 Latitude from Mendiburu's house in Talcaguana 36° 42' 15" West Longitude 73° 8' 20" Declination of the needle 14° East Inclination 80° 4'

The tide is here quite imperceptible. During the whole time of our stay, Reaumur's thermometer stood between 15 and 17 degrees. 

THE

DANGEROUS ARCHIPELAGO. 

THE

DANGEROUS ARCHIPELAGO. 

The many islands composing this Archipelago, and which the littlecoralline insects have built in the midst of the ocean, are so low, thatthey are invisible at a very trifling distance. From this cause theyhave often, in darkness or bad weather, proved dangerous to navigation, and have thence derived their name. It was my intention now, toascertain exactly the geographical position of the islands which I haddiscovered on my former voyage. O Tahaiti was to serve as a point fromwhich to determine the longitude, and at the same time to furnish uswith provisions. 

I directed my course to this Archipelago, between the parallels of 15and 16 degrees of South latitude, because this is not the usual trackof merchants' ships, nor has it been taken in voyages of discovery, sothat I thought it not improbable that we might fall in with otherunknown islands. In pursuance of this plan, we steered north-west, forthe above mentioned parallel. An uninterrupted fresh south wind havingcarried us six hundred and sixty miles forwards in three days, broughtus into the hot climate so suddenly, that we were much inconvenienced byit. The island of Juan Fernandez, whither the Spaniards, when masters inChili, used to banish criminals and republicans, lay on our left, andthe little uninhabited rocky islands of Felix and Ambrosia at a littledistance on our right. After rapidly gaining the Southern Tropic, ourvoyage, though pleasant, was far more tranquil; the slightness of themotion between the Tropics, admits of employment on board a ship, forwhich a sailor has generally little opportunity; even drawings may beexecuted in the neatest manner. 

On the 17th February we found ourselves under eighteen degrees of Southlatitude, and a hundred and five degrees longitude. The weathercontinued fine and serene, and our men expressed a wish to interrupt theuniformity of their lives, by getting up a play. The theatre wasprepared, the play-bills given out, and the orchestra had even made thesignal for the company to assemble, when our merriment was suddenlychanged into terror and distress; another sailor fell overboard. He hadbeen keeping watch on the fore-mast, to provide for our safety againstland and shallows, in this untried region, and having neglected tosecure his own, fell a sacrifice to his thoughtlessness. Being injuredby the fall, he immediately sunk, and all our efforts to save him provedfruitless. Separated as we had long been from our native country, theloss of a member of our little society, thus bound together through goodor ill fortune, was sensibly felt; the poor fellow was, besides, one ofour best sailors: in the most violent storms, he had often executed themost dangerous tasks at the mast-head with the greatest skill, and nowin the finest weather, with the ship moving in a manner scarcelyperceptible, was he destined to end, thus suddenly, his active anduseful life. 

Having sailed four thousand miles in three weeks, since we left Chili, we reached the neighbourhood of the dangerous Archipelago. By degrees wenow lost, contrary to all rule in this climate, the south-easttrade-wind, which had hitherto been so favourable to us, and contrarywinds from the West and North brought us very bad weather. An opinionhas been hitherto entertained, that the coral islands, from lying so lowand in small masses, could produce no change in the atmosphere, and thatthe trade-winds, to which they offered no obstruction, would continue toblow uninterruptedly in their neighbourhood. Repeated experience has, however, convinced me that this is an error, and that these littleislands, at certain seasons, often cause variations from the ordinarytropical weather. 

On the 26th of February, we entered 16° of latitude, and 129° oflongitude. The wind blew from the West: black clouds labouring upwards, covered the sky; violent and sudden gusts expended their fury on us, andlightnings flashed from every corner of the horizon. The night wasreally dreadful, and the tempest continued to rage, through a darknesswhich, but for the lightning, would have been total, while torrents ofrain swept our decks. Nor did the return of light bring us much relief;when about noon the heavens cleared for a short time, and allowed us alittle respite; the storm set in again with renewed violence, and forfour days and nights we were condemned to struggle with this tremendousweather. It is surprising how such tempests can arise at so great adistance from land. In the ship Rurik, in this same region, at the sameseason of year, I have before met with similar though scarcely suchfurious storms. On the 2nd of March the tropical wind returned, andbrought with it clearer weather. It was indeed very hot, (Reaumur'sthermometer did not fall even in the night below 24, ) but the whole crewcontinued in good health. On this evening we calculated that we were in15° 15' latitude, and 139° 40' longitude; and just as the sun wassinking, the man at the mast-head called out that land was in sight. Thepleasure of making a new discovery set all our telescopes in motion, andbefore night set in we plainly distinguished a very low, thickly woodedisland. Since no navigator, to my knowledge, had ever been here before, and the newest charts described nothing but empty space, we conceived wehad a right to consider ourselves the first discoverers, and named theisland, after our ship, Predpriatie: we now tacked to stand out to seafor the night, and at break of day again made towards the island, underfeelings of strong excitement. The many telescopes which our eagercuriosity pointed towards its object, seemed each endued with themagical power of conveying different images to the sight. Some of us sawwhat others saw not, till these delusions of the imagination vanishedbefore the conviction produced by rising columns of smoke visible toall, that the island was inhabited. We could soon afterwards, from themast-head, perceive its entire extent. The dazzling whiteness of thecoral shore fringed a bright green ground upon which rose a forest ofpalms; and we distinguished canoes moving upon a large lake in thecentre of the island. By rapid degrees, we approached so near that everyobject became perceptible with the naked eye. A tall, strong, dark-coloured race of naked savages were assembling on the shore, gazingon the ship in great agitation, with gestures of astonishment. Some werearming with long spears and clubs, others kindling piles of wood, probably, that the smoke might be a signal to neighbouring islands oftheir requiring assistance against the unknown sea-monster. From prettyhuts of plaited reeds, under the shade of bread-fruit trees, the women, some of them with children in their arms, were flying to concealthemselves in the forest. Such was the commotion our appearanceoccasioned in this little community. A few heroes summoned courageenough to advance, with threatening attitudes, to the margin of theshore; but no single canoe, though many lay on the coast, ventured toapproach us. Judging from their size and the good arrangement of theirsails, these canoes seem intended for visits to other and even distantislands. We sailed quite round our new discovery without finding anyhaven by which we could effect a landing; and the sea being tempestuous, with a high and boisterous surf, we were compelled to renounce ourdesire of becoming more intimately acquainted with the Predpriatians. The unclouded sky enabled us, nevertheless, to determine by observationthe exact latitude and longitude of this little island, whose greatestextent is only four miles from E. N. E. To W. S. W. The latitude of itscentral point is 15° 58' 18" South, and its longitude, 140° 11' 30". Thevariation of the needle was 4° East. 

When we had finished our observations, I steered a westerly course forthe island of Araktschief, discovered in the year 1819 by the RussianCaptain Bellingshausen, in order to convince myself that it was actuallynot the one we had just quitted. 

At four o'clock in the afternoon we could already see this island fromthe mast-head, and we reached it before sunset. It bears, with respectto size and circumstances, so close a resemblance to that ofPredpriatie, that they might easily be mistaken, if their relativesituations were not exactly known. 

From our observation, we found the latitude of the centre of the islandof Araktschief 15° 51' 20" South; and the longitude 140° 50' 50". According to Captain Bellingshausen's chart, the latitude is 15° 51', the longitude 140° 52'. Unable to discover any traces of inhabitants onthis island, we should have supposed there were none, had not CaptainBellingshausen ascertained the contrary. 

At night we retired to some distance from the island and lay-to, that wemight not, in the darkness, strike on any unknown land. At break of dayI steered a north-west course, to see the island of Romanzow, (which Ihad formerly discovered when with the ship Rurik, ) and convince myselfof the accuracy of the astronomical observations then made. At eighto'clock in the morning we could see the north point of the group ofWolchonsky Islands, recently discovered by Captain Bellingshausen. Whenthey lay seven miles off us, to the South, we found the longitude, according to our chronometers, 142° 2' 38". Bellingshausen considered itto be 142° 7' 42". 

From failure of wind, we could not make the island of Romanzow till themorning of the 8th of March. We then took advantage of the clearness ofthe heavens to ascertain, by the distance between the sun and moon, itsexact longitude, which is 144° 28'. According to the observations we hadmade in the ship Rurik, it was 144° 24', consequently there was adifference of only four minutes. 

We now steered due West, in order to learn whether the island which, onmy voyage in the Rurik, I had named after Admiral Spiridow, was really anew discovery, or, as has been said, only the most southerly of the KingGeorge's Islands. A fresh wind favoured our course, and at six o'clockin the afternoon we could see this island, my discovery of which hasbeen denied, lying before us at a distance of six miles westward. 

At the same time, we could distinguish from the mast-head the southernpart of another island, lying due North, with open water between thetwo. We were in 14° 41' 36" South latitude, and 144° 55' longitude. During the night we were becalmed, but in the morning a fresh breezesprang up directly in our teeth, and the current carried us so far tothe South, that, even from the mast, we could no longer see land. Underthese circumstances, to attempt to regain the Spiridow Island would havebeen attended by too great loss of time; so that we remained uncertainwhether this and the other, which we saw in the North, were the two KingGeorge's Islands or not. I can only say, that if they really are so, their discoverer has given their geographical position veryinaccurately. 

The south-east trade-wind had ceased to befriend us, and shifting gustsfrom the north-west and south blew with such violence as frequently totear our sails, accompanied by incessant rain and storm. The sea beingat the same time remarkably calm, proved that we were surrounded byislands, and that, in consequence, the greatest caution was required insailing, especially as the currents in this region are often verystrong. We soon saw land directly before us; and as in the neighbourhoodof all coral islands the depth of the sea cannot be sounded at adistance of fifty fathoms from the shore, we approached within a mile ofit. This island stretches ten miles in length, from East to West, and isonly four miles broad; it appeared to be a narrow strip of land, thickly overgrown with low bushes, surrounding a lake in the centre. Sea-birds only, of which we saw a vast number, appeared to inhabit thiswaste. The latitude of the middle of this island we found to be 15° 27', and its longitude 145° 31' 12". According to the chart of AdmiralKrusenstern, it may be the island called Carlshof, discovered in theyear 1722, by Roggewin, the geographical position of which is givendifferently on almost every chart, and whose very existence has beendisputed. We were now in the midst of the dangerous Archipelago, andconsulted our safety by riding every night only in parts which we hadsurveyed during the day. 

After reiterated nightly storms and rains, we shaped our course, withfull sails, on the return of fine weather, due East, for the PalliserIslands discovered by Captain Cook, and reached them in a few hours. Onboard the Rurik, I had only seen their northern side, and I now wished, astronomically, to determine the southern. Cook mentions these islandsvery superficially, so that navigators have fallen into many errorsconcerning them. The group consists of a number of small islandsconnected by coral reefs, which form a circular chain, and enclose alarge piece of water. When we had reached the southern point of the eastPallisers, we saw a ridge stretching ten miles westward to two smallislands, and thence taking a northern direction to unite itself at aconsiderable distance with larger ones. 

Cook, from his own account, did not approach near enough to see thisridge, and from a distance mistook the two little woody islands itembraces for the most southerly of a distinct cluster, which he callsthe fourth group of Palliser Islands. I can maintain that there are onlythree such groups, as the map which accompanies this volume will show. At noon we found our latitude to be 15° 42' 19", and the longitude 146°21' 6". 

The above-mentioned two small islands on the reef lay directly North, and the southern part of the first cluster of Pallisers was no longervisible. Viewed from this spot, the smaller ones might have beenmistaken by us also for part of another group, if we had not previouslyascertained that they were connected with the first by means of thereef. The second and third group could also be seen from this point; theformer to the S. E. The latter S. W. 

At six o'clock in the evening, we found ourselves near the eastern pointof the third group, and saw from the mast-head the Greigh Islands, discovered by Captain Bellingshausen. We now steered between these twogroups, in order to free ourselves from the Archipelago, and regain theopen sea. Again the night was tempestuous; but a calm occurred in thecourse of it, which, had it lasted longer, would have been dangerous, asa strong current was carrying us towards the shore. The morning sun, asusual in the Torrid Zone, dispersed the clouds and restored thebeautiful blue of the tropical sky. We soon lost sight of land, but ablack cloud still lowered in that part of the horizon where it haddisappeared; a proof how powerfully these masses of coral attractthunder clouds. We now recovered the south-east wind, and favoured byit, took the shortest way to O Tahaiti. All the longitudes in thedangerous Archipelago which I have given, (without entering into themanner in which they were calculated, ) are made out by means of thechronometer. This, on arriving at O Tahaiti, was found six minutes fiftyseconds wrong; and the longitudes here given have been rectifiedaccordingly. 

The following is from our observations the situation of the PalliserIslands:--

 South point of the first group. Lat. 15° 34' 25" Long. 146° 6' 49"

 The two small islands to the West of the first group Lat. 15° 30' 15" Long. 146° 20' 50"

 The Eastern point of the third group Lat. 15° 44' 52" Long. 146° 28' 2". 

Most of the islands of this Archipelago are inhabited, but hithertolittle is known of the natives, who are shy, and endeavour to avoid anyintercourse with navigators. Byron landed by force on one of theseislands; in the struggle many of the inhabitants were killed, the restput to flight, and the provision of cocoa-nuts found in their hutsplundered. Tradition may perhaps have exaggerated this attack. Cook alsopermitted some of his crew to land, who indeed met with no resistance, but their presents were received with the greatest indifference, andstones were thrown after them on their departure. CaptainBellingshausen, in the year 1820, wished to land on one of theseislands, but the natives opposed his intention so seriously that herelinquished it rather than use force. These people resemble the OTahaitians, their neighbours and relatives, in appearance and language;and when the latter are farther advanced in civilization, it may bepresumed that intercourse with them will effect a considerableamelioration in the condition of the other South Sea islanders. 

O TAHAITI. 

O TAHAITI. 

This beautiful island, so richly endowed by nature with every thing thatits simple and innocent natives can require for the enjoyment ofexistence, was perhaps first seen by the Spanish voyager Quiras, when, in the year 1606, he made an expedition from Lima, "to win, " as acountryman of his expresses it, "souls for Heaven, and kingdoms forSpain. " Since, however, the position pointed out by him is extremelyincorrect, it is uncertain whether the island which he called Sagittariawas really O Tahaiti or not. More probably, the honour of the discoverybelongs to the English Captain Wallis, who in the year 1767 landedthere, and took possession of the country by a solemn declaration, inthe name of his King. As, however, the Tahaitians did not understandhim, this act remained unknown to them; and, notwithstanding asubsequent renewal, has fallen into oblivion. Captain Wallis gave it thename of King George the Third's Island. 

Eight months after him, the French Captain Bougainville visited it; andnot knowing that Captain Wallis had been there before him, consideredhimself the first discoverer, and called it, from the most remarkablecustom of the natives, _Nouvelle Cythère_, but heard that theythemselves called it Tahaiti, or with the article, O Tahaiti; and thisname it has retained. 

The celebrated Englishman, Cook, stopped there in each of his threevoyages, between the years 1769 and 1778. He remained much longer incommunication with the inhabitants than any of his predecessors haddone; brought back Omai, to whom in London it had been attempted to givean European education, to his native land, and made use of thenarrations he obtained from him during the voyage. Since that time, Cookand his companions, particularly the two Forsters, father and son, havegiven us considerable information concerning the condition of theTahaitians before their conversion to the Christian faith. 

To estimate the effect of this great change, we must compare ChristianTahaiti as it now is, with the accounts these early voyagers have leftus of its heathen times; and as every reader may not be convenientlyable to do so, a short review of them may not be considered unwelcome. 

The Society Islands, of which Tahaiti is the largest, are, like manyothers, either fragments of a Southern continent swallowed up byearthquake, or a mass of rock ejected from the bottom of the sea bysubterranean fire, which gradually becoming covered with a fertile soil, is now adorned by the most beautiful vegetation. It consists of twopeninsulas united by a narrow isthmus, which together are about onehundred and twenty miles in circumference; towards the centre of eachrise wild rocky mountains, intersected by deep ravines, from the side ofwhich, thickly wooded almost to their summits, flow numerous streamletsof pure transparent water, forming the most picturesque cascades asthey descend from every direction into the sea. The high mountains areuninhabited, and the settlements made only in the valleys, moreespecially in the low land between the mountains and the sea-shore. 

In these charming amphitheatrical landscapes, their houses, consistingonly of roofs resting on stakes, surrounded and shaded by bananas, bread-fruit and cocoa-trees, are scattered at small distances from eachother. 

Attached to every house are enclosed fields, where the proprietorscultivate their yams, sweet potatoes, and other wholesome and pleasantroots, which form their chief nourishment. 

The rest of the cultivated land is filled by plantations of bananas andplantains, or little forests of cocoa and bread-fruit trees, soluxuriantly interwoven, that the burning rays of the sun cannotpenetrate to injure the bright verdure which clothes the soil. Theneatly kept grass footpaths leading through these groves from onedwelling to another, are variegated with flowers of the richest coloursand most fragrant perfumes, and enlivened by the notes of innumerablebirds arrayed in all the splendid hues of the Tropics. Although Tahaitiis only seventeen degrees from the Equator, the heat is so muchmoderated by refreshing breezes that it is very supportable even to anEuropean. Bougainville never found it above twenty-two, and often undereighteen degrees of Reaumur. That indeed was during the winter; but evenin January, the middle of the Tahaitian summer, the atmosphere is muchcooled by the frequent rains. The air is usually dry, clear, andparticularly healthy; sick people brought ashore from a sea voyagerecover rapidly. Here are neither ants, musquitoes, nor any of thetormenting insects so common in tropical climates; no beast of prey, nodestructive worm nor serpent; even the scorpion (of which a small sortis to be met with) here loses its poison. The only plague of this kindis a large rat, which does much mischief in the fields, and sometimeseven bites the Tahaitians during their sleep. 

Bougainville says, "The inhabitants of Tahaiti consist of two distinctraces, which remain such, although their language and manners are thesame, and they appear to mingle indiscriminately with each other. One, the most numerous, produces the tallest men, commonly six feet andupwards; and I have never seen better proportioned, or finer forms. Asculptor could not choose a more suitable model for a Mars or aHercules. There is nothing to distinguish their features from those ofEuropeans; and if they were clothed, and less exposed to the air and theburning sun, they would be quite as fair. Their hair is usually black(Wallis saw fair people, and Banks even Albinos). The other race is ofmiddle stature, with coarse curling hair, and resembles the Mulatto incomplexion and features. "

Cook and his companions considered this difference among the Tahaitiansto arise from the circumstance of the tall fair race, (called Eris, which is pronounced _Yeri_, ) the more distinguished class, being lessexposed to the sun and to hard labour, and their women more reserved andless licentious. 

We were however more inclined to agree with Bougainville, who supposedthe dark Tahaitians to be the original inhabitants, and the Yerisinvaders, who at some remote period had subjugated them; for the latterare the exclusive possessors of the land; the others obtaining only acertain remuneration in fruits and vegetables for cultivating the fieldsand plantations of their masters. The kings and all great personages areof this race, which is held by the common people in much veneration. 

That the language and customs of both races should have assimilated isnatural; but with respect to their intermarriages, Bougainville was inerror; the pride of the Yeris keeps them aloof from any suchconnections, which, had they subsisted, must have long since destroyedthe broad and acknowledged line of distinction. It is, however, onlyfair to confess, that this hypothesis of an invasion is unsupported byany Tahaitian tradition. 

"The men of both races, " continues this traveller, "allow the lower partof the beard to grow, but shave the whiskers and the upper lip. Some cuttheir hair short off, others bind it together at the top of the head;both hair and beard they grease with the oil of the cocoa-nut. A girdleround the middle often serves for their only clothing; but the peopleof rank generally wear a large piece of stuff which falls as low as theknee. This is the principal garment of the women, who put it on in avery becoming manner. The female Yeris, who never expose themselves tothe sun, and wear a hat of reeds adorned with flowers, which shades theface, are fairer than the men: their features are handsome, but they arechiefly remarkable for the beauty of their figures, which are notspoiled by the artifices of European fashions. They paint their cheeksred, and colour the lower part of the body dark blue, as an ornament anda distinction of rank. 

"Both sexes are tattooed, and both hang rows of pearls or flowersthrough holes pierced in their ears. The greatest cleanliness reignsamong them; they bathe regularly, and wash themselves before and aftermeals. "

The descriptions of other travellers agree perfectly with this; allappear to feel the greatest kindness for these "nurselings of joyousnature, " as some one calls them; and to have been particularly charmedwith the women, of whom Wallis says, "They are all handsome, and someexcessively lovely. "

The companions of Cook also speak in the highest terms of theirattractions. Their tall and slender figures; the form of their faces, which is agreeable, though rather round than oval; the tendertransparency of their skin; the complexions which, whether fair orbrown, are always blooming; the expressive eyes, now flashing fire andnow swimming in tenderness; the small white, even teeth, and fascinatingsmile, are rapturously described by the younger Forster. 

The nose only is defective in these beauties, it is usually too flat, but may sometimes be seen as perfectly formed as in the females ofEurope. 

The curse, "in the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread, " fallsharmless on the Tahaitians. Three bread-fruit trees are sufficient for aman's subsistence during a year; and he has here only to stretch out hishand to obtain this and many other fruits whose variety may please hispalate. Nutritious roots are cultivated with great ease; and the seayields abundance of shell and other fish, for the trifling trouble ofcatching it: the brooks also contain fish, and a species of crab. Theopulent eat fowls and pigs roasted over hot stones in a hole in theground, the flavour of which is very agreeable even to an European; and, by way of variety, they roast _dogs_ which have been fed uponvegetables, and are considered great delicacies. 

Several families often live together in the same house, in the greatestconcord. Their furniture consists simply of a few ingeniously-woven matsfor sleeping on, and some vessels made of gourds and cocoa-nut shells. 

The disposition of the Tahaitians is gentle, benevolent, open, gay, andpeaceable, although some of them show scars of wounds received in war, which prove that they are not deficient in courage. To hatred andrevenge they are wholly strangers. Hardly and unjustly as Cook sometimestreated them, he was pardoned immediately that he required theirassistance, and showed the slightest wish to pacify them. Individuals ofhis crew often ventured to pass the nights alone and unarmed upon theisland: they were every where received with the greatest hospitality, and overwhelmed with marks of friendship. The simple inhabitants, whollydevoid of envy, rejoiced in each other's good fortune, and when onereceived a present, all seemed equally gratified. Their feelings readilybroke out either into smiles or tears: even men were often seen to weep;and their joys and sorrows were as fugitive as those of children. Norare their minds more stable: notwithstanding the great curiosity withwhich they gazed at and required an explanation of every object in theship, it was as impossible, says the elder Forster, to rivet theirattention for any time, as to make quicksilver stand still. 

They seemed incapable of either mental or bodily effort, and their timewas passed in indolence and enjoyment. They were, however, skilful inmanufacturing a soft paper from the barks of trees; nets and lines fromthe fibres of the cocoa-nut; and hooks from muscle-shells; in weavingtheir rush mats, and especially in building canoes and war-boats. Thelatter, large enough to contain forty men and upwards, were made ofplanks laboriously split from the trunks of trees with sharp stones, for want of better implements, fastened together with cocoa threads, andwell caulked. The value they set on our axes and nails may therefore beeasily imagined. 

Like all islanders, they are expert seamen, but especially dexterous inswimming and diving. They fetch any thing with ease from the bottom ofthe sea, even at very considerable depths. The upsetting of a boatcauses them no uneasiness; men and women swim round it till they succeedin righting it again; and then, baling out the water, continue theirvoyage with the utmost unconcern. 

These voyages, sometimes extending to considerable distances, have madethe observation of the stars, their only guides, absolutely necessary tothem. They have thus attained some astronomical knowledge. 

They distinguish the planets from the fixed stars, and call the formerby particular names. They divide the year into thirteen months oftwenty-nine days each, with the exception of one, which has less, apparently for the purpose of reconciling this lunar with a solar year. The day and night are each divided into six parts of two hours each, which they measure exactly in the day by the position of the sun, and atnight by the stars. Medical men have considered them to possess muchskill in surgery, from the kindly healing of wounds which, by theirscars, have evidently been severe. 

The Tahaitians are particularly distinguished by their superiorcivilization from all other savages, among whom indeed they scarcelydeserve to be ranked. Their language sounds agreeably, and is notdifficult to learn. The vowels occur much more frequently than theconsonants, our c, g, k, s, and p, being entirely wanting. Cook and hiscompanions made considerable progress in it; and one of them says--"Itis rich in figurative modes of expression; and I am convinced that anearer acquaintance with it would place it on a level with the mostdistinguished for boldness and power of imagery. "

By means of this knowledge of their language, however imperfect, manydetails concerning the religion of the Tahaitians were gained. The elderForster enters rather at large into the subject. 

They believed in one supreme God, _Athua-rahai_, creator and governorof the world, and of all other gods. They gave him a consort, whohowever was not of the same nature, but of a material and very firmsubstance, and therefore called _O-te-Papa_, that is to say, _Rock_. From this pair proceeded a goddess of the moon, the gods of the stars, the winds, and the sea, and the protecting deities of the severalislands. After the chief god had created the sun, he conveyed hisconsort, the mighty Rock, from the West to the East over the sea: intheir progress, some portions of her substance separated from her, andformed the islands. 

Besides the gods of the second rank, they believed also in inferiordeities, and in a wicked genius, who killed men suddenly at therequisition of the priests--an article of faith which this orderdoubtless found very convenient. They also supposed that a genius dweltin every man, thinking and feeling in him, and separated himself fromthe body after death, but without removing from it; often inhabiting thewooden images which are erected in the burial-places, but sometimesstealing at night into their habitations, and killing the sleepers, whose hearts and entrails he devoured. This belief in ghosts is perhapsnot more universal in Tahaiti than among civilized nations. 

According to another of Cook's companions, the supreme God uniteddeparted souls with his own existence, which was signified by thephrase, "He eats them. " This was purification, after which the soul, orthe genius, reached the abode of eternal happiness. If a man, for somemonths before his death, had kept himself apart from women, he did notrequire this purification, but went direct to Heaven. The pride of theYeris prompted them to believe in a Heaven peculiar to themselves, wherethey should associate only with their equals in birth. 

The Tahaitians of rank had each a _Marai_ sacred to themselves, andwhich served for their religious assemblies. The greatest and mostsolemn of these meetings were held at the Marai of the Kings. Here thepriests harangued the people; and here was performed the rite whichstained the otherwise amiable character of these islanders--the offeringof human sacrifices! Cook was once present at one of these detestableoblations, and describes it circumstantially. Its object was topropitiate the assistance of the Gods, in a war about to be undertaken. 

The victim was always of the lower class. He was first killed, and theceremonies were afterwards performed by the priests, and many prayersrecited, in presence of the King and people. One of the formalities wasthe presentation of the left eye to the King, which however he did notreceive. From this, Cook infers that the Tahaitians had at some periodbeen eaters of human flesh, and that this morsel was offered to the Kingas a delicacy. If this conjecture be well-founded, which I think it isnot, so horrible an appetite must have long since disappeared, as not atrace of it now remains. It is besides altogether contrary to thecharacter and manners of the people. So, indeed, is the oblation ofhuman victims; but this horrible rite had certainly been introduced bythe priests, for the purpose of attracting towards their office anincreased degree of veneration and awe. The burial of the dead wasaccompanied by many religious ceremonies, but with the birth of achild, or the celebration of marriage, their religion was no wayconcerned. 

If a woman bore her lover a child, which he acknowledged to be his, themarriage was concluded without further ceremony, but was easilydissolved and a new connexion formed. 

A married man would sometimes entertain a concubine, but never had morethan one wife. The kings only formed an exception to this rule. The lastmonarch married at the same time the four daughters of a neighbouringking, and during our visit they were all living and respected as hiswidows. One only of them had brought him children; and when during thelatter years of his government he became a convert to the Christianreligion, this one only passed for his lawful consort. 

In both peninsulas of Tahaiti the form of government was monarchical, and each had its own king, assisted by a council of Yeris, whom heconsulted on all important occasions. These were held in greatveneration among the people. No one, not even a female or a Yeri of thehighest rank, might appear before them without uncovering the upper partof the body--a token of respect which was usually paid only to the Godsin prayer or in passing a Marai. Before the princesses, the female sexonly uncovered themselves. All his subjects were much attached to thesovereign, who reigned under a most singular law of succession. 

As soon as a son was born to him, the sovereignty passed from the kingto the infant, in whose name, and during whose minority only, the fathercontinued to exercise the Regency. 

The several districts were governed by deputies chosen from the class ofYeris, who were also the sole administrators of justice; which amongstthis well-disposed people was generally very mild. The punishments in agreat measure depend on the injured party, and consist chiefly instripes. A native assured me that thieves are sometimes hung on a tree;but they more frequently escape with a few strokes, or sometimesaltogether with impunity. 

The two kingdoms of Tahaiti were often in a state of mutual warfare, though they sometimes fought as allies against a common enemy. Cook andhis companions saw the preparations for a war with the neighbouringisland of Eimeo, and were present at a review of his naval force by theKing O Tu. From the number of warriors who manned this fleet, the elderForster estimated the entire population at not less than a hundred andthirty thousand souls. According to his opinion, Tahaiti was capable ofcontaining and supporting an infinitely greater number of inhabitants, and he therefore conjectured that in a short time it would be foundgreatly increased. Experience has unfortunately proved this inference tobe erroneous, as will appear in the sequel. 

Notwithstanding their usually gentle character, they treated theirprisoners of war with barbarity, but in their defence may be urged thewell-known fact, that in the heat of battle an unwonted rage willsometimes take possession of the best disposed minds, even amongstcivilized nations; and it was only while this unnatural excitementlasted that the conduct of the Tahaitians laid them open to theimputation of cruelty. 

Both sexes and all ranks were given to stealing; and so dexterous werethey in plundering the Europeans, that notwithstanding the utmostvigilance and precaution, few days passed without something beingstolen. The young, beautiful, and noble Marorai stole, as the youngerForster relates, a pair of sheets from the cabin of an officer, whereshe had remained unnoticed during the general confusion occasioned bythe ship running aground. Even the princesses appropriated trifleswhenever they had an opportunity. Our experience, however, proves thatthe lessons they have received from their Christian pastors on thedisgracefulness of theft have had a practically good effect. 

Neither can I deny that the morals of the Tahaitians were veryexceptionable in another point, in which also the influence of theMissionaries has been beneficially exerted. If the modesty whichconceals the mysteries of love among civilized nations be the offspringonly of their intellectual culture, it is not surprising that a whollyuninstructed people should be insensible to such a feeling, and in itsunconsciousness should even have established public solemnities whichwould strike us as excessively indelicate. 

The coarse hospitality of the Tahaitians went so far as to present to awelcome guest, a sister, a daughter, or even a wife; and they have beenknown to sell them for pearls, pieces of glass, or implements of iron. The women who distributed their favours indiscriminately, were almostalways of the lowest class; but a most licentious association calledEhrioi, including both sexes, existed among the higher. Renouncingmatrimony, and the hopes of progeny, its members rambled about theisland leading the most dissolute lives; and if a child was born amongthem, the laws of the society compelled its murder, or the expulsion ofthe mother. The men were all warriors, and stood in high estimationamong the people. The Ehrioi themselves were proud of the title, andeven the King O Tu belonged to this profligate institution, to which, fortunately, the Missionaries have put an end. 

Where such manners prevailed, and woman was regarded merely as an objectof pleasure, she could not stand in very high estimation; and love, inits best sense, remained wholly unknown among them. Hence the women ofTahaiti, although not so much secluded as among many other nations, werenot permitted to eat with the men, and when the King and the RoyalFamily visited Cook, on board his ship, he was obliged to entertain eventhe princesses in a separate cabin. 

The fidelity of a wife among the Tahaitians required that she should notfavour any man without the knowledge and consent of her husband; and abeating was the punishment generally incurred by a violation of thisduty. 

Among the failings of the Tahaitians, their love of the intoxicatingliquor which they prepared from the much cultivated Ava root, must notbe omitted. Nor have the Missionaries been wholly unsuccessful in thisrespect. The drink is no longer allowed to be prepared, nor even theroot to be cultivated; but unfortunately, its place has been partlysupplied by the introduction of our wine and brandy; we, however, neversaw a drunken person. 

Having now noticed all that was reprehensible in the otherwise amiablecharacter of the Ante-christian Tahaitian, I hope the reader, inconsideration of his many good qualities, will forgive his faults, and, in a friendly disposition towards him, cast a glance upon his innocentamusements, which were chiefly derived from music, dancing, mock-fights, and theatrical representations. 

Their musical instruments were very simple, and of two kinds only: theone, a sort of flute, producing four notes, and blown with the nostrils;the other, a drum, made of the hollow trunk of a tree; but theaccompanying songs, usually extempore poems, were pretty, and showed thedelicacy of their ear. The girls excelled in the dance; the marriedwomen were forbidden to take part in it, and the men never did. Thedancers executed a species of ballet, and, according to the judgment oftravellers, they might with little trouble become capable of performingon our theatres. The English dances they soon learnt, and in thewell-known hornpipe, especially, displayed much grace. 

The mock-fights were of course in imitation of their serious warfare, and they parried with admirable dexterity the blow of a club or thrustof a lance, by which otherwise they must have been severely wounded. Thedramatic pieces were performed by both sexes, and sometimes by personsof the highest quality. They were of a mixed character, serious, andcomic, but for want of a thorough acquaintance with the language, theyhave been very imperfectly described to us. Thus, oppressed by no care, burdened by no toil, tormented by no passion, seldom visited bysickness, their wants easily satisfied, and their pleasures oftenrecurring, the Tahaitians passed a life of enjoyment under themagnificent sky of the tropics, and amid scenes worthy of Paradise. 

On the 12th of March, a beautiful bright morning, we had the pleasure toperceive Tahaiti before us, like a light cloud in the clear horizon. Allthat we had read of its loveliness now rose to our remembrance, heightened by the vivid colouring of the imagination; but seventy mileswere yet to be traversed ere we could tread the land of expectation, anda very slow progress, occasioned by a flagging wind, tried our patience. We continued, however, to advance, and the light cloud became larger, and denser, and higher, soon assuming the appearance of three separatehills belonging to different islands; the highest point, eight thousandfeet above the level of the sea, is the summit of a mountain, distinguished from the others by its conical form. 

We next recognized the large rugged masses of rock of the interior, which have a most romantic appearance. The country gradually unfoldedall its charms; the luxuriant growth of the trees, even to themountains' tops, reminded us of the scenery of Brazil, and thepicturesque valleys, with their thickets of bread-fruit, orange, andcocoa-trees, their cultivated fields, and plantations of bananas, becameat length distinctly visible. 

It was not till the 14th that we reached the Cape, called by Cook CapeVenus, because he there observed the transit of this planet over thesun; and from its beauty, it deserves to be named after the charminggoddess herself. It is a low narrow tongue of land, running outnorthward from the island, thickly shadowed by cocoa-trees, and forming, by its curve, the harbour of Matarai, not a very secure one, butgenerally preferred by sailors on account of the celebrity bestowed onit by Cook. 

When we were still a few miles distant from Cape Venus, we fired a gunto draw attention to the flag hoisted at the fore-mast, as a signal fora pilot. We soon saw a European boat steering towards us; it brought usa pilot, who, to our great surprise, addressed us in the Russianlanguage, having recognized our flag as belonging to that nation: he wasan Englishman of the name of Williams, who had first been a sailor onboard a merchant ship, afterwards entered the service of the RussianAmerican Company on the north-west coast of America, and was at lengthsettled for life in Tahaiti. His wife was a native of the island; he wasthe father of a family, and carried on the occupation of a pilot in theBay of Matarai. Wanderers of this kind often settle in the islands ofthe South Sea; but while they bring with them many vices peculiar to thelower classes in civilized life, are generally too ignorant and rough toproduce any favourable influence on the natives. They are not all liableto this censure; and of about twenty English and Americans whom I foundso naturalized in Tahaiti, some assuredly do not deserve it. 

Having a pilot on board, we steered direct for the extreme point of CapeVenus, where floated the national standard of Tahaiti. This flagdisplays a white star in a field of red, and, like many of the presentarrangements, owes its origin to the Missionaries, who do not indeedbear the title of Kings of the island, but exercise an unlimitedinfluence over the minds of the natives. We passed safely by theshallows lying before the Matawai Bay, (upon which Captain Wallisgrounded, and which he called, after his ship, the Dolphin, ) round theheadland, to the western side, and at last anchored opposite the villageof Matawai, at a distance of two hundred fathoms from the shore, in ablack clay bottom of fifteen fathoms depth. 

Our frigate, as it entered the Bay, attracted to the beach a crowd ofcurious gazers, who greeted our arrival with a shout of joy. Numerousboats laden with all kinds of fruits, provisions, and other articles ofmerchandize, immediately put off from the shore, and we were soonsurrounded by gay and noisy Tahaitians. As soon as the sails were takenin, I gave them permission to come on board, of which they eagerlyavailed themselves. With their wares on their backs, they climbedmerrily up the sides of the ship, and the deck was soon transformedinto a busy market, where all was frolic and fun; the goods were offeredwith a jest, and the bargains concluded with laughter. In a short timeeach Tahaitian had selected a Russian associate, to whom, with afraternal embrace, he tendered his wish to exchange names, --a ceremonywhich implied a pledge to surrender to the new friend whatever he mightwish for. 

It is probable that these sudden attachments were not quitedisinterested; a view of procuring a better barter for their goods mighthave had some effect in producing the zeal with which they were struckup; but they certainly had every appearance of sincerity and cordiality, and in less than an hour these friendly allies were seen walking incouples, arm in arm, about the deck, as though they had been acquaintedfor years. 

Our clothing appeared to be prized by the Tahaitians above every thingwe offered them, and the possession of any article of this kind set themleaping, as if out of their wits, for joy. On this day we saw nofemales; and when we were afterwards occasionally visited by the women, they always behaved with the greatest propriety. 

When the sun declined, our new acquaintances left us to return to theirhomes, satisfied with their bargains, and delighted with the presentsthey had received, and without having stolen any thing, although above ahundred of them had been on board at once. 

I had sent a message to the Missionary Wilson, by an officer who nowreturned, bringing for answer an assurance that the Missionary wouldwith pleasure do all in his power to assist us in procuring oursupplies; a promise he faithfully kept. 

On the following morning we were greeted by the sun from a cloudlesssky, with a most superb illumination of the country opposite to hisrising. His rays glittering on the mountain-tops before they reached ourhorizon, gradually enlivened the variegated green that clothed theirsides down to the vales, till the King of Day burst upon our sight inall his splendour, arraying the luxuriant landscape of the shore instill more enchanting beauty. Among the thickets of fruit-trees wereseen the dwellings of the happy inhabitants of this greatpleasure-ground, built of bamboos, and covered with large leaves, standing each in its little garden; but, to our great astonishment, thestillness of death reigned among them; and even when the sun stood highin the heavens, no one was to be seen. 

The warm friendships formed but yesterday seemed already to have cooled;we were quite forgotten. At length we obtained from the boat, sent offto us at break of day with provisions, an explanation of this enigma. The inhabitants of Tahaiti were celebrating the Sunday, on which accountthey did not leave their houses, where they lay on their bellies readingthe Bible and howling aloud; laying aside every species of occupation, they devoted, as they said, the whole day to prayer. According to ourreckoning, the day was Saturday. This difference proceeded from thefirst Missionaries having reached Tahaiti from the west by the way ofNew Holland, while we had come eastward by Cape Horn. 

I resolved to go ashore and pay a visit to Mr. Wilson, that I mightprocure, through his means, a convenient place for our astronomicalobservations. We landed at the point of the Cape, because the shade of athick palm grove there offered us immediate protection. No one receivedus on the strand; no human being, not even a dog, was visible. The verybirds seemed here to celebrate the Sunday by silence, unless, indeed, itwas somewhat too hot for singing. A little brook, meandering amongshrubs and flowers, alone took the liberty of mingling its murmurs withthe devotions of the Tahaitians. I sauntered along a narrow trodden pathunder the shade of palms, bananas, orange, and lemon-trees, inhalingtheir fragrance, and delighting in the luxuriance of nature. Thoughbeautiful as this country is, it does not equal Brazil in the variety ofits productions, and in the numbers of its humming-birds andbutterflies. The loud prayer of the Tahaitian Christians reached myears, as I approached their habitations. All the doors were closed, andnot even the children allowed to enjoy the beauty of the morning. 

The small but pleasant house of the Missionary, built after theEuropean fashion, stands in the midst of a kitchen-garden richlyprovided with all kinds of European vegetables. 

Mr. Wilson gave me a cordial welcome to his neat and simple dwelling, and presented to me his wife, an Englishwoman, and two children, besidestwo Englishmen, whom he named as Messrs. Bennet and Tyrman. Theybelonged to the London Missionary Society, and had left England threeyears before to visit the Missionary Settlements in the South Sea. 

The chief Missionary, to whom the others are subordinate, is named Nott, and lives in the capital where the King resides. He is now far advancedin life. He has made himself master of the Tahaitian language, and wasthe first who ever wrote it. He has translated the Bible, a Prayer Book, and some Hymns; and has printed a Grammar of the language, under thetitle of, "A Grammar of the Tahaitian Dialect of the PolynesianLanguage. Tahaiti: printed at the Mission Press, Burder's Point, 1823. "

He also first instructed the Tahaitians in reading and writing, whichacquirements are now tolerably common among them. I am sorry not tohave known Mr. Nott better, and therefore not to have it in my power tojudge of the man as well as the Missionary. His character stands veryhigh. Wilson, also an old man, has now lived twenty years in Tahaiti; hewas originally a common sailor, but has zealously devoted himself totheology, and is honest and good-natured. Including Nott and Wilson, there are six Missionaries in Tahaiti alone, and only four among all theother Society Islands. Each Missionary possesses a piece of land, cultivated by the natives, which produces him in superfluity all that herequires, and he also receives an annual allowance of fifty pounds fromthe London Missionary Society. This Society has also sent Missionariesto Tongatabu, one of the Friendly Islands, and to Nukashiva, lately madeknown to us by Krusenstern. 

Besides these English Missionaries, some native Tahaitians, afterreceiving a suitable education, are sent to spread Christianity amongthe islands of the dangerous Archipelago. In Russia, a careful educationand diligent study at schools and universities is necessary to qualifyany one to be a teacher of religion. The London Missionary Society ismore easily satisfied; a half savage, confused by the dogmas of anuneducated sailor, is, according to them, perfectly fitted for thesacred office. 

It was now church-time, and Wilson requested me to be present at theservice, --an invitation which I accepted with pleasure. A broad straightpath, planted with the cocoa and lofty bread-fruit tree, leads from hishouse, about a ten minutes' walk, to the place of worship. Thechurch-yard, with its black wooden crosses, impresses the mind with afeeling of solemnity: the church itself is a handsome building, abouttwenty fathoms long and ten broad, constructed of light wood-workadapted to the climate, and whitened on the outside, which gives it apretty effect among the green shades that surround it. The numerouslarge windows remain unglazed, because a free admission of the air ishere desirable in all seasons; the roof, made of ingeniously plaitedreeds, and covered with immense leaves, is a sufficient defence againstthe heaviest rain; there is neither steeple nor clock. The interior ofthe church is one large hall, the walls of which are neatly kept; it isfilled with a number of benches, so placed, in long rows, that theoccupants can have a convenient view of the pulpit in the centre. Whenwe entered, the church was full even to crowding, the men seated on oneside, and the women on the other; they almost all had psalm-books lyingbefore them; the most profound stillness reigned in the assembly. Nearthe pulpit, which Wilson mounted, was placed a bench for Messrs. Bennetand Tyrman, on which I also took my seat. 

Notwithstanding the seriousness and devotion apparent among theTahaitians, it is almost impossible for an European, seeing them for thefirst time in their Sunday attire, to refrain from laughter. The highvalue which they set on clothes of our manufacture has already beenremarked; they are more proud of possessing them than are our ladies ofdiamonds and Persian shawls, or our gentlemen of stars and orders. Asthey know nothing of our fashions, they pay no sort of attention to thecut, and even age and wear do not much diminish their estimation oftheir attire; a ripped-out seam, or a hole, is no drawback in theelegance of the article. These clothes, which are brought to Tahaiti bymerchant-ships, are purchased at a rag-market, and sold here at anenormous profit. The Tahaitian therefore, finding a complete suit ofclothes very expensive, contents himself with a single garment; whoevercan obtain an English military coat, or even a plain one, goes aboutwith the rest of his body naked, except the universally-worn girdle; thehappy owner of a waistcoat or a pair of trowsers, thinks his wardrobeamply furnished. Some have nothing more than a shirt, and others, asmuch oppressed by the heat under a heavy cloth mantle as they would bein a Russian bath, are far too vain of their finery to lay it aside. Shoes, boots, or stockings, are rarely met with, and the coats, mostlytoo tight and too short, make the oddest appearance imaginable; many oftheir wearers can scarcely move their arms, and are forced to stretchthem out like the sails of a windmill, while their elbows, curious tosee the world, peep through slits in the seams. Let any one imagine suchan assembly, perfectly satisfied of the propriety of their costume, andwearing, to complete the comic effect, a most ultra-serious expressionof countenance, and he will easily believe that it was impossible forme to be very devout in their presence. The attire of the females, though not quite so absurd, was by no means picturesque; some worewhite, or striped men's shirts, which did not conceal their knees, andothers were wrapped in sheets. Their hair was cut quite close to theroots, according to a fashion introduced by the Missionaries, and theirheads covered by little European chip hats of a most tasteless form, anddecorated with ribbons and flowers, made in Tahaiti. But the mostvaluable article of dress was a coloured gown, an indubitable sign ofthe possessor's opulence, and the object of her unbounded vanity. 

When Wilson first mounted the pulpit, he bent his head forward, andconcealing his face with an open Bible, prayed in silence; the wholecongregation immediately imitated him, using their Psalm-books insteadof Bibles. After this, the appointed psalm was sung to a mostincongruous tune, every voice being exerted to its utmost pitch, inabsolute defiance of harmony. Wilson then read some chapters from theBible, the congregation kneeling twice during the intervals; thegreater part of them appeared very attentive, and the most decoroussilence reigned, which was, however, occasionally interrupted by thechattering and tittering of some young girls seated behind me. Iobserved that some threatening looks directed towards them by Messrs. Bennet and Tyrman, seemed to silence them for a moment, but theiryouthful spirits soon overcoming their fears, the whispering andgiggling recommenced, and glances were cast at the white stranger, whichseemed to intimate no unwillingness to commence a closer acquaintance. After the conclusion of the sermon, another psalm was sung, and theservice concluded. The display of costume, as the congregation strolledhomewards in groups, with the greatest self-complacency, through thebeautiful broad avenue, their psalm-books under their arms, was stillmore strikingly ludicrous than in church. I had by this time, however, lost all inclination to laugh. 

I had assisted at a great religious assembly of the new, devoted, socalled Christian Tahaitians; and the comparison naturally arising in mymind, between what I had seen and the descriptions of the earlytravellers, had introduced reflections which became less and lessagreeable, in proportion as I acquired a greater insight into the recenthistory of the island. 

After many fruitless efforts, some English Missionaries succeeded atlength, in the year 1797, in introducing what they called Christianityinto Tahaiti, and even in gaining over to their doctrine the King Tajo, who then governed the whole island in peace and tranquillity. Thisconversion was a spark thrown into a powder magazine, and was followedby a fearful explosion. The Marais were suddenly destroyed by order ofthe King--every memorial of the former worship defaced--the new religionforcibly established, and whoever would not adopt it, put to death. Withthe zeal for making proselytes, the rage of tigers took possession of apeople once so gentle. Streams of blood flowed--whole races wereexterminated; many resolutely met the death they preferred to therenunciation of their ancient faith. Some few escaped by flight to therecesses of the lofty mountains, where they still live in seclusion, faithful to the gods of their ancestors. Schiller'sexclamation--"_Furchtbar ist der Mensch in seinem wahn_, "[3] wasdreadfully confirmed. 

Ambition associated itself, as usual, to fanaticism. King Tajo, notcontent with seeing in the remains of his people none but professors ofthe new faith, resolved on making conquests that he might force it onthe other Society Islands. He had already succeeded with most of them, when a young warrior, Pomareh, King of the little island of Tabua, tookthe field against him. What he wanted in numbers was supplied by hisunexampled valour, and his superiority in the art of war. 

He subdued one island after another, and at last Tahaiti itself, andhaving captured its King, offered the zealot murderer of his innocentsubjects as a sacrifice to their manes. In the end, he subjected to hissceptre all the islands which had hitherto remained independent, and assovereign of the whole Archipelago, took up his residence in Tahaiti. Heleft to the conquered Kings the government of their islands, requiringfrom them a yearly tribute in pigs and fruits; and to consolidate hisdominion by family connexion, he married a daughter of the most powerfulof these royal vassals, her three sisters, according to an ancientcustom, becoming at the same time his wives. 

Peace was thus restored to Tahaiti and the whole Archipelago. Pomarehwas a wise and mild ruler. He left his subjects undisturbed in their newreligion, although he did not profess it himself. The Missionaries, nowlimited to their powers of persuasion, found means to retain theirdisciples in their adopted faith, so that the refugees of the mountainspreferred remaining in their retreats, to finding themselves objects ofhatred and contempt amongst their old friends and relations. At lengthPomareh himself, with his whole family, yielded to the arguments of theMissionary Nott, allowed himself to be baptized, and died as aChristian, in the prime of life, in consequence of an immoderateindulgence in the spirituous liquors which he had obtained from theships of his new brethren. 

An unconquerable passion for ardent spirits had acquired an entiredominion over him, although he was so well aware of their deleteriouseffects, as to have often exclaimed, when under the influence ofintoxication, "O King, to-day could thy fat swine govern better thanthou canst!" This weakness was, however, so much over-balanced by hismany good qualities, his well-tried valour, his inflexible justice, hisconstant mildness and generosity, that he possessed to the last theuniversal esteem and love of his subjects, by whom his loss was stilldeplored when we arrived at Tahaiti, almost two years after his death, although he had reigned as an unlimited monarch, and they now possesseda constitution resembling, or rather aping, that of England. This hadbeen introduced by the influence of the Missionaries, whose power overthe minds of the Tahaitians is unbounded; they had persuaded the peopleto adopt it during the minority of Pomareh's son, a child of four yearsold at the period of our visit; but from the general regret with whichthe days of the absolute King were remembered, it did not appear to havegiven much satisfaction. 

According to this Constitution, Tahaiti is divided into nineteendistricts, and the neighbouring island of Eimeo, having no especialviceroy, into eight. Every district has its governor and its judge, whose business is to settle disputes and maintain order. The first isappointed by the Parliament, and the latter elected by the people. Thesenominations are for one year only--but may be renewed at the expirationof the term. Important affairs are submitted to the Parliament, which, consisting of deputies from all the provinces, possesses thelegislative, as the King does the executive power. 

The Tahaitians, accustomed to a blind reverence for the Missionaries, consult them in all their undertakings, and by means of the Constitutionhave so confirmed their power, both as priests and rulers, that it wouldbe difficult for governor, judge, or member of parliament, to retaintheir offices after having incurred their displeasure. They have showntheir artful policy in the choice of a guardian for the young King. Ithas fallen on the tributary King of the island of Balabola, distinguished by his giant height of seven feet, and by his enormouscorpulence, which almost prevents his moving, but by no mentalqualification. 

This mountain of flesh, that at a distance might rather be taken forsome unknown monster than for a man, naturally finds it more convenientto his indolence to be merely the mouthpiece of the Missionaries, andthat their dominion may also be secured for the future, Mr. Nott has thesole charge of the young monarch's education, and will not fail to bringhim up in the habit of implicit obedience. 

The actual document securing the Constitution had not yet appeared; theMissionaries were still employed on it, well convinced, that whateverthey should insert would be received without opposition. When complete, it will probably issue in due form from their Printing-Office, and willbe interesting, if some future traveller should bring us thetranslation. 

Firm as the foundation of the Missionaries' power appeared, one littlecloud was visible in the political firmament. A son of the vanquishedKing Tajo yet existed, and was not entirely without adherents. If by anychance he should succeed in gaining possession of the throne, he mightremember that these men had assisted in excluding him from it. For thisreason, they resolved to confirm the title of the young Pomareh, by asolemn coronation; and to strengthen his party, all the tributaryprinces of the whole Archipelago were invited to be present at theceremony. 

The preparations for this solemnity had long been carrying on, and as itwas now soon to take place, nearly all the kings, with numerous suites, had arrived in Tahaiti. Among them was the powerful ruler of Ulietea, the grandfather of the infant sovereign; he had brought with him severalhundred warriors, many of them armed with muskets. 

We wished much to have been present at this first coronation of a Kingof the Society Islands; but as our time would not permit it, I obtainedfrom Mr. Tyrman an account of the order and plan of the ceremony. 

The kings, princes, members of parliament, and other high officers, wereto assemble at the residence of the Queen, and thence in a regularprocession, arranged according to their several ranks and dignities, andheaded by the young King and the Missionaries, to pass to an appointedopen space, where a throne of stone had been erected, on which thelittle Pomareh was to be seated. The procession was then to form acircle round him, and Mr. Tyrman, after making a speech, was to set onthe King's head a crown, resembling in shape that of England, in whichcountry it had been made. A Bible was then to be placed in his hand, with the admonition, "According to this Law, thou shall govern thypeople. " Upon this, the train being marshalled as before, the Kingshould descend from his throne, and proceed to the church, where, afterthe performance of divine service, he should be anointed. The ceremoniesshould then conclude with a grand banquet. 

It is remarkable that the Bible, and not the Act of the Constitution, was to be given to the King, as the rule of his government. Was not asly mental reservation perhaps intended by this? If the Constitutionshould not have exactly the effect intended, and the Tahaitians, emboldened by it, should seek to withdraw themselves from theirleading-strings, then might the pupil of Nott, bound to them by no oath, come forward to them boldly, and force them back under the yoke of theMissionaries; all the while conscientiously obeying the rule of conductwhich had been delivered to him, according to the interpretation he hadbeen taught to put on it. 

How this coronation turned out--whether the son of Tajo allowed it topass quietly--whether he has met the fate of many an unfortunateEuropean pretender, or survives to become the originator of a civil war, which may yet give another destiny to Tahaiti, remains to be learnt fromthe accounts of some future traveller. 

Religion and political institutions may raise a nation in a short periodto a high point of civilization, and they may also serve, as in case ofthe Turks, to retain them in perpetual barbarism. How will these mightypowers operate on the Tahaitians? How can they, the qualifications oftheir authors considered!

True, genuine Christianity, and a liberal government, might have soongiven to this people, endowed by nature with the seeds of every socialvirtue, a rank among civilized nations. Under such a blessed influence, the arts and sciences would soon have taken root, the intellect of thepeople would have expanded, and a just estimation of all that is good, beautiful, and eternally true, would have refined their manners andennobled their hearts. Europe would soon have admired, perhaps haveenvied Tahaiti: but the religion taught by the Missionaries is not trueChristianity, though it may possibly comprehend some of its doctrines, but half understood even by the teachers themselves. That it wasestablished by force, is of itself an evidence against its Christianprinciple. A religion which consists in the eternal repetition ofprescribed prayers, which forbids every innocent pleasure, and cramps orannihilates every mental power, is a libel on the Divine Founder ofChristianity, the benign Friend of human-kind. It is true, that thereligion of the Missionaries has, with a great deal of evil, effectedsome good. It has abolished heathen superstitions, and an irrationalworship, but it has introduced new errors in their stead. It hasrestrained the vices of theft and incontinence, but it has given birthto bigotry, hypocrisy, and a hatred and contempt of all other modes offaith, which was once foreign to the open and benevolent character ofthe Tahaitian. It has put and end to avowed human sacrifices, but manymore human beings have been actually sacrificed to it, than ever were totheir heathen gods. 

The elder Forster estimated, as we have already seen, the population ofTahaiti at one hundred and thirty thousand souls. Allowing that heover-calculated it, by even as much as fifty thousand, still eightythousand remained:--the present population amounts to only eightthousand; so that nine-tenths must have disappeared. The diseasesintroduced by the ardent spirits, the manufacture of Europe and America, may, indeed, have much increased the mortality, but they are also knownin many islands in the South Seas, without having caused any perceptiblediminution in the population. It is not known that plague of any kindhas ever raged here: it was, therefore, the bloody persecutioninstigated by the Missionaries which performed the office of adesolating infection. I really believe that these pious people werethemselves shocked at the consequences of their zeal; but they soonconsoled themselves; and have ever since continued to watch with themost vigilant severity over the maintenance of every article of theirfaith. Hence, among the remains of these murdered people, their formeradmirable industry, and their joyous buoyancy of spirits, have beenchanged for continual praying, and meditating upon things which theteachers understand as little as the taught. 

The Tahaitians of the present day hardly know how to plait their mats, make their paper stuffs, or cultivate a few roots. They contentthemselves with the bread-fruit, which the soil yields spontaneously inquantities more than sufficient for their reduced population. Theirnavy, which excited the astonishment of Europeans, has entirelydisappeared. They build no vessels but a few little paltry canoes, withwhich they fish off the neighbouring coral islands, and make theirlongest voyages in American and European boats which they havepurchased. With the method of producing those commodities of civilizednations which they prize so highly, they are still as much as everunacquainted. They possess sheep, and excellent cotton; but nospinning-wheel, no loom, has yet been set in motion among them; theychoose rather to buy their cloth and cotton of foreigners for real goldand pearls; one of our sailors sold an old shirt for five piastres. Horses and cattle have been brought to them, but the few that remainhave fallen into the possession of strangers, and have become so scarce, that one hundred piastres was asked for an ox, that we wanted inprovisioning the ship. The Queen alone possesses a pair of horses, butshe never uses them. The island contains but one smith, though theassistance of the forge and bellows would be so useful in repairing theiron tools which have superseded those of stone formerly in use. It isextraordinary that even the foreigners established here carry on no kindof mechanical trade. Can it be that the Missionaries object to it? It iscertain that they possess great influence even over the settlers. AnAmerican, however, was planning the introduction of a sugarmanufactory, and promised himself great profit from it. 

By order of the Missionaries, the flute, which once awakened innocentpleasure, is heard no more. No music but that of the psalms is sufferedin Tahaiti: dancing, mock-fights, and dramatic representations are nolonger permitted. Every pleasure is punished as a sin, among a peoplewhom Nature destined to the most cheerful enjoyment. One of our friendshaving begun to sing for joy over a present he had received, wasimmediately asked by his comrades, with great terror, what he thoughtwould be the consequence, should the Missionaries hear of it. 

It is remarkable that the degenerate Tahaitians are no longer even inperson such as they are described by the early travellers. Theirreligion appears to have had an effect inimical to their beauty. Thelarge-grown Yeris, solely employed in praying, eating, and sleeping, areall, men and women, excessively fat even in early youth. The smallercommon people, constrained to some degree of industry, look plump andwell fed, but not so swollen as their superiors, and more fine formsare therefore to be seen among them than among the Yeris: the latteralso frequently suffer under a most disfiguring disease caused by wantof exercise and excess of nourishment: the legs swell to such a degreefrom the knees downward, that the form of the calf and foot is entirelylost, and the thick cylinders which usurp the place of legs, and fromunder which the toes only project, resemble nothing but the legs ofelephants; thence the name of elephantism has been bestowed on thecomplaint by Europeans. It does not appear to cause much pain. 

The men of both classes shave the beard, and both sexes cut their hairso close, that the skin can be seen under it; a fashion ugly enough forany face, but especially so with their brown complexions, as it givesthem an ape-like appearance. As, however, a compliance with this custom, is a mark of Christianity, and the heathen fugitives to the mountainshave retained their long hair, even the young females are proud of thusdisfiguring themselves. 

All vanity is sin, and all care of the person is vanity. Hence the fatYeri beauties no longer shelter their skins from the burning rays ofthe sun, and are become as brown as the rest. All the graces havedeparted from them; their fascinating smiles have vanished; and therancid cocoa-oil with which they smear themselves may be smelt at manypaces distance. In short, either the picture drawn of them by the earlytravellers was a monstrous flattery, or they are altogether differentfrom what they were. I saw but one handsome girl at Tahaiti; she was thesister of the little King, only fourteen years old, and already thebride of her uncle, the Prince of Ulietea. The men far surpass the womenboth in form and feature. 

The Missionaries have abolished the custom of tattooing, and so far atleast spared the Tahaitians some useless torment. These marks are nowonly to be seen on people of the middle age and upwards--never on theyoung. The first voyagers who visited this island, describe thetattooing as representing half-moons, birds, and irregular or zig-zaglines; but on a better acquaintance with Europeans, the fashion changed, and drawings of our tools, animals, and even compasses and mathematicalinstruments, were executed with the greatest exactness on their bodies. Pantaloons being articles in particular request among them, he who couldnot obtain a pair, comforted himself by having the representation ofthem etched on his legs. Many of these are still to be seen. 

We much wished to have had an opportunity of comparing the _soi-disant_Christian Tahaitians, with the heathen inhabitants of the mountains; butit would have taken too much time to seek them out in their retreats, which they leave only at night for the purpose of robbing the dwellersin the valleys, among whom they dare not appear in the day. 

If the religion of the Missionaries has neither tended to enlighten theTahaitians nor to render them happy, just as little can be expected fromthe Constitution founded upon it, which seems adapted only to draw yettighter the bonds in which this amiable people are held by their zealousconverters, and to retain them wholly under their authority. 

By the influence of Wilson, a small house situated on Cape Venus wascleared for our astronomical observations: we were told it stoodprecisely on the same spot where Cook's Observatory had formerly beenerected. As a particular favour from the Government, I was alsoaccommodated with a royal pleasure-house in its neighbourhood for myprivate residence. This very large building, which resembled an ancienttemple in appearance, had been a favourite abode of the deceased monarchPomareh, and since his death had remained uninhabited, out of respectfor his memory. A number of utensils which had belonged to him, and acanoe, on which he had obtained many splendid victories, were stillpreserved here as memorials of the beloved king. The house was whollywithout walls--the roof of leaves resting on numerous pillars; a mode ofconstruction extremely well adapted to this warm and dry climate. Theenvirons were very beautiful: high trees covered with thickest foliageinvited to repose under their shadows, and a brook clear as crystaloffered an inviting bath. The air was filled with the perfume of aneighbouring orange-grove, which scattered its fruit upon the earth. Thelemons and oranges, which we found delicious, the Tahaitians despised astoo common. Since I could only afford to remain a very short time atTahaiti, Dr. Eschscholz and myself immediately took possession of my newabode, and erected our little observatory. After a long, wearisomevoyage, I cannot express the delight I experienced in reposing amidstsuch enchanting scenes of natural beauty. We passed a charming evening, and a most refreshing night under our roof of leaves. 

In the morning, as we were drinking our coffee and smoking our pipes, while laying the plan of our observations so as to employ our short timeto the best advantage, a messenger arrived from the Queen requesting tospeak with me. 

I desired he might be admitted, and a giant Yen strode proudly in, accompanied by our pilot as interpreter. His only garment, with theexception of the girdle always worn by the men, was an old worn-outsand-coloured coat, with great shining buttons, in the fashion of thelast century, and so much too small for its present possessor, that hecould not button it, while his naked arms stuck out more than a quarterof a yard below the sleeves. His bald head was covered by a rednight-cap, which, to show his knowledge of the customs of civilizednations, he raised a little on his entrance. 

He uttered, as he came towards me, the word Jorona (good day), stretchedout his great hand to me, and then, without waiting for my invitation, seated himself on the ground close to my feet, with his legs crossed inthe Turkish fashion. The Queen had sent him to inform me, that she wascurious to see the Commander of a Russian frigate, and would gladly haveentertained me at her court; but as she feared I would not absent myselfso long from Matarai, she had resolved to pay me a visit accompanied bythe whole Royal Family. The ambassador added, that these exaltedpersonages, who had travelled by water, would soon arrive, and that hemust hasten to receive them; then rising, he pressed my hand, repeatedhis jorona, touched his night-cap, and disappeared. 

I had scarcely time to prepare for the reception of my illustriousguests, when the concourse of people hastening to the shore announcedtheir approach. A man soon appeared as _avant courier_, in the short, red uniform-jacket of an English drummer, an uncommonly showy, many-coloured girdle, and the rest of his body, according to custom, quite naked. His legs were adorned by a tattooed representation ofpantaloons; and when he turned his back and stooped very little, heshowed also a drawing of a large compass, with all the two-and-thirtypoints executed with striking exactness. In his hand he held a rustybroad-sword, and on his head was proudly displayed an old tornthree-cornered hat, with a long red feather. Our interpreter describedhim as the royal Master of the Ceremonies; but it afterwards appeared, that though not apparently belonging to the Yens, but to the smallerrace, he held several other offices in conjunction with this--those ofcook and chamberlain, for example: his talent, however, seemed most toincline to that of court-fool or harlequin. 

In all his motions, gestures and grimaces, he displayed so singular avivacity, that he might have been considered insane. Without the leastceremony, or paying the slightest attention to me, he took possession ofmy whole house. Several servants, in the livery of nature, followed himwith the various articles necessary to the convenience of the Royalvisitors. He immediately ordered that the whole floor should be coveredwith matting, and had every thing placed as he thought proper, leapingabout all the while with both feet in the air, as if his life dependedon the velocity of his motions. No one of the servants pleased him; histongue ran incessantly; and his sword was flourished about in alldirections. 

His preparations were not yet complete, when we saw a long procession ofTahaitians approach, two and two, bearing on their shoulders variouskinds of provisions fastened on bamboo poles. This set our caperer uponincreased activity. Two or three springs having carried him out of thehouse, he commanded the bearers to set down their burdens, which werepresents from the Queen to me, in a certain order, in front of mydwelling. Three large pigs formed the right flank; and opposite to themwere piled potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, and all kinds of deliciousfruit. When the Master of the Ceremonies had arranged them all to hissatisfaction, he turned, for the first time, to me, and endeavoured, with many comical pantomimic gestures, to make me understand that allwere mine. At length the Queen herself appeared, followed by a numeroustrain of attendants. She walked first, carrying the little King in herarms, and holding her daughter, the betrothed of the Prince of Ulietea, by the hand. After her came her three sisters, all like herself, largefat women, and then the whole crowd of the Court. The rear was broughtup by a multitude of people of the lower class, bearing viands for theRoyal entertainment, in utensils made of various kinds of gourds. Amongthe dainties was a live pig, which squeaking and grunting inanticipation of its fate, supplied to this orderly procession theabsence of a musical band. 

The Queen and her three sisters were wrapped in sheets; and their strawhats still bore streamers of black crape, as signs of mourning for thelate King. The little Pomareh, a pretty, lively boy, was dressed quitein the European fashion, in a jacket and trowsers of bombasin; he wore around hat, but his feet, like those of all the other Tahaitians, werebare. They object that any kind of shoe hinders their walking. Theyoung bride, a handsome girl, as I have before said, was very lightlyclad in a short striped shirt, without any covering on her head. Thegiant Yeris who formed the Court, mostly wore white shirts, and roundstraw hats with black ribbons. 

It was the first time, since the death of her consort, that the Queenhad entered these precincts, and a shower of tears fell from her eyes atthe remembrance of the past. The whole court, as in duty bound, was alsoimmediately dissolved in grief; but this sorrowful mood did not lastlong; their faces gradually cleared up--the Queen dried her tears, andgreeted me kindly. The Master of the Ceremonies then conducted the RoyalFamily to the best mats, on which they sat down in the Asiatic fashion. One of my chairs was placed opposite the Royal Family, and I was invitedto take my seat. In the mean time, the Master of the Ceremonies hadvanished to prepare the repast. 

When the Queen, after surveying me from head to foot, had communicatedher remarks and opinions to the company, I requested the interpreter tothank her, in my name, for my friendly reception on the island--for thepresents she had made me, and for the high honour conferred on me inthis visit. She received my thanks very graciously, and ordered somequestions to be put me, which I answered with all due respect. Sheinquired how old I was?--whether my voyage had been long?--whether I wasa Christian?--and how often I prayed _daily_? This last questionafforded me an opportunity, had I thought fit, to give her Majesty somenew ideas on the subject of the Missionary religion; but I did not feelmyself quite capable of entering into a theological dispute, andtherefore merely replied, that Christianity taught us, that we should bejudged according to our actions rather than the number of our prayers. Ido not know how the interpreter rendered my answer, or whether the Queenconsidered me as a heretic, but this I conjectured, from her speaking nomore on religious subjects, and asking me, in order to change theconversation, whether the earth were really round? I assured her Majestythat I could answer from my own experience, as I was now sailing roundit for the third time. This appeared to excite some astonishment; butmy assertion concerning its spherical form still gained but smallcredit. 

I then produced some presents for the Queen, her family, and theirimmediate attendants, which, though in themselves extremely trifling, were received with great pleasure, and produced a degree of hilaritylittle consistent with the symbols of mourning worn by the Royal party, or the feelings they had displayed on their first arrival. 

To the Queen I presented a piece of calico four or five yards long, acoloured silk handkerchief, a small looking-glass, a pair of scissors, and some glass beads; to the young Princess, a silk handkerchief, beads, and a looking-glass; to the sisters of the Queen, cotton handkerchiefs, glasses, and scissors; their attendants, among whom were four ladies, were content with knives. 

During this time the Master of the Ceremonies had killed the pig, andbaked it in the earth in the Tahaitian manner. As soon as the RoyalFamily had resumed their seats he brought it in, and placed it beforethe Queen, on a great banana-leaf, other servants spreading yams, potatoes, and bread-fruit upon the ground. My chair was brought andplaced opposite to the Queen, who invited me, with much friendliness, topartake of the meal. I preferred, however, being an idle spectator, forit was still very early in the day, and I had no appetite. When all theprovisions were brought in, the Master of the Ceremonies made a leapinto the air, flourished his rusty broad-sword, and then repeated a loudprayer. All the company hung down their heads, and prayed with him insilence. The prayer being concluded, the Master of the Ceremonies seizedthe baked pig by the hind-legs and tore it in two; then, having carvedthe whole with his broad-sword, laid a tolerably large portion on leavesbefore each member of the Royal Family, who immediately attacked it witha good appetite, helping themselves with fingers and teeth, instead ofknife and fork. During the repast, the suite ate nothing, but remainedlooking on, and I did not perceive that they were indemnified for theirabstinence, even when the residue of the feast was carried out. When therepast was over, and a prayer said as before, the Royal personageswashed their hands with water, and their mouths with cocoa-milk, andthen lay down altogether to sleep; the attendants retiring. I offered toher Majesty the use of my bed, which she condescendingly accepted; andduring the siesta, I returned to my plans for our astronomicalobservations. On awaking, the Queen expressed a wish to see my frigate;my time was not at my own disposal, but I entrusted to one of myofficers the charge of doing the honours of the ship to our Royalguests, as well as circumstances would permit. On leaving me, the Queenpressed my hand in the most friendly manner, and repeated her joronaseveral times; her whole train followed her. 

On the strand, according to the account of my officer, the canoes lay inreadiness for the excursion. The Queen, accompanied by her family andour officer, put off in her own European boat; the Master of theCeremonies took his station in the fore-part of the boat, turning hiscompass to the company, and continued, during the passage, hisridiculous harlequinades with his limbs and broad-sword, as if he hadbeen afflicted with Saint Vitus's dance. When they reached the frigate, the deck was already occupied by Tahaitians, carrying on their tradingwith so much eagerness and noise, that scarcely a word could bedistinguished. The vessel was also surrounded by a crowd of canoesfilled with all kinds of wares for barter; and so little attention waspaid to the Royal Family, that it was with much difficulty our peoplecould clear the way for their boat. Nor did the presence of these highpersonages attract much more notice when they had climbed the deck;their subjects continued to drive their bargains without interruption, and scarcely vouchsafed the slightest salutation. Very different wouldhave been their conduct on the arrival of a Missionary. The Queen wasprobably hurt by this neglect, for she went directly into my cabin, followed by her family, and remained there till she quitted the ship. The construction of the vessel was not likely to excite her curiosity, as she was herself the owner of a well-built English merchant ship. 

The goods in the cabin, however, delighted the ladies, who admired andwanted every thing; nor was it easy to convince them, that each articlethey coveted was indispensable to our convenience. 

The officers exerted themselves to maintain the good-humour of theirguests by trifling presents, and, amongst other things, gave them apiece of sham gold-lace, several yards in length, which was receivedwith extraordinary eagerness. The Royal sisters divided it between them, and added it to the black crape trimming of their hats; and so great wasthe admiration excited by this novel article of finery, that the ragefor gold-lace became an absolute fever among the more distinguishedTahaitian ladies. Vain now proved the severe lessons of theMissionaries, forbidding all adornment of the person. There was no endto petitions for lace, and the more our store of it diminished, the morehighly did they value the smallest piece they could obtain. Thetormented husbands came every day to the ship, willingly offering a finefat pig and eight fowls for half an ell of the false lace, to satisfythe longings of their wives. They beset me incessantly in my dwellingon shore, for this new and invaluable appendage of luxury; and wereastonished beyond measure, that I, the commander, should possess none ofit. The ladies who finally were unsuccessful in procuring the means ofimitating a fashion thus accidentally introduced by the Royal sisters, _tout comme chez-nous_, actually fell ill and gave themselves up to theboundless lamentations of despair. 

While the Royal Family remained below in the cabin, their attendantswere engaged on deck in purchasing from our sailors all sorts of oldclothes for a hundred times their value, in Spanish piastres. TheTahaitians have yet no notion of the value of money, which they get fromthe ships that touch at the island, and by their trade in cocoa-oil withNew Holland. 

The Missionaries have done their utmost to draw money into the country, and for this purpose have fixed prices on every article of provision, under which no one dares to sell them to foreign ships. These pricesare, however, so high that nothing but necessity would induce any one topay them, so that the ships in general rather provide themselves withold clothes, utensils of various kinds, and toys, which enable them tomake most advantageous barters, and frequently even to bring away money. The plan of the Missionaries, therefore, like many other financialregulations, has been found in operation to produce a result directlycontrary to the effect intended. 

During the visit to my vessel, the young Princess had found anopportunity to bargain with a sailor for a sheet; having secured thistreasure, she ran with it upon deck in the most extravagant joy, viewedit over and over with delight, and there formed it into a really verybecoming drapery. She appeared quite conscious of her increasedattractions in this attire, leaped about in the most sprightly manner, and called on all the persons of the Court to admire her. In short, ayoung European lady on first decorating herself with the most costlyPersian shawl, would not have been half so happy as this young Princessdressed in the sailor's sheet. 

At four o'clock, the dinner was served to our guests and their suite, entirely in the Russian mode; except the etiquette of placing the RoyalFamily a little apart from the rest of the company. The infant King hadlong before begun to cry from weariness, and had been carried back intothe boat, where he had quietly fallen asleep. A prayer was repeatedbefore and after dinner. The visitors seemed to think our dishes verypalatable, and even the Royal Family ate with good appetite, though theyhad so recently made a substantial meal. Their conduct was extremelydecorous, and showed much aptitude in imitation. They made use of theknives, forks, and spoons as readily as if they had been alwaysaccustomed to them; and the wine, though by no means despised, was verymoderately enjoyed. 

After dinner a general conversation took place, in which a man ofseventy years of age distinguished himself by his animation andintelligence. He was the only individual present who had personallyknown Captain Cook. He asserted that he had been his particular friend, and for this reason still bore his name, which he pronounced quitecorrectly, although there is neither a C nor K in the Tahaitianalphabet. He boasted not a little of having accompanied Cook in hiscoasting voyages about the islands, and of having often slept in thesame tent with him. He knew the names of all Cook's company, and couldrecollect the particular pursuits of each officer. To describe themanner in which Cook had observed the height of the sun, he asked for asextant, placed himself in a stooping position, and looking fixedly uponan angle, often called with a loud voice, Stop!

He could relate the Bible-history in short extracts, from the Creationto the birth of Christ; and in order to explain the doctrine of theTrinity, he held up three fingers, pressed them together, and lookedtowards the Heavens. The old Cook (as he called himself, ) was notentirely ignorant of geography. He said he possessed a map presented tohim by his friend;--that England was an island, and much smaller thanRussia; and traced out, on a map of the World being opened before him, the way by which we had come to Tahaiti. 

At sunset our Royal visitants departed, highly gratified with theirentertainment, and returned to the capital. This visit being over, Ihoped to be at liberty to pursue my occupations in peace, but in this Iwas disappointed. Though my habitation was surrounded by sentinels, Iwas continually disturbed by swarms of curious islanders, who, troublesome as they were, were yet so gentle and good-tempered that itwas impossible to be angry with them. They were particularly pleasedwith Dr. Eschscholz's little museum, and took pains to collect fromevery corner of the island, butterflies, beetles, birds, and marineproductions, by way of showing their sense of the kindness with which heexhibited his treasures, often receiving from him in return sometrifling present, which they considered of great value. One of them wasfairly overpowered with gratitude by the gift of an old coat. With muchadmiration of such profuse generosity, and many expressions of rapture, he at length succeeded in cramming his large body into the garment ofthe infinitely smaller and more slender philosopher, and strutted aboutwith his back hunched up, and his arms sticking out, envied by all hisacquaintances for the magnificence of his attire. 

Though the vice of theft has certainly greatly diminished among theTahaitians, they cannot always refrain from endeavouring to appropriatethe articles they prize so highly. For instance, I think if any one ofthe Tahaitian ladies had found an opportunity of stealing a bit of themock gold lace, the temptation would have been too great to withstand. Every theft however is, on discovery, punished without distinction ofpersons, and the criminal, on conviction, is generally sentenced to workon the highway. A road has been made round the island, on which thosewho have committed great transgressions, are condemned to labour; but itis probable that neglect of prayer, or any trifling offence against theMissionaries, would also entail this punishment upon them. 

We had an opportunity of observing the severity with which theft ispunished. A complaisant husband could not resist the entreaties of hiswife, who longed for one of our sheets. One day, when the sailors werewashing in the river, he took an opportunity, unperceived as he thought, to snatch up one of these coveted articles and run off with it. Some ofhis countrymen, who had watched him, directly brought him back, boundhim to a tree, and informed me and a Missionary of the circumstance. Onreaching the spot, I already found the Judge of the district and theMissionaries Wilson and Tyrman standing beside the thief, who was stillbound to the tree. Mr. Tyrman, who was especially bitter, could notrefrain from abuse: he called the criminal a brute, who was not worthyto be treated as a human creature, and acted altogether as if the affairwere his. This would have surprised me, as the judge of the district waspresent, and Mr. Tyrman had no official appointment on the island, buthe was a member of the Missionary Society, --_et tout est dit_. I was nowasked if I wished the offender to be whipped, as he had not the means ofpaying the forfeit of three pigs to the person robbed, which the lawdemands, in addition to the punishment of ignominious labour. I forgavehim the equivalent for the pigs, and begged that he might be dismissedwith a severe admonition upon the disgrace of theft, and an earnestwarning for the future. This request, however, was not granted, and theunfortunate offender was taken away, still tied, to work on the highway:the Judge and Mr. Wilson concurred in assuring me that he was not aTahaitian, but an inhabitant of another island, who had come hither withone of the tributary kings, and declared that a Tahaitian would not havestolen the sheet. The only article which we lost besides this, was aniron hoop from a barrel, and as the thief was not discovered, itremained undecided whether their assertion was well-grounded or not. Atall events, it appears certain that thefts do not take place oftenerthan among civilized nations. 

With the chastity of the Tahaitian women, the case is similar; and itdoes not appear to me that the breaches of this virtue are more frequenton the whole than in Europe. It was with the utmost caution and secrecy, and in the most fearful anxiety lest their errors should be betrayed tothe Missionaries, that the females complied with the desires of oursailors. An accidental occurrence proved that their terrors were notgroundless. A married man who possessed a house of his own, was inducedto barter, according to the custom of his ancestors, the favours of hiswife for some pieces of iron: he had also assisted a young man in anintrigue with a woman whose husband was not so complaisant, by lendinghis house as a place of rendezvous. Suddenly the owner and his wifedisappeared in the night, the house was found empty next morning, and wecould never learn what had become of its proprietors. Have theMissionaries already introduced the _Oubliettes_?

Having occasion one morning to visit Wilson on business, I found hisdoor, which usually stood open, closed and fastened: I knocked severaltimes; but the whole house seemed buried in the repose of death: atlength, after loud and repeated strokes, the door was opened by Wilson, whose cheeks bedewed with tears made me apprehensive that some greatcalamity had befallen him; I was however soon satisfied that devotionalone had caused this emotion. In an ante-room I found four or fivenaked Tahaitians, of the highest rank, as Wilson told me, on their kneesreading the Bible. Having apologized for what appeared to be anunseasonable intrusion, I was about to retire, but was invited byWilson, in a friendly manner, into the inner apartment, where I foundhis whole family, with Messrs. Bennet and Tyrman, kneeling round abreakfast-table, on which coffee and various kinds of meat werearranged. Tyrman was praying aloud, the rest silently joining him. Hethanked God for the progress the Missionaries had made in spreadingChristianity. How willingly would I have concurred in his thanksgiving, had the religion they taught been true, genuine Christianity, propitiousto human virtue and human happiness. 

The prayer lasted yet a quarter of an hour; on its conclusion, thecompany rose and breakfasted with a good appetite; but offered nothingto the distinguished personages in the other apartment, who weresuffered to leave the house unnoticed. 

I found the bread-fruit, as baked in the ovens by the Europeans here, excellent. The natives retain their old custom of baking in the earth. 

During breakfast, Wilson related the difficulties he had encountered inthe conversion of the Tahaitians. They would not allow that his faithwas superior to their own; and when he appealed to the miracles whichconfirmed the truth of the Christian doctrine, they required that healso should restore sight to the blind and raise the dead to life; theconfession of his inability was met with derision, and for many years hegained no disciples. How different, in all probability, would the effecthave proved, had he, instead of the miraculous history of his religion, directed the attention of the susceptible Tahaitians to its puremorality, leading so naturally to the idea of a common Father, and afellowship of charity. O, ye Missionaries, how much blood might ye nothave spared!

I received another visit from the Royal Family, accompanied this time bymany of the Vice-Kings then in Tahaiti, with their consorts. Among themwas the grandfather of the little monarch Pomareh the Second. After somepreliminaries, my illustrious guests unanimously preferred a request inthe most modest, yet pressing manner. They wished me to get a pair ofboots made for the little King. His coronation, they said, would soontake place, and they did not think it decorous, on so solemn anoccasion, for the Sovereign of all the Society Islands to sit barefootedon his throne. 

I immediately ordered my shoemaker to provide for the Royal necessity;the measure was taken, and my complaisance rewarded by the gratitude ofthe whole company. At this visit, also, the guests ate and slept. I tookadvantage of this opportunity to observe the method of preparing thepig, always the chief dish in their feasts. A sufficiently large roundhole was dug in the earth, and filled with stones. A fire was thenlighted in it, and kept burning till the stones were red-hot, when theashes and cinders were taken out, and the stones covered with largebanana-leaves, upon which the pig was laid, after being thoroughlycleaned, and stuffed with the glowing stones; more leaves were spreadupon it, and covered with hot stones, and finally, the hole was filledup with earth. After a certain time it was taken out, and proved a moretender and delicate roast, than the best European cook could haveproduced. They dress their vegetables in the same manner, and theflavour is excellent; the bread-fruit, only, I preferred as baked inWilson's European oven. 

[Illustration: PLAN OF MATTAWAY BAY AND VILLAGE]

Matarai Bay is rich in finely flavoured fish, of various, sometimesextraordinary form, and beautiful colours. The Tahaitians eat themraw, or only steeped in sea-water. Their fishing-tackle consists ofnothing more than bad angling lines and hooks; to make nets as theirforefathers did, would trespass too much upon the time they are obligedto spend in prayer. Hence fish is so great a rarity to them, that theireager desire for it sometimes prompts them to belie their goodcharacter, of which we had an example. One of our large nets havingbrought up a multitude of fine fish, the temptation was too strong to beresisted, and our friends would have forcibly shared our acquisitionwith us, had not our severe reproof, and the accidental appearance ofthe judge of the district, restrained them. They then tried to obtainthe fish by barter, and offered their most valuable tools for thesmallest and worst of them; I gave them, however, so many, that for oncetheir appetite was fully satisfied with a luxurious repast. 

I had heard much of an institution established by the Missionaries forthe instruction of the people, and was desirous to learn what progressthe Tahaitians had made in the rudiments of science. Being informedthat the lessons commenced at sunrise, the first rays of that luminaryfound me one morning at the school-house, as I conceived the simplestructure before me to be. Its walls were formed of bamboo canes, erected singly, at sufficient distances to admit the refreshing breezefrom all sides, and supporting a good roof. The interior was onespacious quadrangular apartment, provided with benches, and raised seatsfor the teachers. 

I had not waited long before the pupils of both sexes entered. They werenot lively children, nor youths, whom ardour for the acquisition ofknowledge led to the seat of instruction, but adults and aged persons, who crept slowly in with downcast looks, and prayer-books under theirarms. When they were all assembled and seated on the benches, a Psalmwas sung; a Tahaitian then rose, placed himself on an elevated bench, and read a chapter from the Bible. After this they sang again, and thenknelt with their backs to the reader, who, also kneeling, repeated withclosed eyes a long prayer. At its conclusion, the orator resigned hisplace to another Tahaitian, when the whole ceremony commenced anew;another Psalm, another chapter, and another prayer were sung and said;again and again, as I understood, a fresh performer repeated thewearisome exercise; but my patience was exhausted, and, at the secondcourse, with depressed spirits and painful impressions, I left theassembly. 

Several such meetings are established in different parts of the island, but no schools of a different character. The children are taught alittle reading and writing in their parents' houses, and beyond this, knowledge is mischievous. It is true, that most of the Missionaries areincapable of communicating further instruction; but the opinion that itis easier to govern an ignorant than a well-educated community, seemshere, as elsewhere, to form a fundamental principle of policy. 

To pray and to obey are the only commands laid upon an oppressed people, who submissively bow to the yoke, and even suffer themselves to bedriven to prayers by the cudgel!

A police-officer is especially appointed to enforce the prescribedattendance upon the church and prayer-meetings. I saw him in theexercise of his functions, armed with a bamboo-cane, driving his herd tothe spiritual pasture. He seemed himself to be conscious of theburlesque attaching to his office, --at least he behaved very absurdly init, and many a stroke fell rather in jest than in earnest. The drolleryof the driver did not, however, enliven the dejected countenances of hisflock. 

In the prayer-house, which at first, in my simplicity, I had taken for aschool, no Missionary was present. The assembly consisting, exceptmyself, of natives only, though tolerably quiet, was not so profoundlysilent as at church. I endeavoured to read in the countenances of thosearound me, what might be the thoughts which at the moment occupied theirminds, and few were the eyes which did not, as they passed muster, speakof other matter than devotion and the Bible. Most of them appearedengaged in very profane speculations: friendly glances occasionallyinterchanged, betrayed the hopes of the younger devotees; while many astately Yeri was probably considering by what means he should procurefrom my ship's-company an old waistcoat, or a pair of torn pantaloonsin which he might appear with suitable dignity at the approachingcoronation; and among the ladies, some might be weighing the pleasure ofpossessing a sailor's sheet, against the risks they must run to obtainit. 

Exactly facing me was seated a fair one most becomingly enveloped inthis envied habiliment, and enjoying with modest complacency, butvisible triumph, the admiration with which the eyes of her country-womenwere fixed upon her garment. 

I had heard from the Missionaries many wonderful accounts of the LakeWahiria, situated among the mountains which rise in the centre of thenorthern peninsula. They had themselves never seen it, and considered italmost impossible for an European to reach it; even the boldestTahaitians rarely visit it; and a saying is current in the island, thatit is inhabited by an evil demon. Its depth they report to beunfathomable, and cannot conceive from what cause this huge body ofwater can be stationary at so great a height. 

Mr. Hoffman, our mineralogist, an active young man, resolved toundertake this expedition, accompanied by three Tahaitians:--Maititi, who on our arrival had concluded a treaty of friendship with him, andadopted the name of Hoffman; Tauru, a respectable elderly man; andTeiraro, a brisk and lively young fellow. The two latter could writetheir own names. At first they raised many objections, assuring him thatthe journey, at all times difficult, was now dangerous from the watersbeing swollen by the rains; however, a shirt promised to each of themovercame all these obstacles, and the travellers set out at mid-day inexcellent spirits. Maititi, a soldier in the royal Tahaitian army, borethe insignia of his rank in a musket, to which nothing but the lock waswanting, and a cartouche-box without powder. He had learnt a few Englishwords, and, by their help, advised Mr. Hoffman to carry with him somepresents for his countrymen: for he observed, that though hospitalityand the consequence attaching to the stranger's appearance would securehim a good reception, it was desirable that a man with whom he hadunited himself in the bonds of friendship, should also command respectby his liberality. 

They travelled on a broad fine path through forests of fruit trees, andseveral villages, and considered the population of this district toexceed that in the neighbourhood of Matarai. In the country of Weijoridethey began to climb the mountains, and soon entered a charming valleystretching to the south-southwest, and enclosed by high steep rocks, basaltic, like those of Matarai. Down their precipitous sides clothedwith the richest green rushed innumerable streamlets to swell thelargest and most rapid rivulet on the island, which watered the wholeextent of this luxuriant valley. Here the cocoa, palm, and thebread-fruit tree disappear, but bananas and oranges flourishing wild, produce finer and more juicy fruit than our best hot-houses. 

A few scattered huts raised on the margin of the little river, gavetokens of human habitation. In one of these, occupied by an old marriedpair, our travellers passed the first night. Maititi seemed to considerhimself quite on a foraging party, and Mr. Hoffman was under thenecessity of begging him to moderate his zeal, and leave the care of theentertainment to their host. The old man fetched a pig, and Maititi, with great dexterity, played the part both of butcher and cook. Mr. Hoffman describes the operation of lighting the fire on this occasion, in the following manner:--A Tahaitian took two pieces of wood ofdifferent degrees of hardness, laid the softer upon the ground, and veryrapidly rubbed its length backwards and forwards with the harder. Thismade a furrow, in which the dust rubbed from the wood collected, andsoon became hot; it was then shaken among dry leaves and burst into aflame. The whole process seemed easy and quick; but Mr. Hoffman couldnot succeed in it though he made many attempts. Before supper, themaster of the house recited a prayer aloud, the family repeating itafter him, but not audibly. They then ate a hearty but silent meal, andprayed again before lying down to sleep. The couch offered to Mr. Hoffman was a raised platform in the hut, thickly spread with mats, witha pair of sheets of the Tahaitian manufacture, called Tapa, for itscovering. 

The volubility of his guides, restrained during the repast by the moreimportant business of satisfying their appetites, now broke out to hisgreat disturbance. They chattered almost incessantly during great partof the night with the host, whom they were probably entertaining with anaccount of our ship, which he had not yet visited, and of theirintercourse with us. Mr. Hoffman, on taking leave in the morning, gavehis host a knife, an important present, which the old man received verygratefully, as far exceeding his expectations. 

The valley as they proceeded became wilder, but more beautiful: itopened to greater width, the precipices around rose to a thousand feetin height, covered from their black summits down to the valley withgreen shrubs of a thousand hues, through which cascades glittering likesilver in the sun, rushed gurgling and foaming to the river. 

At noon the travellers reached a hut inhabited by a friend of Maititi, named Tibu; the owner also of another hut some miles further up, wherehis wife lived with the pigs and dogs! This being the last station onthe road to the Wahiria Lake, it was determined to spend the night here. Before they set forward in the morning, a large pig was tied up, to beprepared for killing on the expected return of Mr. Hoffman and hisassociates, whom the hospitable Tibu accompanied on the remainder oftheir journey. 

Here every vestige of a path disappeared. At a height of seven hundredand eleven feet above the level of the sea, the travellers foundenormous blocks of granite lying in a south-easterly direction. The wayto Wahiria lay towards the south-south-west. They continued ascendingtill they reached a marsh in a rocky basin, where wild boars wererunning about. 

Another steep precipice was to be climbed before they could reach theValley of the Wahiria. This stretches from north to south, and forms anoval, in the centre of which lies the lake, according to barometricalmeasurement, one thousand four hundred and fifty feet above the level ofthe sea. The surrounding rocks rise perpendicularly more than twothousand feet. The lake is above a mile and a quarter incircumference, [4] and receives the springs from the mountains. A littlebrook also flows into it from the north, but no channel could be foundby which its waters might be carried off. The depth of the lake near theshore is eleven, and in the middle not more than seventeen toises. AfterMr. Hoffman had satisfied his curiosity, he returned with his companionto Tibu's hut, and happily reached its shelter before a heavy storm thatfollowed them had begun to discharge its fury. Exhausted by the fatigueof the march, and the oppressive heat, Mr. Hoffman threw himself on hiscouch to take a little repose, while his companions killed and roastedthe pig. The storm now burst in tremendous violence over the hut. Thethunder rolled fearfully along the valley, and reverberated from therocks; the lightnings gave to the thick darkness a momentaryillumination equal to the brightness of mid-day, and the rain pouringdown in torrents, suddenly swelled the rivulet, near which the fraildwelling was erected, far above its natural channel. Whoever haswitnessed a violent storm in the high mountains of a tropical country, will never lose the impression of its awfulness. 

The following day being Sunday, Tauru, immediately on rising, repeated along prayer, and then read a chapter of the New Testament, of which atleast one copy was to be found in every hut. After a good breakfast, Mr. Hoffman wished to proceed, but his guides were not to be moved, andthreats and entreaties were equally unavailing. They assured him that acontinuation of the journey would be a profanation of the Sabbath, acrime for which they would be hanged, should it come to the knowledge ofthe Missionaries. This was a little too strongly expressed; and thetempting remains of the roasted pig had, no doubt, as much influence insupporting their resolution, as their religious scruples, or their fearsof the Missionaries. The next morning they made no objection to settingout. Our travellers were joined on the road by many families, ladenwith mountain bananas, so that they arrived in a large company atMatarai. 

Mr. Hoffman made several other journeys into the interior of the island, and visited Arue, the present residence of the Court. The mineralogicaland geological observations made on these excursions, are reserved for aseparate treatise; but some particulars concerning his intercourse withthe inhabitants, may be properly introduced here. 

The houses are merely built of perpendicular bamboo-canes, standing atsome distance apart, to give free admission to the air. The roofs ofpalm-leaves are strong enough to defy the heaviest rain. 

As curious after novelty as more civilized infants, the heads of thechildren were thrust out from every hut he passed, and the parentshospitably asked him in. When he accepted the invitation, he was alwaysconducted to the seat of honour, a raised bench covered with matting andtapa stuff; and, after freely partaking of the best the house afforded, was considered to have paid handsomely for his entertainment with aknife. Bedsteads made of bamboo-canes, and filled with soft matting, areplaced along the walls, and make very comfortable, easy couches. Thesepleasant little abodes, in which the greatest cleanliness is everywhereobservable, are all surrounded by cultivated gardens. In the evening, they are lighted by the oily nuts of the taper-tree, fastened in rows onsplinters. 

Mr. Hoffman's visit to the house of his friend Maititi, excited thegreatest joy. His host presented to him his wife and children, andentertained him in the most splendid manner his means would allow. 

In the capital Mr. Hoffman found nothing remarkable. The palaceinhabited by the Royal Family, was a spacious hut, with an ante-chamberor outer house, in which eight of the guard kept watch. Their onlyweapon was an old pistol fastened on a plank; this was frequently fired, probably to accustom the young King to the tumult of battle. The oldKing lies buried under a stone monument, in front of which three gunsare kept; but, to prevent accidents, they are nailed up. 

We have already mentioned the trade in cocoa-oil carried on by theTahaitians, and the ship possessed by the Queen. This is commanded by anEnglishman, and a part of the crew is also English. It was just returnedfrom a voyage among the Society Islands, where it had been to collecttribute, and was preparing to carry a cargo of cocoa-oil, stowed inthick bamboo-canes, to Port Jackson. From the Captain, who visited me, Igained much information concerning the present state of affairs in theseseas. He had learnt from ships returned from the Friendly Islands, thattheir King had recently conquered the Navigator Islands, which now paidtribute to him. 

The map of Matarai, and of the bay which bounds it on the north-east, completed by us with the utmost care from trigonometrical surveys, isattached to this volume, and renders any further description of thecoast it embraces unnecessary. In December and January, the Tahaitiansummer months, the trade-wind is often interrupted by violentnorth-westers. Rain and storms are then frequent, and often last tillApril; in the other months the trade-winds blow without intermission, and the sky is always serene. For this reason, what is here called thesummer, might pass for the actual winter; and as the roads of Mataraiare open to the west wind, it is advisable for ships visiting Tahaiti atthis season, to run into the harbour, which lies eight miles west ofVenus Point. It is spacious, formed by coral reefs, protected againstall winds, and has two entrances so convenient, that ships may saileither in or out with almost any wind. 

The ebb and flow of the tide in the Matarai Bay differs entirely fromthe ordinary rules, and appears wholly uninfluenced by the moon, towhich it is everywhere else subject. The rise and fall is veryinconsiderable. Every noon the whole year round, at the moment the suntouches the meridian, the water is highest, and falls with the sinkingsun till midnight. This phenomenon serves, as well as the sun's motion, to supply the place of clocks to the inhabitants. 

According to Humboldt, the altitude of the highest mountain in Tahaitiis ten thousand feet; according to the barometrical measurement of Mr. Long, only eight thousand feet above the level of the sea. 

Our first observation by chronometers, on our arrival at Matarai, gavethe longitude of Venus Point as 149° 20' 30"; the true one, as given byAdmiral Krusenstern on his map, is 149° 27' 20"; consequently, the errorof our chronometers was 6' 50". This correction has been made in all thelongitudes taken by us in the dangerous Archipelago. From ourobservatory on Venus Point, we found its latitude 17° 29' 17", and itslongitude 149° 29'. 

The variation of the needle was 6° 50' east, and its inclination 29°30'. 

The barometer ranged from 29' 80" to 29' 70"; Reaumur's thermometer fromtwenty-three and a half to twenty-four and a half. 

The islands which I discovered on my former voyage in the shipRurik, --the Romanzow, Spiridow, Dean's Islands, the Rurik's Chain, &c. Whose longitude I had not then an opportunity to rectify upon VenusPoint, lie 5' 36" more to the west than I at first supposed. 

The longitude given by Captain Bellingshausen for the island which hediscovered, appeared to us by 3' 10" too great. 

On the morning of the 24th of March, we broke up our tent on the VenusPoint, left our dwelling-house, and shipped all our instruments andeffects. The afternoon was appointed for our departure. The Tahaitiansnow boarded the ship, bringing as many provisions as they could carry. They expressed great regret at losing us; and, to prove thedisinterestedness of their good-will, would accept no presents inreturn. They unanimously assured us, that of all nations whose ships hadvisited their island, none pleased them so well as the Russians. Theytook leave of us with the most cordial embraces, and many of them shedtears. They accompanied us in their canoes to the mouth of the Bay, andwere standing out to sea, when a sudden and violent gust of wind forcedthem to return. The same gust very nearly carried away one of our sails, and the proximity of the land placed us for a minute or two in acritical situation, but the coolness and skill of our officers and menrelieved us from the momentary danger. In half an hour the regulartrade-wind returned, and with the liveliest wishes for the futurewelfare of the good Tahaitians, we lost sight of their lovely island. 

To the remarks concerning them already made, I will add some on theirlanguage, from the work on this subject which I have before mentioned. The author says, "The language spoken on most of the islands of theSouth Sea, and therefore called the Polynesian, may be considered eitheras primitive, or as related to, and descended from, a common source withthe Malay. " It is undoubtedly very old, for these people have been froman unknown period separated from all others, and before the arrival ofEuropeans among them, considered themselves as the whole human race. 

Although, in comparison with European languages, that of Tahaiti, asbelonging to an ignorant and uncultivated people, is necessarily verydefective, it perhaps surpasses all others in strength, precision, andsimplicity, --in the personal pronouns especially. Its resemblance to theHebrew, in the conjugation of the verbs, as well as in the roots ofsome of the words, can easily be proved. Many of the words really appearof Hebrew origin: as for example, _mate_, dead; _mara_, or _maramosa_, bitter; _rapaon_, to heal, &c. 

The Polynesian language being so widely extended, and spoken by theinhabitants of so many islands, who have little or no intercourse witheach other, it naturally branches into many dialects. These are indeedso various, that they cannot readily be recognised as derivatives fromthe same stock. 

The principal dialects are, --that spoken in the Sandwich Islands, or theHawaiian; that of the Marquesas; that of New Zealand; the Tongatabuan, spoken by the inhabitants of the Friendly Islands, and the Tahaitian. All the others, as far as they are known, are more or less related tothese. 

The Tahaitian dialect is distinguished by its melody, as it has no broador hissing consonants. The pronunciation is rendered difficult by itsnumerous diphthongs. 

The substantives do not change their terminations in declension; butthe cases, of which there are but three, are formed by syllablesprefixed: for example--

 SINGULAR. 

 Nom. --_Te taata_--the man. Poss. --_No te taata_--of the man. Object. --_He taata_--to the man--and the man. 

 PLURAL. 

 Nom. --_Te mau taata_--the men. Poss. --_No te mau taata_--of the men. Object. --_He mau taata_--the men--and to the men. 

The Tahaitians have a great number of definite and indefinite articles, and prefixes, which they apply in a peculiar manner. The article teoften stands before proper names; also before God, _Te Atua_; sometimes_o_, which then appears to be an article; as, _O Pomare_, _O Huaheine_, _O Tahaiti_. Sometimes this o is placed before the personal pronouns inthe nominative case. 

_O vau_, I; _o oe_, thou; _o oia_, she, he, it. In these pronouns theTahaitian, and those languages to which it bears affinity, areparticularly rich. They have not only the dual of the Orientals, buttwo first persons in the singular as well as plural: for example--

 _O Taua_--thou and I. _O Maua_--he and I. _O Tatou_--you and I. _O Motou_--we three, or several. 

By this the conjugation of the verbs is made more complicated than inother languages, but it again becomes easier from neither the person northe tense changing the word itself, but all the variations beingexpressed by particular particles: for instance--_motau_, to fear; _tematau nei au_, I fear; _te matau ra oau_, I feared; _i motau na oau_, Ihave feared; _e matau au_, I shall fear. 

Since my readers will hardly wish to study the Tahaitian language verythoroughly, I here close my extracts from its grammar. --Whoever reallydesires to learn it must go to Tahaiti. I must, however, warn him to armhimself with patience; for though the Tahaitians are very ready withtheir assistance, they have quite as bad a habit as ourselves oflaughing at any one who speaks their language ill, --I say this fromexperience. 

Some months before us, the French Captain Duperré had visited Tahaitiupon a voyage of discovery, in the corvette Coquille. He returned homein safety, and is about to publish his travels, of which he has alreadyhad the goodness to send me some portions. An important acquisition toscience may be expected from this work. 

THE PITCAIRN ISLAND. 

THE PITCAIRN ISLAND. 

I did not myself touch on this island, but I met in Chili an AmericanCaptain just returned from it, and in Tahaiti one of the earliestmothers of its population, who spoke English well enough to carry on aconversation. The information jointly obtained from both these persons, will not, I think, be unwelcome to my readers; and those who areunacquainted with the rise of this interesting colony, will perhaps findpleasure in a brief account of it. 

The English government appreciating the usefulness of the bread-fruittree, and desirous of introducing it into the West-Indian colonies, inthe year 1787, commissioned the ship Bounty, under the command ofLieutenant Bligh, who had already served as master under Captain Cook, to convey a cargo of these young trees from the South Sea Islands, tothe West Indies. Forty-six men formed the ship's complement. 

After an excessively difficult voyage, during which he had vainlyendeavoured, for thirty days, to double Cape Horn, and at length, yielding to necessity, had effected his passage by the Cape of GoodHope, he reached Tahaiti in safety in October 1788. 

Although the good-natured Tahaitians seem to have given greatassistance, five months were occupied in lading the vessel; perhapsbecause Lieutenant Bligh and his crew found their station veryagreeable. During this period the crew lived in the greatest harmonywith the natives, especially the women; and this may probably afford akey to the subsequent fate of Bligh. 

On the fourth of April 1789, he sailed from Tahaiti, touched at one ofthe Friendly Islands to replace such of the young plants as had beendestroyed, and on the 27th of the same month continued his course, cheered by the conviction of his ability to execute his commission, andto become the benefactor of the West Indies, by extending to them one ofthe greatest blessings bestowed by nature on her favourite children. 

But it was otherwise written in the book of Fate. The remorselessseverity with which he treated those under his command, --the insults heoffered them, having subjected even his mate, Christian Fletcher, tocorporal chastisement, combined with the recollection of the pleasanttime spent in Tahaiti, produced a conspiracy of some of the crew, headedby Fletcher, to seize on the ship, remove from it the commander and hisadherents, and, renouncing England for ever, to return to Tahaiti, andspend there the remainder of their lives in ease and enjoyment. 

The conspirators kept their plan so profoundly secret, that neitherBligh nor any of those who remained faithful to him, imbibed the leastsuspicion of the criminal project, which was put in execution at sunriseon the 28th of April. The mate Christian, who then commanded the watch, entered, with two petty officers and a sailor, the cabin of LieutenantBligh, whom they found tranquilly sleeping. They fell on him, bound hishands behind his back, and threatened him with instant death if heuttered a sound, or offered the smallest resistance. Bligh, perfectlyundaunted, endeavoured to grasp his weapons, and, on finding himselfoverpowered, called aloud for help; but the mutineers having, at thesame moment, seized on all who were strangers to the plot, theunfortunate Commander had no resource but submission to his fate. He wascarried on deck with no other covering than his shirt, and there foundhis faithful followers, nineteen in number, bound in a similar manner. 

The long-boat was now lowered; Bligh, in the mean time, attempting torecall the mutineers to their duty by unavailing remonstrances, to whichrenewed menaces of immediate death were the only answers. 

When the boat was ready, and the officers and sailors had beenseparately unbound and lowered into it, Christian addressed himself toBligh: "Now, Captain, your officers and crew are ready; it is time foryou to follow; any opposition will cost your life. " He was thenliberated, and put into the boat with his companions in misfortune, amidst the bitterest execrations for his past tyranny, from themutineers. After some provisions had been furnished to the boat, and acompass, quadrant, and a couple of old sabres added, at the entreaty ofits occupants, the mutineers set their sails and abandoned their formercomrades to their fate, with shouts of "Down with Captain Bligh! Hurrahfor O Tahaiti!"

A regular narrative of what afterwards befell these unfortunate outcastswould not be strictly in place here; but such of my readers as are yetunacquainted with the facts, may learn with interest, that thoughabandoned on the vast ocean, in an open boat only twenty-three feetlong, six feet nine inches broad, and two feet nine inches deep, veryscantily provisioned, and destitute of a chart, they ultimatelysucceeded, by unparalleled efforts, in reaching a place of safety. Theboat being, at the period of its desertion, within about thirty miles ofthe island of Tofoa, it was determined to land there, and take in astore of provisions, then proceed to Tongatabu, and solicit permissionfrom the King of the Friendly Islands to put their boat into apracticable condition for hazarding a voyage to India. 

They effected their landing at Tofoa, and secured the boat to thestrand, but were presently attacked by a multitude of savages, whosaluted the defenceless strangers with showers of stones, and would soonhave overpowered them, had not an heroic petty-officer, named Norton, resolved to sacrifice himself for the safety of his companions. Hesprang on shore, loosened the iron chain which fastened the boat, andhad only time to exclaim, Fly, fly! ere he was seized and murdered bythe savages. 

This melancholy occurrence discouraged the fugitives from touching atTongatabu, or any other island inhabited by savages. All now applied toBligh, with the unanimous entreaty that he would conduct them to someport in the possession of Europeans; and took a solemn oath of the mostunconditional obedience to him in the execution of this design. Incompliance with their wishes, Bligh adopted the daring resolution ofpassing through the Torres Straits to the island of Timor, belonging tothe Dutch. The distance was about four thousand miles; it was thereforeindispensable to observe the most rigid economy in distributing theprovisions. The whole crew submitted, without murmuring, to the dailyallowance of an ounce of biscuit, and the eighth part of a bottle ofwater. On the following day a storm arose, which so filled the boat withwater, that the most unremitting exertions were necessary to prevent herfoundering. By a second storm, accompanied with violent rain, the smallremaining provision of biscuit was transformed into a sort of paste, which now constituted their only food, and even of this they werehenceforward obliged to partake yet more sparingly, as the voyage provedof longer duration than was at first calculated. 

Thus utterly exhausted by hunger, thirst, fatigue, wet, the burning raysof the sun, and sickness arising from such complicated sufferings, theunfortunate wanderers, after a voyage of thirty-two days, had theindescribable joy of beholding the coast of New Zealand, and enteringthe Torres Straits. They landed on a little uninhabited island near thecoast, where they found fine flavoured fruits, oysters, and the mostdelicious water, all in abundance. 

Refreshed by wholesome nourishment, they reposed with rapture for onenight on terra firma; but the rising sun discovered new perils. Thesavages, armed with spears, had assembled on the opposite coast, andthreatened them with a powerful irruption, which they thought it prudentto avoid, by a precipitate retreat from the island. 

They sailed through the channel with fine weather, and a tranquil sea. The natives beckoned from the shore with green boughs, inviting them toland; but Bligh would not trust the intentions of this little hideousnegro race. 

Some other uninhabited islands served them as resting-places, and forrecruiting their stores with fresh water and fruits. Reanimated by thehope of soon reaching the island of Timor and the term of theirsufferings, the best spirits now prevailed among them. 

But the object of their wishes was still far distant. When the boat hadpassed the Torres Straits, and regained the open sea, all theinconveniences and misfortunes to which they had before been subjected, returned with redoubled severity. The whole crew was sick; some wereready to expire; almost all had resigned the hope of ever again findingsafety in port, and besought Heaven only for deliverance from theiraccumulated sufferings by a speedy death. Bligh, though himself ill, didhis utmost to inspire his men with courage, assuring them that they wereapproaching land. 

The promise did not fail. On the morning of the 12th of June, at threeo'clock, the high mountains of the island of Timor rose in smilingmajesty before them. This sight operated like an electric shock on theexhausted sufferers; they raised their hands to Heaven, and nevercertainly were thanksgivings more sincere. Two more days brought them tothe Dutch settlement of Cupang, where the Governor received them withthe utmost benevolence. The whole party, except one only, whose strengthwas entirely worn out, soon recovered their health, and found means ofreaching England in March 1790. 

It might have been supposed, that the terrible lesson Bligh hadreceived would have taught him caution for the future; but it madelittle impression on his character. As commander of a ship of the line, his severity again provoked a mutiny; and when afterwards Governor ofNew South Wales, an insurrection was excited from the same excess ofdiscipline. 

To return from this digression to the history of the colonization ofPitcairn Island. The mutineers of the Bounty, after the success of theirplot, unanimously elected Christian for their Captain, and sailed forTahaiti. On their way thither, they passed the small hilly, well peopledisland of Tabuai, seen in 1777 by Cook, and formed the resolution ofsettling there. With much difficulty they brought the ship into harbour, through numerous coral reefs. They were received in the most friendlymanner by the natives, who only showed symptoms of uneasiness when theysaw the new comers preparing to erect a fortress on a point of land nearthe harbour; even in this obnoxious undertaking, however, they assisted;but harmony was not of much longer continuance. The Europeans, confident in the superiority they derived from their weapons, soonbecame insolent, and especially irritated the islanders by the abductionof their women. 

A sudden attack was made on Christian and his crew, who gained a height, where they defended themselves, and so effectually, that none of theparty was killed, and but one man wounded; while the fire of theirmuskets produced great havoc among the savages. Though conquerors inthis instance, they however found it advisable to quit Tabuai, and tosail once more for Tahaiti. During the voyage thither, a deep melancholyseized the mind of Christian; remorse, and dark forebodings of thefuture, haunted him incessantly; he shut himself up in his cabin, seldomappeared, and spoke but little. 

When the Bounty again cast anchor before Tahaiti, the natives crowded tothe shore, rejoicing in the speedy return of their friends, but weremuch surprised at missing the captain and a great part of the crew. Christian persuaded them that Captain Bligh and the other men had made asettlement on Tabuai, of which island the captain had become king, butthat he himself, and those who accompanied him, preferred returning toTahaiti, where among their kind friends, they wished to pass theremainder of their days. These innocent people gave implicit credence tohis story, and heartily rejoiced in the prospect of their friends'continued residence among them. Christian's private intention, however, was to establish a colony on some unknown and uninhabited island, sinceit was easy to forsee, that the criminals would be first sought inTahaiti, whenever the tidings of their proceedings should reach theEnglish government. Being dissatisfied with some of his companions, orunable to obtain their concurrence in his views, he concerted hisproject with eight only of the crew, and under the strictest injunctionsof secrecy. Thus arose a second conspiracy among the accomplices inguilt. 

Christian and the parties to his new plot, found an opportunity ofengaging the rest of the crew at a distance, while they weighed anchorand stood out to sea, with eight Tahaitians and ten women, whom theyhad enticed to accompany them. After a search of some weeks in thoseseas, they accidentally lighted upon Pitcairn Island, discovered byCarteret in the year 1767. Its extent is inconsiderable, but they foundit uninhabited, and the soil fruitful, although high and rocky. Christian and his companions examined it closely, and, charmed with itsluxuriant vegetation, resolved here to conceal themselves for ever fromthe world, hoping by this means to escape the punishment they so wellmerited. 

All their endeavours to discover a harbour capable of admitting theBounty, proving fruitless, they determined to place themselves under thelee of the island, save the cargo, and then destroy the ship, lest itsappearance might betray them to vessels passing by. 

This resolution was carried into effect, the cargo was brought quicklyashore, and the ship burnt. 

At first the colony suffered from a scarcity of provisions, as theisland produced neither bread-fruit nor cocoa-trees; they, however, contented themselves with a temporary subsistence on roots and fish, relying for the future improvement of their supplies on the treesdestined for the West Indies, and other plants brought from Tahaiti;which had all been landed uninjured, and immediately planted. Timeindeed was required before the bread-fruit and cocoa-trees would bear, but some sweet potatoes, yams, taro-roots, and others, yielded in thefollowing year an ample harvest. 

Unanimity and concord appeared firmly established among the colonists, who, by common consent, elected Christian as their head. Pretty littlehuts, and diligently cultivated fields of taro, yam, and potatoes, soonadorned the wilderness. After the lapse of three years, Christian becamethe father of a son, whom he named Friday Fletcher October Christian;but the infant's birth made its father a widower. Strongly inclined to asecond marriage, and all the women being already provided with husbands, he seduced a wife from one of the Tahaitians, who, incensed at thisoutrage, watched an opportunity when Christian was at work on hisplantation, attacked, and murdered him. Intelligence of this deedspreading quickly through the colony, produced instant retribution fromthe musket of an Englishman. 

Long inflamed by jealousy, at the decided preference shown by theirfemales for the strangers, the passions of the Tahaitians wereexasperated beyond endurance, by this act of retaliation; they made asudden attack by night on the English, and murdered all, except one mannamed Adams, who, though severely wounded, contrived to escape into theforest, and elude the pursuit of the murderers. The women rendereddesperate by the massacre of their lovers, and eager for revenge, foundmeans to obtain it the very next night. They overpowered the Tahaitiansin their sleep, and murdered them to a man!

As soon as it was light in the morning, these blood-stained Megærassought for the corpses of their beloved Englishmen, and perceiving thatAdams was missing, conjectured that he might be concealed and safe;although traces of blood were visible on the ground of his hut. Theyaccordingly searched the forest in every direction, and at last foundhim in a most miserable condition. They bound his wounds, carried himinto a hut, and by their united care and the application of healingherbs, Adams, being young and vigorous, soon recovered his health. Theaffections of all the women now concentrated themselves in this oneobject. He became their common chief and husband, to whom they willinglypromised obedience; and, according to his testimony, jealousy neverembittered their lives. 

Till the year 1803, consequently during fourteen years, Adams remainedwith his progeny concealed from the world. In this year the EnglishCaptain Falgier, sailing from Canton to Chili, landed at Pitcairn'sIsland, where they with astonishment encountered a people speakingEnglish, having the most intimate knowledge of European customs, andbetraying their origin in their features and complexion. Adams himselfexplained to him the enigma. Falgier communicated the information he hadreceived to the English Government, but represented the situation of theisland so erroneously, that it passed for a new discovery, till theEnglish frigate Breton, in the year 1814, on her voyage from theMarquesas to the coast of Chili, also touched at the Pitcairn Island, which from the account of its discoverer Carteret, they considereduninhabited. The crew were therefore much surprised at the sight ofcultivated fields, and ornamental cottages; and also of men assembled onthe shore making friendly signals and inviting them to land. Some wereeven seen skilfully guiding their little canoes through the surf, andapproaching the frigate. 

The sailors were about to address them in the language of the South SeaIslands, when their surprise was not a little increased by hearing thename of the ship and her captain enquired for, in pure English. TheCaptain himself replied to these questions, and the conversationbecoming interesting, invited his new acquaintances on board; theyimmediately complied, and even when the whole crew surrounded them andoverwhelmed them with questions, betrayed no symptom of the timidityuniversal among the South Sea islanders. 

The young man who had first mounted the vessel, saluted the Captain withthe greatest propriety, and enquired whether he had known in England aman of the name of William Bligh. This suddenly threw a light on themystery of the Pitcairn islanders; and they were in return asked ifthere was a man on the island named Christian. The answer was "No, hehas been long dead, but his son is in the boat which is comingalongside. " This placed the origin of the colony beyond all doubt. 

The crew of the Breton were further informed, that the whole populationof the island consisted of forty-eight persons--that the men were notallowed to marry before their twentieth year, and must only have onewife--that Adams had instructed them in the Christian religion--thattheir general language was English, but that they also understood theTahaitian, and that they acknowledged the King of England as theirsovereign. On being asked if they did not wish to go to England with thefrigate, they answered "No: we are married and have children. "

The sight of a ship of war and its crew, they said, was no novelty tothem; and they mentioned Captain Falgier's visit to their island. Alittle black poodle dog which they suddenly caught sight of, put themall to flight. "That is certainly a dog, " they exclaimed, as theyretreated; "we have never seen one, but we know that it will bite. " Alittle observation, however, convinced them of the animal's good-nature, and they were soon induced to play fearlessly with him. Being conductedinto the cabin, they were there entertained with a breakfast, at whichthey behaved very modestly, and showed in their conversation muchnatural understanding. They said a grace before eating, and then partookwith a good appetite of the provision set before them. 

With much difficulty the Captain effected a landing. A pleasant pathwinding among groves of cocoa and bread-fruit trees, led him to a verypretty, well situated little village, whose houses, though small, wereconvenient and beautifully clean. 

One of Adams's daughters, a young and very attractive looking girl, received the guests, and conducted them to her father, a man of sixty, but still of very vigorous appearance. 

The conversation naturally fell on Christian's mutiny, in which Adamsmaintained he had taken no part, having been wholly unacquainted withthe design till the moment of its execution. He spoke with abhorrence ofthe manner in which Captain Bligh and his officers and men had beentreated. 

The Captain proposed to Adams to accompany him back to England; but thewhole colony assembling round him, with tears in their eyes, besoughthim not to take their good father from them. The scene affected even theEnglishmen. 

The Pitcairn islanders are of very pleasing exterior; they have blackhair and beautiful teeth. The men are slender, and their height fivefeet ten inches and upwards. The dress of both sexes consists of amantle like the Chilian pancho, and they wear hats made of reeds adornedwith feathers. They still possess a great quantity of old clothes fromthe ship Bounty, but, with better taste than their maternal ancestorsthe Tahaitians, they never wear them. The island has a beautifulappearance, and is said to be extremely fruitful. Wild boars are foundin the interior. 

Seven years after this visit of the Breton, the American merchant-shipEagle, whose Captain I met in Chili, touched on Pitcairn Island. Hefound the population already increased to a hundred persons, and wasdelighted with the order and good government of the little colony. Adamsreigned as a patriarch king amongst them, and, as sovereign arbitrator, settled all disputes, no one presuming to object to his decision. Everyfamily possessed a portion of land; the fields were measured off fromeach other, industriously cultivated, and yielding abundant crops ofyams and sweet potatoes. On Sundays, the whole population assembled atAdams's house, when he read the Bible to them, exhorted them to concordand good conduct, and took pains to confirm their virtuous dispositions. 

Every evening at sunset, when after the heat of the day the inhabitantsof this delightful climate are revived by the refreshing coolness of theair, the young people formed a semicircle round their beloved father, while he communicated to them some knowledge of the manners and historyof his native country, its connections with other nations, and the arts, inventions, and customs of the European world. Adams's knowledge isprobably not very extensive, but it has sufficed to enable him to trainup his numerous family in habits and information which fit them for theeasy acquisition of all the arts of civilization. 

His attentive auditory have accurately retained his instructions, andconverse with wonderful facility on the characteristics and customs ofdifferent nations. 

Abusive words are strictly prohibited; and some of the islanders, perfectly astonished at hearing a sailor on board the American vesselwhich visited them swear at another, enquired of the Captain whethersuch expressions were permitted in his country. 

The Captain was enchanted with the conduct and character of this amiablepeople; and ascribed their virtues to the instructions and example oftheir patriarch. This good old man, however, expressed much anxietyconcerning the future. "I cannot, " said he, "live much longer, --and whoshall prosecute the work I have begun? My children are not yet so firmlyestablished, but that they are liable to fall into error. They requirethe guidance of an intelligent virtuous man from some civilized nation. "

At Tahaiti, as already stated, I met with one of Adams's wives, who hadarrived there a short time before in an European ship, and from her Ilearnt many of the particulars here related. She spoke tolerably goodEnglish, but with a foreign accent. This old woman had been induced, bythat longing for our native home which acts so powerfully upon the humanmind, to return to the land of her birth, where she intended to haveclosed her life, but she soon changed her mind. The Tahaitians, sheassured me, were by no means so virtuous as the natives of the littleParadise to which she was now all impatience to return. She had a veryhigh opinion of her Adams, and maintained that no man in the world wasworthy of comparison with him. She still spoke with vehement indignationof the murder of the English by her countrymen, and boasted of thevengeance she had taken. 

Adams, who was now very aged and feeble, had proposed to theMissionaries to send a Tahaitian as his successor; and fearing that thepopulation of his island might exceed the means of subsistence whichtheir quantity of arable land afforded, he was desirous of settling someof his families in Tahaiti. 

With his first wish the Missionaries will certainly comply as a means ofextending their dominion over Pitcairn Island also. May Adams's paternalgovernment never be exchanged for despotism, nor his practical lessonsof piety be forgotten in empty forms of prayer. 

In the year 1791, the English frigate Pandora was sent, under thecommand of Captain Edwards, to the South Sea in pursuit of the mutineersagainst Bligh. Those who had remained in Tahaiti were found and carriedback to England, where they were condemned to death according to thelaws; the royal mercy was extended to a few only, the rest suffered thefull penalty of their crime. 

[Illustration: CHART OF THE NAVIGATORS' ISLANDS]

THE NAVIGATORS' ISLANDS. 

THE NAVIGATORS' ISLANDS. 

On leaving Tahaiti, I proposed to pass a few days on the Radack Islands, which I had formerly discovered; and, on my way thither, determined tovisit the Navigators' Islands. These are probably the same seen byRoggewin in 1721, which he called Baumann's Islands; but Bougainvillehas appropriated the discovery, as made by him in 1766, and given themthe name they now bear, on account of the superior sailing vessels builtthere, and the remarkable skill the inhabitants display in theirmanagement. Neither Roggewin nor Bougainville have given their situationaccurately, nor have these original errors been perfectly corrected bythe unfortunate La Pérouse, or the Englishman Edwards, who alone areknown to have since touched on these islands; the former visited onlythe more northern islands; and the latter communicated no particulars ofhis voyage to the public. I therefore considered it worth the trouble tocomplete the survey, by examining those which lay to the south of LaPérouse's track. 

I at first steered past the Society Islands, lying to leeward fromTahaiti, in order to rectify their longitude; and afterwards carefullyendeavoured to avoid the course taken, to my knowledge, by any formernavigator. 

On the 25th of March we saw, to the north, the island of Guagein, and tothe north-west that of Ulietea. When the western point of the latter laydue north from us, I found its longitude, according to our chronometers, 151° 26' 30", which is nearly the same as on the maps. 

The island of Maurura, on the contrary, is very inaccurately laid down;we found the longitude of the middle of this island, as we sailed pastits southern coast, to be 152° 10' 40". In the evening we had alreadycleared the Society Islands, and were pursuing a westward course. 

On the following morning we perceived a cluster of low coral islands, connected by reefs, which, as usual, enclosed an inland sea. The countrywas covered with thick dwarf shrubs; and, in the whole group, we saw butone cocoa-tree rising solitarily above the bushes. A multitude ofsea-birds, the only inhabitants of these islands, surrounded the vesselas we drew nearer. The group stretches about three miles from North toSouth, and is about two miles and a half broad. Guided by observationswhich, from the clearness of the atmosphere, I had been enabled to makecorrectly immediately before they came in sight, I estimated theirlatitude as 15° 48' 7" South; their longitude as 154° 30'. We were thefirst discoverers of these Islands, and gave them the name of ourmeritorious navigator, Bellingshausen. 

The night was stormy: morning indeed brought cheerful weather, but nocheerful feelings to our minds, for we had lost another member of ourlittle wandering fraternity; he died, notwithstanding all the efforts ofour skilful physician, of a dysentery, occasioned by the continual heatand the frequently damp air. This same year the Tahaitians sufferedmuch from a similar disease, and died in great numbers from the want ofmedical assistance. The Missionaries, who only desire to govern theirminds, have never yet troubled themselves to establish any institutionfor the health of the body. 

During this and the few succeeding days, the appearance of great flocksof sea-birds frequently convinced us that we must be in theneighbourhood of unknown islands; but as from the mast-head they canonly be discerned at a proximity of fifteen or sixteen miles, we did nothappen to fall in with them. 

On the second of April, however, we passed a little uninhabited island, something higher than the coral islands usually are. Its latitude is 14°32' 39" South, and its longitude 168° 6'. I then considered it a newdiscovery, and gave it the name of my First Lieutenant, Kordinkoff; but, on my return, I learned that it had been previously discovered byCaptain Freycinet, on his voyage from the Sandwich Islands to NewHolland, in the year 1819; the narrative of which had not appeared whenI left Europe. The situation of this island, as he has given it, corresponds exactly with my own observation. 

This same night, by favour of the clear moonshine, we saw the mosteasterly of the Navigators' Islands, Opoun, rising from the sea like ahigh round mountain. Westward from it, and close to each other, lie thelittle islands Leoneh and Fanfueh. [5] Near these is Maouna, with anotherlittle island at its north-east point. Forty-five miles further liesOjalava, and ten miles and a half from it Pola, the largest, highest, and most westward of the group: connected with them are several othersmall islands, which I shall hereafter have occasion to mention. 

As the chart which accompanies this volume accurately describes thegeographical situation of all these islands, it is only necessary hereto remark, that it was drawn up from the most diligent astronomicalobservations. 

All these islands are extremely fertile, and very thickly peopled. Ojalava surpasses any that I have seen, even Tahaiti itself, inluxuriant beauty. The landscape of Pola is majestic; the whole island isone large, high, round mountain, which strikingly resembles theMauna-roa upon the island of Owahy: it is not quite so lofty indeed asthe latter, but its altitude is about the same as that of the Peak ofTeneriffe. 

All the islands of the South Sea are more or less formed of coral reefs, which make secure harbours; the Navigators' Islands only are notindebted to these active little animals for this advantage. We sailedround all their coasts, and could find but one open bay, which runs farinland in the island of Maouna, opposite the small island alreadynoticed off its north-east point. 

The inhabitants of these islands are still far less civilized than werethe Tahaitians when first discovered by Wallis. Those of Maounaespecially are perhaps the most ferocious people to be met with in theSouth Sea. It was they who murdered Captain de Langle, the commander ofthe second ship under La Pérouse, the naturalist Laman, and fourteenpersons from the crews of both ships, on their venturing ashore;although they had loaded the natives with presents. 

These savages attacked them with showers of stones; and the muskets ofthe Europeans after the first discharge, which unfortunately did butlittle execution, could not be reloaded speedily enough for theirprotection. Triumphing in their inhuman victory, they mangled andplundered the remains of their unfortunate victims. 

We sailed to the scene of this dreadful occurrence, since calledMassacre Bay. The appearance of the country was inviting; the shoreswere bordered with cocoa-trees, and the freshest vegetation enlivenedthe interior, but nothing betrayed that the island was inhabited; nosmoke arose, and no canoe was to be seen; this was the more remarkable, as on La Pérouse's arrival, his ship, as soon as perceived by thenatives, was surrounded by several hundred canoes laden with provisions. A small canoe, carrying only three men, at length rowed towards us; welaid to, and by signs gave permission to the savages to come on board;this they could not resolve upon; but one of them climbed the ship'sside high enough to see over the deck, and handed to us a fewcocoa-nuts, all the provisions they had brought; a piece of iron, whichwe gave him in return, he pressed to his forehead in sign ofthankfulness, and then bowed his head. He examined the deck a long timewith prying and suspicious glances, without speaking a word; thensuddenly commenced a long pathetic harangue, growing more and moreanimated as he proceeded, and pointing with passionate gestures, alternately to the ship and the land. His eloquence was quite thrownaway on us; but the silence with which we listened, might probably leadhim to suppose that we attached some importance to it. His confidencegradually increased, and he would perhaps have spoken longer, had nothis attention been arrested by the approach of several canoes. 

We were soon surrounded by the descendants of the barbarian murderers;perhaps some of the actors in the atrocious deed might even themselvesbe amongst the crowd which now assembled around us. This wild troopappeared timid at first, but our orator having encouraged them, theybecame so impudent and daring, that they seemed disposed to storm theship. I ranged my sailors fully armed round the deck, to keep off suchdisagreeable visitants, but with strict orders to avoid hurting them. Itwas, however, only the bayonets and lances which prevented the multitudefrom climbing into the ship; and some of the most daring, by patientlyenduring heavy and repeated blows, even succeeded in reaching the deck;they grasped with both hands any object they could cling to, sopertinaceously, that it required the united efforts of several of ourstrongest sailors to throw them overboard. Except a few cocoa-nuts, theybrought us no kind of provisions, but by pantomimic gestures invited usto land; endeavouring to signify that we should be richly provided onshore with every thing we wanted. The savages had probably destined forus the fate of De Langle and his companions; they appeared unarmed, buthad artfully concealed clubs and short lances in their canoes. 

A very few of them, whom we permitted to remain on deck, behaved asimpudently as if they had been masters of the ship; they snatched frommy hands some little presents I was about to distribute among them, exhibiting them to their companions in the canoes below. This excitedamongst the latter a terrific rage, and, with noise and gesturesresembling madness, they endeavoured to frighten us into compliance withtheir desire to come on board. Only one among them received the presentswe made him, with any appearance of modesty or thankfulness; the othersseemed to consider them as a tribute due to them. This more decorouspersonage bowed towards me in almost an European fashion, pressed thearticles given him several times to his forehead, and then, turning tome, rubbed the point of his nose pretty roughly against mine. This youngsavage was probably a person of rank, who had received a particularlygood education; he was of a cheerful temper, examined every thing veryclosely, and made many remarks to those in the canoes, which wereapparently considered extremely witty, for he was always answered bybursts of laughter. The rest of his countrymen who remained on board, became very troublesome; like the beasts of the deserts, scarcely morewild than themselves, they tried to seize by main force whatever wewould not willingly give them. One of them was so tempted by theaccidental display of a sailor's bare arm, that he could not helpexpressing his horrible appetite for human flesh;--he snapt at it withhis teeth, giving us to understand by unequivocal signs, that such foodwould be very palatable to him. This proof that we were in communicationwith cannibals, needed not the picture presently conjured up by ourimagination, of the detestable meal which the unfortunate Frenchmen haddoubtlessly afforded to their murderers, to complete our disgust andaversion, and to accelerate the expulsion of the remaining savages fromour vessel. 

The inhabitants of many of the South Sea islands are still cannibals, and most of them, even where this abominable propensity does notprevail, are of so artful and treacherous a character, that none shouldventure among them without the greatest precaution. Their friendlinessarises from fear, and soon vanishes when they think themselves thestrongest, and are not exposed to vengeance. I would not even adviseplacing too much confidence in the inhabitants of Radack, who arecertainly among the best of these islanders. It is only when ideas ofright and wrong are steadily fixed, that man becomes really rational;before this, he is like other animals, the mere slave of his instincts. 

The inhabitants of Maouna are probably the worst of these tribes; thosewe saw were at least five feet and a half in height, slender, theirlimbs of a moderate size, and strikingly muscular; I should have thoughttheir faces handsome, had they not been disfigured by an expression ofwildness and cruelty; their colour is dark brown; some let their long, straight, black hair hang down unornamented over neck, face, andshoulders; others wore it bound up, or frizzed and crisped by burning, and entangled like a cap round the head: these caps are coloured yellow, and make a striking contrast with the heads which remain black. Some, again, coloured their hair red, and curled it over their shoulders likea full-bottomed wig. A great deal of time must be required for thismode of dressing, a proof that vanity may exist even among cannibals. The glass beads they obtained from us they immediately hung over theirneck and ears, but had previously no ornaments on either. Most of themwere quite naked; only a few had aprons made of the leaves of some kindof palm unknown to us, which from their various colours and red pointsresemble feathers. Since the time of La Pérouse, the fashion intattooing appears to have very much altered: he found the inhabitants ofthe South Sea Islands so tattooed over the whole body, as to have theappearance of being clothed;--now most of them are not tattooed at all;and those few who are, not with various drawings as formerly, but merelystained blue from the hip to the knee, as though they had on shortbreeches. 

In the canoes we saw a few women who were all very ugly: thesedisagreeable creatures gave us to understand that we should by no meansfind them cruel--a complaisance which did not render them the lessdisgusting. La Pérouse here describes some attractive females: thesewere as brown as the men, and as little dressed; their hair was cutshort off, with the exception of two bunches stained red, which hungover their faces. 

Scarcely one of these savages was without some remarkable scar: one ofthem attracted our attention by a deep cut across the belly. Wecontrived to ask him how he got this cicatrice; and he pointed to hislance, from which it may be inferred that they are not unaccustomed towar, either with their neighbours or each other, and that they arepossessed of skilful surgeons. No one of this people seemed to exerciseany authority over the others. Either no chief accompanied the party whocame to us, or the term does not signify much power or distinction. 

The few fruits which they brought with them were exchanged for pieces ofiron, old barrel-hoops, and glass beads; on the latter especially theyset great value, and even brought forward some of their concealed arms, and offered them in exchange for this costly decoration. Meanwhile thecrowd of canoes round the ship grew more and more numerous, and in thesame proportion the boldness of the savages increased. Many of them roseup in their canoes, and made long speeches to, or at us, accompanied byangry and menacing gestures, which drew shouts of laughter from theircompanions. At length the screaming and threatening with clubs anddoubled fists became general. They began to make formal preparations foran attack, and we again had recourse to bayonets and lances to keep themat a distance. I confess that, at this moment, I had need of someself-command to overcome my inclination to revenge on the ferociousrabble the fate of La Pérouse's companions. 

Our guns and muskets were all ready loaded. A sign from me would havespread dismay and death around us; and had we stayed longer among thisbrutal race, we must inevitably have made them feel the power of ourcannon. 

We therefore spread our sails, and the ship running swiftly before thewind, many of the canoes which had fastened themselves about her weresuddenly upset. Those who fell into the water took their ducking verycoolly, righted their canoes again, and threatened revenge on us withthe most violent gestures. Several of them clung like cats to the sidesof the ship, with nails which might have rivalled those of a ChineseMandarin; and we had recourse to long poles as the only means of freeingourselves from such undesirable appendages. 

At the western promontory of the island we again lay to, and purchasedtwo pigs from some canoes which soon came up. The savages here in noother respect differed from those of Massacre Bay, than by conductingthemselves in a rather more peaceable manner, probably from fear, astheir number was small. 

In the evening the island of Olajava appeared in sight; and about sevenmiles from a little island lying in its neighbourhood, several canoes, carrying two or three men each, rowed towards us, deterred neither bythe distance nor the increasing darkness. Our visitors proved to bemerry fishermen, for their carefully constructed little canoes adornedwith inlaid muscle-shells, were amply provided with large angling hooksmade of mother-of-pearl, attached to long fine lines, and various kindsof implements for fishing, and contained an abundance of fine live fishof the mackerel kind. 

An expression of openness and confidence sat on the countenances of thispeople. Our purchases were carried on with much gaiety and laughter onboth sides. They gave us their fish, waited quietly for what we gavethem in return, and were perfectly satisfied with their barter. 

Their attention was strongly attracted to the ship. They examined herclosely from the hold to the mast-head, and made many animated remarksto each other on what they saw. If they observed any manoeuvres withthe sails or tackle, they pointed with their fingers towards the spot, and appeared to watch with the most eager curiosity the effect produced. 

It was evident that this people, sailors by birth, took a livelyinterest in whatever related to navigation. Their modest behaviourcontrasted so strikingly with the impudent importunity of theinhabitants of Maouna, that we should have been inclined to considerthem of a different race, but for their exact resemblance in every otherparticular, even in the dressing of their hair, though this was evenmore elaborately performed--an attention to appearance which is curiousenough, when compared with the dirty, uncombed locks of Europeanfishermen; but among the South Sea Islanders fishing is no miserabledrudgery of the lowest classes, but the pride and pleasure of the mostdistinguished, as hunting is with us. Tameamea, the mighty King of theSandwich Islands, was a very clever fisherman, and as great anenthusiast in the sport as any of our European princes in the stagchase. As soon as the increasing darkness veiled the land from oursight, our visitors departed, and we could hear their regular measuredsong long after they were lost from view. 

The little island they inhabit not being marked on any map, it isprobably a new discovery. By what name the natives called it I could notlearn; and therefore, to distinguish it from three other small islandslying to the north, mentioned by La Pérouse, I gave it the name ofFisher's Island. It rises almost perpendicularly from the sea to aconsiderable height, and is overgrown with thick wood. 

On the following day we sailed with a brisk wind to the island ofOlajava, for the purpose of surveying the coast. A number of canoes putoff from the land, but could not overtake the ship; and I would not lieto, on account of the hinderance it occasioned to our work. In theafternoon we found ourselves near the little island lying off thenorth-west point of Olajava, called by La Pérouse the Flat Island. Ahill situated in its centre has, in fact, a flat surface, which LaPérouse, at a distance of thirty miles, mistook for the whole island, because the low land which surrounds it was not within the compass ofhis horizon. 

For the same reason he could not observe that the eastern part of thisisland is connected with the western coast of Olajava by two reefsforming a basin, in the middle of which is a small rock. If these beindeed coral reefs, which they certainly resemble, they are the onlyones I have remarked in the Navigators' Islands. 

The Flat Island, which, for the reason above mentioned, occupies a muchlarger space on our map than on that of La Pérouse, is entirelyovergrown with wood, and has a very pleasant appearance. At a littledistance from this, to the north-west, another little island, which doesnot appear to have been observed by that Voyager, rises perpendicularlyfrom the sea. Its sloping back is crested with a row of cocoa-trees soregularly arranged, that it is difficult to conceive them planted by theunassisted hand of Nature; viewed laterally from a short distance, theypresent the form of a cock's-comb, on which account I gave the islandthis name, to distinguish it from the rest. On its western side a highconical rock is covered from top to bottom with a variety of plants, evincing the prolific powers of Nature in these regions, wherevegetation is thus luxuriantly fastened on the most unfavourable soils. 

North-west of this rock lies a third small island, exceeding both theothers in elevation: its sides fall precipitously to the sea, and theupper surface describes a horizontal line thickly clothed with beautifultrees. As its circumference is only three miles and a half, it canhardly be the same that La Pérouse has called Calinasseh. Probably hedid not observe this island at all, but took the high round mountain onthe low north-east point of Pola for a separate island, to which he gavethe name of Calinasseh. The promontory of Pola deceived us also at alittle distance, but a closer examination convinced us of our error, andI transferred the name of Calinasseh to the above-mentioned smallisland. 

When the Flat Island lay about three miles to our right, the wind againdied away. This opportunity was not lost by the natives of Olajava, whohad all the while followed us in their canoes. They exerted themselvesto the utmost, and their well worked little vessels swiftly skimmed thesmooth surface of the sea to the accompaniment of measured cadences, till they at last reached the ship. 

A horde of canoes now put off towards us from the Flat Island, and wewere soon surrounded by immense numbers of them, locked so closelytogether, that they seemed to form a bridge of boats, serving for amarket well stocked with fruits and pigs, and swarming with human beingsas thick as ants on an anthill: they were all in high spirits, and withmany jests extolled the goods they brought, making much more noise thanall the traffic of the London Exchange. Even on our own deck we couldonly make ourselves heard by screaming in each other's ears. 

Our bartering trade proceeded, however, to our mutual satisfaction. Those who were too far off to reach us endeavoured by all sorts ofgesticulation, and leaping into the air, to attract our notice. Many ofthe canoes were in this manner upset, --an accident of little consequenceto such expert swimmers, and which only excited the merriment of theircompanions. 

Accident gave us specimens of their extraordinary skill in diving. Wethrew some pieces of barrel-hoops into the sea, when numbers of theislanders instantly precipitated themselves to the bottom, and snatchedup the booty, for the possession of which we could plainly distinguishthem wrestling with each other under the water. They willingly obeyedour orders not to come on deck, and fastened their goods to a rope, bywhich they were drawn on board, waiting with confidence for what weshould give them, and appearing content with it. Some few had broughtarms with them, but for trading, not warlike purposes; and although sovastly superior to us in numbers, they behaved with great modesty. Wesaw no scars upon them, like those of their neighbours of Maouna--afavourable sign, though they certainly seemed to belong to the samerace. It would be interesting to know the cause of this strikingdifference. 

In less than an hour we had obtained upwards of sixty large pigs, and asuperfluity of fowls, vegetables, and fruits of various kinds, coveringour whole deck, all of which cost us only some pieces of old iron, somestrings of glass beads, and about a dozen nails. The blue beads seemedto be in highest estimation. A great fat pig was thought sufficientlypaid for by two strings of them; and when they became scarce with us, the savages were glad to give two pigs for one such necklace. 

Some of the fruits and roots they brought were unknown to us; and theirgreat size proved the strength of the soil. The bananas were of seven oreight species, of which I had hitherto seen but three in the mostfruitful countries. Some of them were extremely large, and of a mostexcellent flavour. One of the fruits resembled an egg in size andfigure; its colour was a bright crimson; and on the following day whenwe celebrated the Easter festival after the Russian fashion, theysupplied to us the place of the Easter eggs. 

I must yet mention two more articles of our marketing--namely, tamepigeons and parrots. The former are widely different from those ofEurope both in shape and in the splendour of their plumage; their clawsare also differently formed. The parrots are not larger than a sparrow, of a lively green and red, with red tails more than four times thelength of their whole bodies. All these birds, of which great numberswere brought to us, were so tame, that they would sit quietly on thehand of their master, and receive their food from his mouth; theinclination for taming them, and the method of treatment, is favourableevidence of the mildness which characterises this people. 

How many other unknown plants and animals may exist among these islands, where Nature is so profuse! and how much is it to be regretted that nosecure anchorage can be found, which would enable an European expeditionto effect a landing with proper precautions. Some idea may be formed ofthe dense population of the Flat Island, from the fact that, small as isits extent, above sixty canoes, each containing seven or eight men, cameto us from it in less than an hour; and had we stayed longer, thecanoes must have amounted to some hundreds, as the whole sea between usand the island was rapidly covering with increasing numbers. 

Our market became still more animated when, the ship's provision beingcompleted, I gave permission to the sailors to trade each for himself;as hitherto, to avoid confusion, the bargains had all been made by oneperson. Now some wanted one thing, some another from the canoes; andbuttons, old bits of cloth, and pieces of glass, were offered inexchange. The noise became louder and louder; and the sailors laid insuch a stock of their own, that for weeks afterwards theirbreakfast-table was always provided with a roasted pig stuffed withbananas, and their palates gratified with abundance of delicious fruits. They unanimously declared that they had never seen so rich a country. 

Our trade was interrupted by the appearance of a great canoe surroundedwith lesser ones, which, advancing towards us, drew the attention of allthe natives. They called out _Eige-ea Eige_, and hastened to give placeto the new-comers. The canoe, rowed by ten men, large and elegantlyembellished with muscle-shells, soon approached us. The heads of therowers and of the steersman were decorated with green boughs, probablyin token of peace. 

In the fore part of the vessel, on a platform covered with matting, satan elderly man cross-legged in the Asiatic fashion, holding a green, silk European parasol, which we conjectured must have belonged to one ofthe unfortunate companions of La Pérouse, and have been obtained by thischief from Maouna. His clothing consisted of a very finely plaitedgrass-mat, hanging like a mantle from his shoulders, and a girdle roundhis waist. His head was enveloped in a piece of white stuff, in themanner of a turban. He spoke a few words, accompanied by a motion of thehand, to his countrymen or subjects, who immediately made way for hiscanoe to come alongside; and on our invitation he came on board attendedby three persons. 

He was not tattooed, was about six feet high, thin, but vigorous andmuscular. His features were not handsome but agreeable; his countenancewas intelligent and reflective; his behaviour modest and decorous. 

On entering the ship, he inquired for the _Eigeh_, and I was pointed outto him; he approached me, bowed his head a little, spoke a few wordswhich I did not understand, and then took hold of my elbows with bothhands, raised them up several times, and repeated the English words"Very good. " After this welcome, which I returned in an European manner, he gave me to understand that he was Eigeh of the Flat Island, andcommanded his attendants to lay at my feet the presents he had broughtfor me, consisting of three fine fat pigs, which he called _boaka_, andsome fruits. I presented him in return with a large hatchet, two stringsof blue beads, and a coloured silk handkerchief, which I bound for himmyself over his turban. The _Eigeh_ appeared excessively happy in thepossession of these treasures, and tried to express his thankfulness byvarious gesticulations, and the repetition of the words "Very good. " Healso seemed to hold the blue beads in great estimation, and could notfeel convinced that all those riches actually belonged to him. Heinquired in pantomime if he might really keep both necklaces; and on myassuring him that he might, the old man forgot his dignity, and jumpedabout like a boy with the beads in his hand, calling out, "Very good!very good!" A fat treasurer shared the joy of his lord, andpunctiliously imitated its expression, though not without somedifficulty. When this tumult of pleasure had a little subsided, thelatter produced a small basket very prettily plaited, and provided witha lid, and placed in it the costly acquisitions of the _Eigeh_; whohimself took from it a Spanish dollar, and endeavoured to make mecomprehend the question, whether this would purchase more blue beads. 

To judge if he had any idea of the value of money, I offered him asingle bead for his dollar; he immediately closed with the bargain, and, fearing that I might repent of mine, snatched up the bead and thrust themoney into my hand. I returned it to him; but, to his delight andastonishment, left him in possession of the bead. I now tried to learnfrom him how he came by this coin. He soon comprehended my meaning, pointed to the south, named Tongatabu, one of the Friendly Islands, which are some days' voyage from his own, and gave us to understand thathe had sailed thither in his own vessel, and had there met with a shipfrom whose _Eigeh_ he had obtained the dollar as well as the parasol. The boldness and skill these islanders display in the management oftheir fragile canoes, guiding them on long voyages merely by the sun andstars, in a region where the trade-wind is seldom constant, is mostsurprising. 

I also made some little presents to the suite of the _Eigeh_, and thegood people were lost in amazement at their costliness, till theirattention was withdrawn from them to the ship itself. Their inquisitiveeyes wandered in all directions, and their astonishment and admirationwas loudly expressed. The _Eigeh_ contemplated the objects before himwith more tranquillity, and asked but few questions, having already seena ship, which his companions probably had not. 

He remarked, however, with wonder the number of our guns and muskets, which he called _Puas_; counted them several times over, and clasped hishands above his head to express his surprise. He intimated to us that heknew the effect they produced, by pointing to a gun, trying to imitatethe sound of the report, and then closing his eyes and hanging his head. He explained this to his companions, who were so terrified by what hetold them, that they would not again venture near the guns. 

Meanwhile our traffic was renewed, though rather confusedly, from theimpatience of the islanders to dispose of their property; the _Eigeh_grew angry at this, and pressed me much to fire my _puas_ on theboisterous mob. Was he then really acquainted with their destructivepower, and so indifferent about human life? Or, was he aware of thepossibility of firing with blank cartridges? This remained uncertain. 

A telescope which I held in my hand attracted the observation of thechief, who took it for a gun. I directed him to look through it; but thesudden vision of the distant prospect brought so close to his eye thathe could even distinguish the people on the strand, so terrified him, that nothing could induce him to touch the magic instrument again. 

He took much pains to persuade me to visit him on shore, embraced merepeatedly, and gave me to understand that we might cast anchor by hisisland, and that we should there have as many pigs as we pleased. Atlength he took my arm, and leading me to the railing, whence we couldsee the throngs of islanders busied with their barter, pointed to thewomen among them, whom he called _waraki_, shook his head, and said "Novery good. " Then he pointed to the island, and said in a kind tone, "Very good _waraki_. " I very easily withstood this last temptation, strong as the _Eigeh_ seemed to think it; but I would willingly haveseen the beautiful country, had it been possible to make a landing underthe protection of our guns, for which however the wind was notfavourable: a longer stay might besides have rendered our situationcritical. We had a perfect calm, and were driven by a strong currenttowards the land; I therefore took advantage of the first puff of windto make as much sail as I could, amidst the loud lamentations of theislanders, who expressed their regret in a mournful parting song. 

The _Eigeh_, perceiving that his invitations would not be accepted, tooka friendly leave of us: he seized me again by my elbows, hung his head, repeated several times the word "_Marua_, " and departed. The canoes didnot follow him, but remained near us, as our vessel could make butlittle way on account of the slackness of the wind. 

The traffic was now over, and the attention of our companions thereforefree to observe all our proceedings in the ship. Some of them thought toamuse us by making leaps into the air, and then begged for a reward. Wedid not disappoint them, and the tricks were reiterated, till a suddengust of wind changed their merriment into consternation. The canoesimmediately ahead of the ship could not leave its passage clear in timeto prevent our running down great numbers of them. In a moment ourmajestic vessel had distanced the multitude of its diminutiveattendants, leaving extreme confusion behind it. The islanders' skill innavigation, however, enabled them speedily to recover from the shock, and the wind falling again, they succeeded in overtaking us. In theeffort to accomplish this, they left all those to their fate who werestill swimming about in search of their lost oars, and took no noticewhatever of their cries for assistance. We pointed their attention totheir forsaken companions, but the volatile creatures only laughed, andnot a single canoe would return to take them in. At length, towardsnightfall, they left us with the cry of "_Marua! Marua!_"

Among these islanders we observed the disease of elephantism, from whichthe Tahaitians suffer so much; otherwise they appeared healthy. If, asthe Tahaitian captain said, they are subject to the Friendly Islanders, and must pay a yearly tribute to Tongatabu, the island Maouna, whichNature herself has made a strong fortress, and whose inhabitants aresuch fierce warriors, is probably excepted. 

The following day we surveyed the magnificent island of Pola. Its loftymountain was enveloped in thick white clouds, which seemed to roll downits sides, while the majestic summit rose into a cloudless region abovethem. The most luxuriant vegetation covers even its highest points. From a considerable elevation down the sea-shore, the island presents acharming amphitheatre of villages and plantations, and confirmed us inthe opinion, that the Navigators' Islands are the most beautiful in theSouthern Ocean, and consequently in the whole world. 

The shore was thronged with people, some of whom pushed their canoesinto the sea to approach us, and others stood quietly watching us as wesailed past. The recurrence of a calm enabled the islanders to reach us, and our traffic with them was carried on in the same manner as with thenatives of the Flat Island. 

To avoid repetition, I shall only remark, that they seemed more shy thanour yesterday's friends; that one of them offered us a red paint forsale; and that another cheated us. The former daubed his face with someof the colour to show us its use. Since none of them were painted withit, it is probably only used in war, or on grand occasions. The cheatremained, when the darkness had driven the other islanders homewards, bargaining with us for the price of a hog: a sack was lowered to himwith the required payment, and when drawn up was found to contain a dog. The rascal had made off, but we sent a bullet after him, which seemed toproduce no small dismay. 

On the following day, the 7th of April, having completed ourobservations, we took our course with a fresh trade-wind and full sailstowards the north-west, in a direction where, according to the opinionof hydrographers, islands must lie. 

With respect to our geographical observations on the Navigators'Islands, I must make one remark--that all the longitudes found by usdiffer from those of La Pérouse by from 20 to 23', and the pointsobserved lying so many miles more easterly than he considered them. Hisobservations were grounded on the distance of the moon, which alwaysgives a false longitude unless there is an opportunity of seeing themoon at equal distances, right and left, from the sun. Our longitudeswere fixed by good chronometers, which having been regulated at CapeVenus, could not in so short a time have made any important error. 

[Illustration: CHART OF THE ISLANDS OF RADAK AND RALIK]

RADACK CHAIN OF ISLANDS. 

RADACK CHAIN OF ISLANDS. 

On the 8th of April, at noon, we found ourselves, according to ourobservation, in the latitude 11° 24' South, and in the longitude 174°24'. We had left the north-west point of the island of Pola one hundredand forty miles behind us: the weather was fine, the horizon very clear, but we looked in vain from the mast-head for land. 

Hence we gave up any further search in this quarter, and directed ourcourse to the north, for the shortest way to cut the Equator, and then, by the help of the north-east trade-wind, to reach Radack, where weintended to stop and make observations on the pendulum, the results ofwhich, in the neighbourhood of the Equator, would be important to us. Iappointed Otdia, belonging to this chain of islands, for our residence, as affording the most convenient anchorage for large ships. 

We were so much delayed by calms, that we could not till the 19th ofApril reach the ninth degree of south latitude. Here we encounteredgusts of wind and torrents of rain, and a current carried us daily fromtwenty to thirty miles westward. When we were under three degrees southlatitude, and one hundred and eighty degrees longitude, the currentsuddenly changed, and we were driven just as strongly to the East, --acircumstance too remarkable to be passed over in silence. At a distancefrom land in the vicinity of the Equator, the currents are alwayswesterly. Here it was precisely contrary; from what cause I am unable toexplain. 

From the fifth degree of south latitude to the Equator, we dailyperceived signs of the neighbourhood of land. When we were exactly in 4°15' latitude, and 178° longitude, heavy gales brought swarms ofbutterflies and small land-birds to the ship; we must therefore havebeen near land, but we looked for it in vain; and this discovery remainsfor some future navigator. 

On the 22nd we cut the Equator in the longitude 179° 43', and once morefound ourselves in our own Northern hemisphere--nearer to our nativecountry, though the course by which we must reach it would be stilllonger than that we had traversed. Our old acquaintance the Great Bearshowed himself once more, and we looked upon him with joy, as though hehad brought intelligence from our distant homes. 

We now again employed Parrot's machine to draw up water from a depth of800 fathoms. Its temperature was only six degrees of Reaumur, while thatof the water at the surface was twenty-three degrees. 

A tolerably strong wind, which blew during several successive days, brought us within sight of the Radack Islands, on the morning of the28th of April. 

To those who are yet unacquainted with these islands, and cannot or willnot have recourse to my former voyage, I must be excused giving a fewparticulars concerning them. 

In the year 1816, in the ship Rurik, I discovered the chain of islandscalled by their inhabitants, Radack. It consists of several groups lyingnear each other, and these again of many small islands united by reefsand surrounding great basins of water. All these being formed by thecoral insect, are very low, and still but thinly covered with soil, sothat they want the luxuriance of vegetation usual in this climate; theirpopulation is scanty; and the most important island of a group commonlygives its name to the whole. 

The Radackers are tall and well made, of a dark brown complexion; theirblack hair is neatly bound up, and that of the women decorated withflowers and strings of muscle-shells. Their features are soft andagreeable, and many of both sexes may be considered beautiful. Theyattain a great age, and though less robust than some other South Seaislanders, and subsisting wholly on fish and vegetables, are generallyhealthy. In gentleness and good-nature they excel them all, even perhapsthe Tahaitians. 

The chief or sovereign of all these islands is named Lamari: the chiefsof the particular groups are subordinate to him; and under these are thechiefs of the separate islands composing each group. The chief of thegroup Otdia is called Rarik. I gave his portrait in my former voyage, and was particularly pleased with him, and with another native of thesame group, named Lagediak. An inhabitant named Kadu of the group Kawan, no native, but thrown there by a storm from the island of Ulle, made thevoyage from Otdia to Unalaschka and back with us in the ship Rurik, andgained the good-will of the whole crew. He gave us some instructions inthe Radack language; and on our second visit could interpret pretty wellbetween us and the islanders, as he already spoke a little Russian: hisportrait also is prefixed to one of the volumes of my former voyage. 

After an absence of eight years, I was now again in sight of myfavourite Radack Islands, where I had passed several weeks among some ofthe best of Nature's children. Whoever has read my former narrative, will imagine the pleasure with which I anticipated my certain welcome; Ipictured to myself a meeting on which the heavens themselves appearedto smile. It was an uncommonly fine day, and a fresh and favourable windcarried us quickly towards land. Our inquiring glances soon showed usfrom the deck, on the island Otdia, the airy groves of palms whichenclose the residence of Rarik, and under whose shade I had so often satamong the friendly islanders. We could now distinguish boats sailingabout on the inner basins, from one island to another, and a crowd ofpeople running to the shore to gaze at the ship. I knew my timid friendstoo well, not to guess what was passing in their minds. I had indeed, onparting from them, promised to visit them again, but the length of timewhich had since elapsed had probably extinguished this hope; and theywould easily perceive that the great three-masted ship they now saw wasnot the small two-masted Rurik of their acquaintance. If, therefore, thefirst glimpse of the vessel had flattered them with the expectation ofseeing me again, their pleasure had been ere this converted into fear. Uncertain how they might be treated by the strangers, the women andchildren fled to the interior, and all the canoes were set in motion tocarry their little possessions to some place of comparative safety. Themost courageous among them advanced armed with spears to the shore, displaying their valour while the danger was yet distant. 

It is not surprising that timorous apprehensions should agitate thesepoor people on the appearance of a strange vessel. Their westernneighbours, the inhabitants of the island of Ralick, and of the southernislands of the groups Mediuro and Arno, which are much more thicklypeopled, sometimes attack them with a superior force, plunder them, destroy their fruit-trees, and leave them scarcely subsistence enough topreserve them from starving. They had indeed imbibed from the crew ofthe Rurik a favourable opinion of white people; but the ship which nowapproached them was a monster in comparison of it, and they wereexcusable in supposing it manned by another and unknown race. 

We now reached the group Otdia, and sailed close under the outward reef, towards the Schischmaref Strait, through which I proposed to enter thebasin. The sight of the ship diffused terror throughout all the islandsas we passed, and the natives fled for concealment to the forests. As weapproached the Lagediak Strait, the breeze was sufficient to warrant usin venturing through it; I therefore gave up my intention of entering bythe Schischmaref Strait where the wind would be against us, spread allsail, and soon rode on the placid waters of the basin. I would nothowever advise seamen, without an adequate inducement, to choose thisstrait: it is so narrow, that stones might easily be thrown across fromeither shore; while, on the contrary, the breadth of the SchischmarefStrait admits of tacking, and renders its passage easy with a good ship. The water in the Lagediak is so transparent, that in a depth of fourteenfathoms, every stone at the bottom is discernible; the officer who satin the tops on the watch for shallows, deceived by this appearance, expected every moment that the ship would run aground. 

We continued to sail pleasantly on the beautiful smooth water of thebasin, but the wind blowing directly off the island of Otdia, (afterwhich the whole group is named, and where I hoped to meet with Rarik, ) Iwas compelled, as it grew dark, to cast anchor before the island ofOrmed, in a depth of thirty-two fathoms, on a bottom of fine coral sand. Till the ship entered this natural harbour, the courage of the islandersdid not quite forsake them, as they supposed the entrance to be unknownto us, and the exterior coast they trusted to the protection of thesurf; but when we had penetrated into the basin, the panic becameuniversal. We observed a constant running backwards and forwards on theshore; canoes hastily laden and rowed away, some to the right and someto the left, but none coming near us. The whole island of Ormed seemed, on our arrival, to have fairly given up the ghost. It was not till afterdark that we could perceive any trace of life upon it; large fires werethen kindled in two places at some distance from each other, while manysmaller ones were flickering between them. We could also hear a sort ofshrieking song, accompanied by the drum, which I knew to be their mannerof calling on the gods for help, and which proved the extent of thealarm we had occasioned. This religious rite lasted through the night, but with the morning's dawn my friends had again disappeared, and thestillness of death prevailed as before. 

We weighed anchor, and endeavoured by tacking to reach Otdia; and in sodoing, often came very close upon the little picturesque bright greenislands which studded the sparkling lake. The fresh morning breezewafted aromatic odours towards us; but the huts of the inhabitants stoodempty and desolate. When we were near Otdia, we again descried canoessailing as close as possible to the shore. The population was busy onthe strand, but no one seemed rightly to know what should be done inthis alarming crisis. We next saw a long procession of islanders, bearing branches of palm as symbols of peace, taking advantage of theebb-tide to cross the reef towards Otdia, and carrying baskets ofcocoa-nuts and other fruits on poles. Hence it appeared that my friendshad yielded to their destiny, and hoped to win the favour of theintruders by humility and presents. From their former dismay, Ianticipated that Kadu was absent, or he would have inspired hiscountrymen with more confidence. 

We dropped anchor at noon opposite Otdia, on the same spot where theRurik formerly rode. I then ordered a small two-oared boat to belowered, and to make my first visit as little formidable as possible tomy friends, went ashore with only Dr. Eschscholz and two sailors. Werowed direct to Rarik's residence, where no human being was visible. Alittle canoe, bringing three men from a neighbouring island, now nearedthe shore, but immediately endeavoured to escape on observing that westeered towards it; in vain I waved a white handkerchief, a signal I hadformerly been accustomed to make; they persisted in crowding sail, andtaking all possible pains to get out of our reach; but their extremeanxiety now rendered that difficult which they usually perform withgreat dexterity. While they disputed vehemently among themselves, wegained materially upon them, and their entangled ropes refusing theassistance of their sails, they were on the point of trusting to theirskill in swimming for safety, when two words from me changed all thisterror into equally clamorous joy. I called to them "_Totabu_, " the wordinto which they had tortured my name; and "_Aidarah_, " an expressionsignifying both _friend_ and _good_. They stood motionless, waiting fora repetition of the cry, to convince themselves that their ears had notdeceived them; but on my reiterating "_Totabu Aidarah_, " they burst intothe wildest acclamations of joy; called aloud to the shore, "_HeiTotabu, Totabu!_" and leaving their canoe to take care of itself, swamto land, incessantly repeating their exclamations of joy. 

The inhabitants of Otdia, who had been observing us from behind thebushes, now that the well-known name resounded through the island, sprang from their concealment, giving vent to their rapture in frolicgestures, dances, and songs. Numbers hurried to the strand; others raninto the water as high as their hips, to be the first to welcome us. Iwas now generally recognised, and called Rarik, because, according tothe custom prevailing here, I had sealed my friendship with that chiefby an exchange of names. They also recognised Dr. Eschscholz, who hadbeen of my former expedition, and heartily rejoiced in seeing againtheir beloved "_Dein Name_. " This was the name he had borne among them;because when they asked his name, and he did not understand thequestion, several of our people called to him "_Dein name_, " which wasimmediately adopted as his designation. 

Four islanders lifted me from the boat, and carried me ashore, to whereLagediak awaited me with open arms, and pressed me most cordially to hisbosom. The powerful tones of the muscle horn now resounded through thewoods, and our friends announced the approach of Rarik. He soon appearedrunning at full speed towards us, and embraced me several times, endeavouring in every possible way to express his joy at our return. 

Though the friends to whom I was thus restored were but poor ignorantsavages, I was deeply affected by the ardour of their reception; theirunsophisticated hearts beat with sincere affection towards me, --and howseldom have I felt this happy consciousness among the civilized nationsof the world!

Even the women and children now made their appearance; and, among them, Rarik's loquacious mother, who with much gesticulation made me a longspeech, of which I understood very little. When she had concluded, Rarikand Lagediak, each offering me an arm, led me to the house of theformer. 

Upon a verdant spot before it, surrounded and shaded by bread-fruittrees, young girls were busily spreading mats for Dr. Eschscholz andmyself to sit on. Rarik and Lagediak seated themselves facing us, andthe mother (eighty years of age) by my side, at a little distance. Theother islanders formed a compact circle around us; the nearest lineseating themselves, and those behind standing, to secure a better viewof us. Some climbed the trees; and fathers raised their children intheir arms, that they might see over the heads of the people. The womenbrought baskets of flowers, and decorated us with garlands; and Rarik'smother, drawing from her ears the beautiful white flower of the lilykind, so carefully cultivated here as an indispensable ornament of thefemale sex, did her best to fasten it into mine with strings of grass, while the people expressed their sympathy by continual cries of"_Aidarah_. " In the mean time the young girls were employed in pressinginto muscle-shells the juice of the Pandanus, which they presented tous, with a sort of sweet-meat called Mogan, prepared from the samefruit; the flavour of both is very agreeable. 

We were now overwhelmed with questions from all sides; to which, fromour imperfect knowledge of their language, we could return but fewanswers. Rarik and Lagediak expressed their astonishment at the size ofour ship, inquired what was become of the Rurik, and, whether theirfriends Timaro, Tamiso, &c. (Schischmaref and Chamisso) were stillliving, how they were, and why they did not accompany us. 

After the first ebullition of joy at our meeting, I thought I perceivedby the deportment of Rarik, that he had something on his mind; heseemed conscious of some fault, and in vain endeavoured, under friendlylooks and words, to conceal a latent uneasiness. I even thought I couldtrace a similar feeling in his mother and Lagediak. Pained by theseappearances, I asked an explanation. Rarik could no longer control hisfeelings, but immediately fell, like a repentant child, in tears upon myneck, without however confessing the cause of his agitation. On quittingthe island eight years previously, I had appointed Kadu to theguardianship of the plants and animals we left behind, with thestrongest injunctions on all the islanders to avoid injuring them, andthreats of exacting a severe account on my return for any such offence. I had not yet ventured to inquire after them, fearful that the reportmight prove unsatisfactory, and cast a cloud over the pleasure of ourmeeting. It now occurred to me that Rarik must in some way have injuredKadu; perhaps he might even have put him to death. I looked sternly inRarik's face, while I inquired after him, but he answered me quiteinnocently that Kadu was well and residing on the Aur group of islandswith their chief Lamari. The old mother then took up the conversation, and very diffusively related that Lamari, soon after our departure, hadcome hither with a fleet, and forcibly carried to Aur all the animals, plants, tools, pieces of iron, --in short, whatever we had left on theisland. 

Lagediak confirmed this tale, and added, that Lamari had demanded ofevery islander, under pain of death, the last piece of iron in hispossession. Kadu, he said, soon after our departure, had married ahandsome girl, the daughter or relation of the chief of Ormed; had beenraised to the dignity of a Tamon-ellip, or great-commander, by Lamari;and having freely made over the half of his treasures to this personage, (a step which I had myself advised, ) had been permitted to retainpeaceable possession of the remainder. It was also by his own desirethat Lamari had removed him to Aur, where he continued hissuperintendence of the plants and animals. Kadu had commissionedLagediak to relate all these circumstances to me, with a request that Iwould visit him at Aur; an invitation which with regret I was preventedaccepting by the large size of my ship. 

I was glad however that Kadu had settled in Aur, as I hoped that theanimals and plants with which I had enriched these islands wouldflourish under his care; and I learnt from Rarik that when he was ashort time before in Aur, on a visit to his father, they had propagated, and were doing well. Swine and goats already formed part of theirfestival provisions, and Rarik had himself partaken of such a feast. Irejoiced in this information, and in the promise it afforded, thatthrough my means the time may be approaching when the barbarous customof sacrificing the third or fourth child of every marriage, from fear offamine, may wholly cease. 

The cat was the only animal of those I had left at Otdia which remainedthere; and it was no longer of the domestic species; it had become verynumerous and entirely wild, but as yet had occasioned no sensiblediminution in the number of rats. It may be hoped, however, that as thecats have no other food, those voracious pests of the gardens may atlength be exterminated. These cats, under the influence of a strangeclimate, and in an undomesticated state, may perhaps undergo some changeof properties and habits, by which naturalists, always well pleased toenlarge their zoological lists, may be led to consider them as anunknown species of tiger. To obviate this error, I advertise such gentrybeforehand, that the animal in question is absolutely nothing more thanthe ordinary European household cat. 

Of the plants which we had introduced to the Radackers, the vine alonehad failed. Lagediak pointed out to me the spot on which we had plantedit. It had withered, but not till, from the extreme fruitfulness of thesoil, its tendrils had reached the tops of the highest trees. 

I was not surprised that Kadu should have married soon after ourdeparture a native of the island of Ormed. The girls there areparticularly handsome, and we had some suspicion of an affair of theheart, from the sudden change in his previous determination to accompanyus to Russia, which took place immediately after an excursion he hadmade with Mr. Chamisso to Ormed. Fortunately for himself, he preferreda quiet domestic life under his own beautiful sky, to tempting theseverity of our Northern climate, which would probably soon havedestroyed him; and fortunately for his countrymen, he remained tocultivate among them the beneficial arts of gardening and breeding ofcattle. 

The melancholy of Rarik still continuing after all this explanation, Iagain inquired the cause. He then tremblingly led me by the arm to thecocoa-tree, against which I had fastened a copper-plate, bearing thename of my ship, and the date of my discovery of the island, anddenouncing severe punishment in case of its removal. It haddisappeared:--how easily might Rarik and Lagediak, and the crowd ofpeople, all equally dejected, who followed us, have excused themselvesby an assertion, that Lamari, on his predatory expedition, had carriedoff this plate; but they were too honourable. Imploring my pardon, theycandidly confessed that they had been deficient in their care ofit, --that it had been stolen, and that they had been unable to discoverthe thief. 

Rejoiced to find that their melancholy arose from no cause more seriousthan this, I cordially embraced my friends, while they wept for joy inmy arms. Their happiness was now complete, and the multitude returnedwith us, shouting for joy, to Rarik's dwelling, where an _Eb_, orartless opera, was represented; the subject, --my crew of the Rurik andmyself: each song celebrated one of us individually, and the praises ofthe whole were chanted in the concluding chorus. I regretted much that Icould not understand them better. The words, _moll_ (iron), _aidarah_(friend), _tamon_ (commander), _oa ellip_ (great boat), and Kadu's name, were frequently repeated. The Radackers preserve their traditions inthese poetic representations; and as they assemble every evening toamuse themselves with dancing and singing, the children, while takingpart in these innocent pleasures, learn the history of their country inthe most agreeable manner, and communicate it in their turn tosucceeding generations. 

When the dramatic piece was concluded, and I had distributed all thelittle presents I had brought, I returned to my vessel, my friendspromising me a visit the same day. 

I now had all the boats lowered to bring ashore our tent and pendulumapparatus. The islanders received the sailors with great alacrity, brought them cocoa-nuts, helped them to disembark, and set up the tent, and appeared delighted with our intention of establishing ourselves onland. 

Rarik and Lagediak were the first who visited us in the afternoon. Theyrowed several times in their little canoe round the ship, contemplatedit very attentively, and with emotions of wonder, repeatedly exclaiming, _Erico! Erico!_--a word denoting admiration. When I met them upon deck, they forgot to salute me, stood at first riveted to the spot likestatues, till an "O, o!" stretched to a minute's length, gave vent atlast to their astonishment. I led them round, and showed them all thatcould interest them, their surprise increasing with every novelty theysaw. 

Lagediak inquired if the ship and all its appurtenances had been made inRussia; and on my answering in the affirmative, exclaimed, _TamonRussia, ellip, ellip!_ words which my readers will now be prepared tounderstand. 

Lagediak soon commenced an admeasurement of the ship in all directions, with a string he had brought for this purpose: having obtained thedimensions of the ship's body, he next climbed the masts, to measure theyards and sails. My friends also expressed much surprise at the greatnumber of men on board, and tried to count them. At the number ten, theyalways made a knot on a piece of string, and then began again. Incomparison with the compliment of the Rurik, (only twenty men, ) mypresent crew must have appeared extremely numerous. 

A crowd of the islanders soon came on board, without the leasthesitation or fear. Though very merry, and quite at home, they were allwell-behaved and modest. Incessant laughter pealed from below, wherethese lovers of mirth had mingled with our sailors, in all sorts oftricks and jests; the different parties danced and sang alternately, each laughing heartily at the performances of the other. They exchangedembraces and presents; of the guests especially not one wasempty-handed: they had brought their finest fruit, and little specimensof their handiwork; and each, with unaffected cordiality, lavished thecontents of his cornucopia on a chosen friend. The setting sun gave thesignal for separation, and it was obeyed amidst mutual promises ofmeeting again on the morrow. 

Lagediak, after finishing his measurements, did not again move from myside. His desire of knowledge was boundless; nor could the explanationsI was obliged to give upon the most insignificant articles satisfy hiscuriosity. On learning that we could stay only a few days at Otdia, heagain became very sorrowful, and most earnestly pressed me to spend theremainder of my life here. He left nothing untried to procure myacquiescence in this wish: love, ambition, glory, were successively heldout as lures: I should have the most beautiful woman of the islands formy wife, --should kill the tyrant and usurper Lamari, as he had killedhis predecessor, and should reign in his stead Tamon of Radack. As I lethim talk on without interruption, he supposed I should accede to hisplans. In his joy over this offspring of his own imagination, he jumpedabout the cabin like a child, and, on quitting the ship, earnestlyenjoined me to say nothing to Rarik of our project. 

Lagediak, on visiting me again the following morning, brought me roastedfish, bread-fruit, and fresh cocoa-nuts, for breakfast: he drank coffeewith me, and appeared to think it not much amiss. He brought with himhis son, about thirteen or fourteen years of age, to present to me. Thisinteresting boy appeared to inherit the disposition of his amiablefather. His intelligent countenance afforded a promise, which themodesty and propriety of his conduct confirmed: he might easily havebeen educated for our most refined society. 

Lagediak soon recurred to his yesterday's project of making me chief ofRadack. He sketched the plan of its execution, and entered upon thefurther measures which would be requisite to give power and stability tothe new government. We were first to sail to Aur and vanquish Lamari, and then to attack the hostile group of the Mediuro islands, theconquest of which would render me master of the whole chain of Radack. Animated by these valiant projects, he flourished his fist as ifalready in battle, till it encountered a tea-cup, which fell in athousand fragments to the ground. His natural timidity suddenly banishedthe heroism into which his subject had wrought him: he feared he haddone me an injury, and consequently incurred my displeasure. Ire-assured him on this head, but gave him much pain by representing theimpossibility of my remaining in Radack, as my duty called me elsewhere. After some minutes of silent consideration, he led his son to me, andbegged I would take him with me to Russia. I was then obliged to explainto him that I should never return to Radack, and that if his sonaccompanied me, he must take leave of him for ever. This was too muchfor the father's heart; he embraced his son, and would no longer thinkof a separation. He was also overcome with sorrow at the idea of seeingme for the last time; and a little self-interest probably mingled in themelancholy look he cast upon a hatchet which I had given him, as heexclaimed--"I shall never get any iron again!"

I now turned the conversation on the Mediuro, and expressed a wish toknow how the campaign had prospered, which Lamari, when I was last here, was about to undertake against those islands. He understood meperfectly, and taxed to the utmost his powers of pantomime to give me anaccount of the war, in which he had himself been engaged. 

Lamari's fleet, as I understood my informant, consisted of fortyvessels; and therefore, judging by the size of the boats here, the wholearmy could not be above four hundred strong, including the women, who, from the rear, lend assistance to the combatants by throwing stones atthe enemy, and by assuming the surgeon's office. This force wascollected from the whole Radack chain; the war was bloody, and lastedsix whole days. Five of the enemy were slain, and Lamari gained asplendid victory with the loss of one man! The fleet returnedtriumphant, laden with cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, and pandanas. Kadu hadespecially distinguished himself: he was armed with a sabre and lance, and wore a white shirt, and wide trowsers, which formidable attire wascompleted by a red cap on his head. All the hatchets, above a hundredin number, which I had given to the Radackers, and which Lamariafterwards appropriated, were fastened on long poles and distributedamong the best warriors; this gave the army of Lamari a great advantage;so that I might take credit to myself for the happy issue of thecampaign. 

Lagediak informed me further that Lamari had also determined on anexpedition to the Odia[6] group of islands, belonging to the Ralikchain. The inhabitants of these had heard something of the treasureswhich the Radackers had acquired by my visit, and their rapacity beingexcited, had made an attack on the Kawen group of the Radack chain, without the usual declaration of war, and thus taking the inhabitants bysurprise, had beaten and plundered them, and returned home laden withbooty, though the Kawen people had made a valorous resistance, andkilled two of the Odians without losing a man themselves. This appearedto have occurred about a year before my arrival, and the vengeance ofLamari had been hitherto delayed; the levying and provisioning an armybeing here a work of time. Radack is so thinly peopled that all theislands must send their quota of men, which, on account of the extensionof the chain, cannot be very speedily performed. For a voyage to theRalik chain and back, victualling for four weeks at least is necessary, as the return is against the trade-wind. The Mogan, which is principallyused in these expeditions, is very nutritious, and the Radackers arevery moderate, so that a small quantity suffices for their support, otherwise they could not provision their canoes for voyages of thislength. 

I was surprised to find Lagediak perfectly secure of the success of thisundertaking, and expressed my fears that his countrymen might possiblybe worsted, but he continued sanguine, --for the hatchets with which hisbrethren were armed, the sword, and dread-inspiring costume of Kadu, were sources of confidence which could not be abated. 

During this conversation in the cabin, several islanders came on board, and the noise from below resembled that of the preceding day. Rarik hadalso arrived, decorated with fresh garlands of flowers, and had broughtme some trifling presents. The generally-dreaded Langin, Tamon ofEgmedio, presented himself to me this day, for the first time: heappeared glad to see me; but when on deck, the size of the ship, and thenumber of the crew, impressed him with so much alarm, that his veryteeth chattered. This anguish attack continued some time, but was atlength cured by our friendly deportment. 

Accompanied by Rarik and Lagediak, I rowed ashore, and found Messrs. Preus and Lenz already busy with the pendulum. They were perfectlysatisfied with the natives, who had behaved very well, and, except byspecial permission to come nearer, had kept at the appointed distancefrom the tent. They usually sat in a circle round the place, where theobservations were made, and gazed with wonder at the astronomer who hadso much business with the sun, taking him no doubt for a conjuror. 

In the hours of recreation, we allowed them to come to the tent, andthey always joyfully availed themselves of the permission, performing athousand little services, which made them appear really necessary tous, yet remaining invariably so modest, gentle, and friendly, that mycompany declared them to be, without exception, the most amiable peopleon earth. 

Rarik took me to his house, to witness another dramatic representation:the subject was the war on Mediuro. Women sang, or rather screamed, thedeeds of the warriors; and the men in their dances endeavoured, by angrygestures and brandishing their lances, to describe the valour of thecombatants. I expressed to Rarik my wish to know more of their method ofwarfare; he and Lagediak in consequence assembled two troops, which theyopposed to each other at a short distance, as hostile armies; the firstrank, in both, consisting of men, and the second of women. The formerwere armed with sticks instead of lances, the latter had their basketsfilled with pandana seeds for stones, and their hair, instead of beingas usual, tastefully bound up, hung dishevelled and wild about theirheads, giving them the appearance of maniacs. Rarik placed himself atthe head of one troop, and Lagediak of the other: both gave the signalfor attack, by blowing their muscle horns. The adverse forcesapproached; but instead of the battle began a comic dance, in which thetwo armies emulated each other in grimaces, furious gesticulations, anda distortion of the eyes, which left only the whites visible, while thewomen shrieked a war-song, which, if their opponents had been lovers ofharmony, would assuredly have put them to flight. The leaders on eachside took no share in these violent exertions, but stood still, animating their troops by the tones of the muscle horn. When exhaustedby these efforts, the horns were silent, and the armies separated bymutual consent, looking on while some of the most valiant from each sidecame forward to challenge with threats and abuse a champion of the enemyto single combat. This was represented by dancing and songs, andoccasional movements with the hand, as if to throw the lance, which theantagonist sought to avoid by dexterously springing aside. Therespective armies and their leaders animated the courage of theirwarriors by battle-songs, till the horns were blown again; the armiesonce more slowly approached each other; the champions retired intotheir ranks, and the battle was renewed with a prodigious noise; spearswaved in the air; pandana seed flew from the delicate hands of thefemale warriors, over the heads of their husbands, upon the enemy, butthe armies never came near enough to be really engaged. The leadersremained in front loudly blowing their horns, and sometimes givingcommands. At length, by accident or design, one of Lagediak's men fell;the battle was now over, the victory decided, and the signal given fordrawing off the forces. Both armies were so exhausted, that they threwthemselves on the grass, and amidst laughing and merriment, gavethemselves up to repose. 

A large sailing-boat now put ashore, and an old man with white hair andbeard was lifted from it; his shrivelled skin hung loosely over hisemaciated form, and his weakness was so extreme, that he could onlyapproach us by crawling on his hands and feet: Rarik and Lagediak wentto meet and welcome him. It was my old acquaintance, Langediu, Tamon ofOrmed. When our frigate lay at anchor before his island, he had notventured, he said, to visit us, not knowing whether we were friends orfoes; but when he heard that Totabu was arrived, he determined to makean effort to see me once more before his death. The old man crawled upto me and embraced me, shedding tears of joy; he talked a great deal, and spoke of Kadu being with Lamari in Aur. 

On my former visit, the traces of old age were scarcely perceptible inLangediu; but in the intervening eight years they had increased rapidly;still, although his body was so weak that he could only crawl onall-fours, he retained all the faculties of his mind, all his originalvivacity and good-humour, and his facetious remarks excited themerriment of the whole assembly. I have in many instances observed thatat Radack, old age brings with it no particular disease, and that themind remains unimpaired till its mortal covering sinks into the grave. Afine climate, moderate labour, and a vegetable diet, probably allcontribute to produce this effect. 

Langediu having intimated his wish to see the Oa ellip, I immediatelyrowed in my boat to the ship, followed by him in his Oa warro, or warcanoe: he was much pleased with the vessel, and all that he saw, and notless so with the little presents he received; but a circumstanceoccurred that caused the honourable old man some chagrin: one of hisattendants having concluded a friendship with the cook, took advantageof it to secrete a knife in his canoe; the cook missed the knife, andhis suspicions immediately fell on his friend. His person and canoe weresearched, and on the discovery of the stolen treasure the criminalconfessed his fault. He trembled exceedingly, probably remembering theflogging one of his countrymen received on board the Rurik for a similaroffence. As my stay was this time to be so short, I considered theflogging superfluous, and magnanimously forgave him, with a reproof, andan admonition never to steal again. Poor old Langediu was much hurt. Hecrawled about the ship in an agitated manner, exclaiming, _Kabuderih emoaidarah_ (stealing not good), severely reprimanded, and threatened theoffender, --showed him all the presents received from us, observing howmuch we must be shocked to be robbed, notwithstanding all ourgenerosity. He then led him to the guns, made him remark their greatnumber, and said, _Manih Emich_, _manih ni_, _ma_, (kill the island, kill the cocoa-trees, bread-fruit trees). Probably the old man hadlearned from Kadu the effect the guns would produce. After much chafingand scolding, he ordered the offender back into the canoe, and forbadehim to come again on board:--not a word did the thief utter the wholetime, and instantly obeyed the order to quit the vessel, but the oldmaster could not be pacified. He frequently repeated, "_Kabuderih emoaidarah_, " and his visit afforded him no more pleasure. He took an earlyleave of us, requesting that we would come to him on his island. 

The face of the thief appeared familiar to me; and Lagediak, in answerto my inquiries, informed me, laughing, that this was the brother of theman who had been beaten on board the Rurik. The propensity to theftappears to be a family failing. No other Radacker during our stayattempted to purloin the smallest trifle. 

In the afternoon, a large boat sailed through the Lagediak Straits intothe basin. I flattered myself with the arrival of some of my friendsfrom Aur, perhaps Kadu himself; but it was the gay Labugar from Eregub, brought hither by curiosity, having seen us sail past his island. 

When he heard who the strangers were, he immediately came to the ship. His joy at seeing me again was very great; but he regretted much thathis friend Timaro, with whom he had exchanged names, was not of ourcompany. The spirits of Labugar had lost during eight years none oftheir sprightliness; but his face looked much older, and his hair hadbecome grey. 

The fine weather induced me on the 3rd of May to visit Langediu on theisland of Ormed; he received me with the greatest joy, and offered mehis most costly treasures as presents. The children, grand-children, andgreat-grand-children of the good old man assembled round his house, andrepresented a dramatic piece for my amusement, in which Langediu himselfplayed a principal part, and astonished me by the animation of hisaction and singing. As this was one of the best representations I haveseen in Radack, I will describe it, in the hope that my readers alsowill not be uninterested in it. 

The number of the _dramatis personæ_ was twenty-six, thirteen men andthirteen women, who seated themselves in the following order on a spotof smooth turf. Ten men sat in a semicircle, and opposite to them tenwomen in a semicircle also, so that by uniting the points, an entirecircle would have been formed, but a space of about six feet was left atboth ends, in each of which sat an old woman provided with a drum. Thisdrum, made of the hollow trunk of a tree, is about three feet long, sixinches in diameter at each end, narrowed like an hour-glass, to halfthat thickness in the middle. Both ends are covered with the skin of theshark: it is held under the arm, and struck with the palm of the hand. In the middle of the circle, old Langediu took his station with ahandsome young woman, sitting back to back. The whole party wereelegantly adorned about the head, and the females about the body also, with garlands of flowers. Outside the circle stood two men with musclehorns. The hollow tones of these horns are the signal for a chorusperformed by the whole company, with violent movements of the arms andgesticulations meant to be in consonance with the words. When thisceased, a duet from the pair in the middle was accompanied by the drumsand horns only; Langediu fully equalling his young companion inanimation. The chorus then began again, and this alternation wasrepeated several times, till the young songstress whose motions had beengrowing more and more vehement, suddenly fell down as dead. Langediu'ssong then became lower and more plaintive: he bent over the body, andseemed to express the deepest sorrow; the whole circle joined in hislamentations, and the play concluded. 

Deficient as was my knowledge of the language, I was still able clearlyto understand the subject of this tragedy, which represented a marriageceremony. The young girl was forced to accept of a husband whom she didnot love, and preferred death to such an union. Perhaps the reason ofold Langediu's playing the part of the lover might be, to give moreprobability to the young bride's objections and resolution. 

The young females assembled here, among whom the deceased bride ofLangediu soon reappeared, fresh and lively as ever, reminded me ofKadu's assertion, that the women of Ormed were the handsomest in Radack. Some of them were really very attractive, and their flowery adornmentsextremely becoming. These people have more taste than any other of theSouth Sea islanders; and the manner in which the women dress their hair, and decorate it with flowers, would have a beautiful effect even in anEuropean ball-room. When the actors had recovered from the fatigue oftheir performance, dinner, which some of the females had been longpreparing in the hut, was served to us. Only a few of the personsassembled enjoyed the honour of partaking our meal. Some of these werefemales. The ground of Langediu's hut was covered with matting, on whichwe sat, and the provisions were placed on clean cocoa-leaves in themiddle. Every one had a cocoa-leaf for a plate. Upon the dishes werelaid wooden spoons, with which the guests helped themselves, --animprovement since my former visit to Radack, when their mode was to helpthemselves from the dish with their hands. Langediu remarked, that theorder of his table pleased me, and said _Mamuan Russia mogai_ (theRussians eat so). I rejoiced in the increased civilization denoted bythis more becoming mode of eating; probably introduced by Kadu, who hadseen it during his stay among us. I enjoyed a still greater pleasure, when after the first course of baked and bread-fruits, came one of yams, which I had brought hither from the Sandwich Islands. At Otdia, I hadbeen told that Lamari had carried away to Aur all the plants I had leftbehind. I was therefore much surprised at the sight of the yams. Theyperfectly supply the place of our potatoes, are wholesome and pleasant, and, if cultivated with moderate industry, are a certain resourceagainst famine. Langediu told me, that Kadu had planted the yams onOrmed, and after dinner showed me a pretty large field very wellstocked with them. 

The delightful feelings with which I surveyed the new plantation may beimagined, when it is recollected, that these poor islanders, from wantof means of subsistence, are compelled, assuredly with heavy hearts, tomurder their own offspring, and that this yam alone is sufficient toremove so horrible a necessity. I might joyfully affirm, that through myinstrumentality the distressed mother need no longer look forward to thebirth of her third or fourth child with the dreadful consciousness thatshe endured all her pain only to deliver a sacrifice to the hand of themurderer. When she should clasp her child to her breast, and see herhusband look on it with a father's tenderness, they might both remember"Totabu, " and the beneficent plants which he had given them. I begpardon for this digression, and return to our dinner. 

After the yams, a number of dishes were produced, prepared from thepowdered cocoa-wood, which is made with water into a thick paste, andthen baked in small cakes: it has no taste at all, and cannot be verynutritious. A dessert of Mogan and Pandana juice concluded the repast. The drink was cocoa-milk, sucked from a small hole made in the nut. Theconversation, in which the females, who are treated extremely well, tookpart, was very lively, but perfectly decorous. I wished to understandmore of it: from single words, I inferred that they were speaking of theship and of the dramatic entertainment, and should have been glad tohave contributed my share to the general amusement. After I haddelighted the host and the amiable company by presents of hatchets, knives, scissors, and necklaces, which latter were by no means in asgreat estimation here as on the Navigators' Islands, I took my leave, and returned early in the evening to the ship. 

Time passed very quickly at Otdia, as it usually does when pleasantlyspent; and, to the great sorrow of our friends, the day of our departuredrew near. On Sunday the sailors were allowed to amuse themselves onshore; and as there were some musicians among them, they carried theirinstruments with them, to take leave of the islanders with a brilliantmusical festival. The jubilee that ensued exceeds all description. Thewhole population of Otdia and the neighbouring islands assembled roundour tent, and the music acted upon them like Huon's horn in Oberon. Theydanced and leaped about, sometimes hurrying the sailors into similarantics, and forming altogether a scene which would have provoked themost solemn philosopher to laughter. I was much pleased with observingthe cordial good-will that subsisted between the natives and my crew, and with the reflection that this second visit would also leave on theminds of the Radackers an impression favourable to white men. 

The females looked on at a distance during these gambols. Decorum didnot allow them to mingle in them, and also restrained them from evervisiting the ship. 

Among the groups I observed a crowd of children assembled round anelderly sailor, who was amusing and caressing them. He had been on dutyoutside the tent ever since our arrival at the islands; and as theRussians are particularly fond of children, these little creatures hadgrown quite sociable with him. A pretty lively little girl appeared hisespecial favourite. She was allowed to play him all kinds of tricks, without being reproved; and even when she pulled him by the hair, hepulled again, and seemed as much entertained as she was. 

When the islanders learned the day fixed for our departure, they visitedus on board in greater numbers than ever, always bringing presents withthem. They spoke of parting with great sorrow, and earnestly pressed usto return soon. With respect to the presents we had recently made them, they expressed their fears that Lamari would again plunder them, when heshould learn that we had been there. I therefore commissioned Lagediak, in the presence of a great number of islanders, to inform Lamari, fromme, that if he should ever presume to plunder the possessor of thesmallest article presented by us, whenever white men should again visitRadack, they would, without fail, take signal and severe vengeance uponhim. He understood me, and promised to execute my commission. 

Lagediak now seldom left me; and his grief at our approaching separationwas really affecting. On the morning of the appointed day, the 6th ofMay, when we had begun to weigh anchor, he came in great haste in alarge canoe, and brought a number of young cocoa-plants. On my inquiringfor what purpose he intended them, he answered, that he wished me toplant them in Russia, in remembrance of him. I then recollected hishaving once asked me if cocoa-trees grew in Russia, and that I had ofcourse replied in the negative. He had then turned the conversation onsome other subject, and I thought no more of it. He had however resolvedon enriching my country with this fine fruit, and had reserved for theday of our parting this last proof of his regard. I explained to himthat it was far too cold in Russia for the cocoa-trees to flourish, andthat for that reason I was unwilling to rob him of his plants. Hemourned much over the failure of his kind intentions, packed up hisplants again, and when he saw our sails spread and our departureinevitable, took leave of us like a child that is forcibly separatedfrom beloved parents. To the rest of our friends we had bidden farewellthe evening before. 

We sailed through the Schischmaref straits, and then between the Otdiaand Aur groups, whence we steered directly to the group Ligiep, in orderto lay down correctly its eastern coasts, for which, in my formervoyage, circumstances had been unfavourable. On the following day wereached the southern edge of this group, and sailed near enough to seefrom thence clear over to the northern. We then proceeded westward, keeping always near enough to the islands to distinguish objects uponthem with the naked eye. I now plainly perceived that the course I hadtaken in the Rurik had prevented my seeing the whole of this group; andthe result is, that it appears on the accompanying map, according to ourpresent correct survey, half as large again as I had before representedit. 

The inhabitants of Ligiep, on seeing the ship, directly put out to seafrom between the reefs, in a crowd of sailing canoes, to follow us, butwere too timid to come within cannon-shot. We lay-to, when they alsotook in their sails, but contented themselves with contemplating us froma safe distance; and as the favourable weather would not permit us towaste more time, we continued our voyage without making farther attemptsto entice them to the ship. 

On the north-west, of the group Ligiep we found several larger islands, which, being covered with fine cocoa-trees, induced the supposition thatthey may be more thickly peopled. 

We also found, as is shown upon the map, two broad entrances to theinland sea round which this group is scattered, which, after a veryaccurate examination, appeared perfectly safe and convenient for thepassage of the largest ship of the line, since, according to theirdirection, it is possible, by help of the trade-wind, to sail in and outwithout tacking. There seems no doubt that the interior of this groupoffers the best anchorage; and should any navigator wish to put intoRadack, I recommend this harbour to him as the most commodious. 

At noon the north-west point of the Ligiep group lay about a mile off usdue east, and we found by a close observation the latitude to be 10° 3'40" North, and the longitude 190° 58' 3". 

Directly after this observation, I had all sail set, and steered with afresh wind to the north-west, in the hope of falling in with the groupRalik. 

As darkness came on, we again took in most of the sails, and endeavouredto keep the vessel during the night as much as possible on the samespot. With break of day we continued our voyage; but the weather, hitherto so fine, now became very gloomy. The heavy rain permitted usonly to see to a short distance; and as no hope of improvement appeared, I gave up the idea of visiting Ralik, and bent my course direct forKamtschatka. 

We often thought and conversed upon the interesting inhabitants ofRadack, of whom we had for ever taken leave. Since this chain lies farout of the course usually pursued by navigators in the South Sea, itwill not soon be visited again, and may in course of time be entirelyforgotten. Whether this will be for their benefit or their misfortune, he who rules the destinies of man can alone foresee. 

It is certain that the Radack chain has been peopled much later thanmost of the South Sea islands; but whence, and at what period, is quiteunknown. If a conjecture may be hazarded, it would be, that theinhabitants owe their origin to the Corolinas. They have no tradition onthe subject. Their language is quite different from all the Polynesiandialects, and appears of more recent formation. Whence have these peoplederived characters so much superior to those of other South Seaislanders, many of whom, enjoying as fine a climate, and a morebountiful soil, resemble beasts of prey? I attribute this in somemeasure to the superior purity of manners among the females. Experienceteaches us, that wherever that sex is held in its due estimation, moralsare proportionably refined. 

To be thus esteemed, woman must resist the attacks of licentiousness. When she associates virtue with her other attractions, she will soonobtain an influence over the most savage of the other sex; and thus havethe females of Radack contributed to form the amiable character of theircountrymen. 

Other fortunate circumstances may have combined with this, to which theante-christian Tahaitians were certainly not indebted. It is justice, however, to assert here, that, upon perfect conviction, I give a decidedpreference to the Radackers over the inhabitants of Tahaiti. 

 END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 

 LONDON: PRINTED BY SAMUEL BENTLEY, Dorset Street, Fleet Street. 

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Namely English miles, of which sixty go to a degree, and four to aGerman mile. Whenever, in this Voyage, miles are mentioned, Englishmiles are to be understood. 

[2] The longitude is always calculated from Greenwich, in this work. 

[3] "Formidable is man in his misguided zeal. "

[4] The measurement given is two Russian wersts, of which one hundredand four and a half make a degree, or, as nearly as possible, one and ahalf make an English mile. The exact circumference therefore of thelake, as given, is one mile and one third. 

[5] Upon the maps, Lioné and Fanfouné; the termination in _h_ denotes, in the Polynesian language, the accent upon the last syllable; as in theTahaitian name Pomareh. 

[6] This group must not be confounded with _Otdia_ where we were at thistime.