favourable, but it suddenly cleared up, and exhibited
the entrance of E. O. Ke Anga right
before us; and a light breeze came to our aid
to carry us in. The entrance to this river is
very remarkable, and can never be mistaken by
mariners. On the north side, for many miles,
are hills of sand, white, bleak, and barren, ending
abruptly at the entrance of the river, which
is about a quarter of a mile across. Where the
south head rises abrupt, craggy, and black, the
land all round is covered with verdure ; thus
at the first glimpse of these heads from the
sea, one is white, the other black.
The only difficulty attending the entrance
(and indeed the only thing which prevents
E. O. Ke Anga from being one of the finest
harbours in the world), is the bar. This lies
two miles from the mouth of the river, its
head enveloped in breakers and foam, bidding
defiance and threatening destruction to
all large ships which may attempt the passage.
However, we fortunately slipped over its sandy
sides, undamaged, in three fathom water.
After crossing the bar, no other obstacle
lay in our way; and floating gradually into a
beautiful rivér, we soon lost sight of the sea,
and were sailing up a spacious sheet of water,
ydiich became considerably wider after entering
it; while majestic hills rose on each side,
covered with verdure to their very summits.
Looking up the river, we beheld various
headlands stretching into the water, and gradually
contracting its width, till they became
fainter and fainter in the distance, and all
was lost in the azure of the horizon. The
excitement occasioned by contemplating these
beautiful scenes was soon interrupted by the
hurried approach of canoes, and the extraordinary
noises made by the natives who
were in them.
As the arrival of a ship is always a profitable
occurrence, great exertions are made to
be the first on board. There were several
canoes pulling towards us, and from them
a number of muskets were fired, a compliment
we returned with our swivels; one of
the canoes soon came alongside, and an old
chief came on board, who rubbed noses with
Captain Kent, whom he recognised as an old
acquaintance; he then went round and shook
b 4