August daily opportunities of confirming the obfervations already-
made upon this fubjeft.
We flood on towards this ifland all night, and the favourable
ideas which were raifed by the accounts of former-
navigators, made us pafs fome happy hours in expeftation
of the morning. We refolved to forget our fatigues and
the inclemencies of fouthern climates ; the cloud's which-
had hitherto hung lowering upon our brows were difperf-
ed ; the loathed images of difeafe and the terrors of deaths
were fled, and all our cares at reft.
- Somno pofiti Tub no&e filenti
Lenibaat curas, et corda oblita laborum. V ir g iI*.
CHA P .
C H A P . VIII.
Anchorage in O-Aitepeha harbour, on the lejfer peninfula of O-Taheitee.
— Account of our Jlay there.— Removal t'o. Matavai Bay.
Devenere locos laetos et amcena vireta
Fortunatorum nemorum, fedefque beatas;
Largior hie campos aether,, et lumine veftit
Furpureo«- J V irgil.
I T was one of thofe Beautiful mornings which the poets Monday it;
of all nations have attempted to deferibe, when we
faw the ifle of O-Taheite, within two miles before us. The
eaft-wind which had carried us fo far, was entirely vaniflied,
and a faint breeze only wafted a delicious perfume from
the land, and curled the lurface of the fea. The mountains;
clothed with forefts, rofe majeftic in various fpiry forms,
on which we already perceived the light of the rifing fun :
nearer to the eye a lower range of hills, eafier- of afeent,
appeared, wooded lilse the former, and coloured with feveral
pleafing hues of green, foberly mixed with autumnal
browns. At their foot -lay the plain, crowned with its
fertile bread-fruit trees, over which rofe innumerable
palms, the princes of the grove. Here every thing-feemed
as yet afleep, the morning fcarce dawned, and a peaceful
lhade ftill relied on the landfcape. We difeerned however,
a number of houfes among the trees, and many canoes
hauled