>m-T call them by their names, which were both fufficiently
harmonious, one was called Maroya, and the other Marorai.
They were ftill fairer than O-Tai, but their ftature was
fmall in comparifon to his, being at lead nine or ten inches
lefs. The laft mentioned was a graceful figure, with the
moft delicate and beautiful contours, in the hands and all
above the zone. Their face was round, and their features
far from being fo regular as thofe of the brothei ; but an
ineffable fmile fat on their countenances. They feemed
never to have been aboard of a fhip before, fo much were
they ftruck with admiration on beholding its variety of
obje&s. They did not content themfelves with looking
around the deck, but defcended into the officers cabins,
whither a gentleman conduced them, and curioufly examined
every part. Marorai' took a particular fancy to a
pair of fheets which fhe faw fpread on one of the beds,
and made a number of fruitlefs attempts to obtain them
from her conductor. He propofed a fpecial favour as the
condition; fhe hefitated fome time, and at laft with feem-
ing relu&ance confented; but when the viffim was juft
led to the altar of Hymen, the fhip ftruck violently on the
reef, and interrupted the folemnity. The affrighted lover,
more fenfible of the danger than his fair miftrefs, flew in
hafte upon deck, whither all the reft o f our people crowded
from their feveral occupations. The tide, during a perfed
calm, had driven us by infenfible degrees towards the reef
of
of rocks ; and adually fet us upon it, before we could
come into the entrance of the harbour, which was as it
were within our reach. Repeated fhocks made our fitua-
tion every moment more terrifying ; however, providentially
there was no fwell which broke with any violence
on the rocks, and the fea breeze,: which mull have brought
on abfolute deftrudion to us, did not come in all day. The
officers, and all the paflengers, exerted themfelves indifcri-
minately on this occafion, hoifted out the launch, and afterwards
by heaving upon an anchor, which had been carried
out to a little diftance, fucceeded in bringing the veffel
afloat. The natives on board, feeing us work fo hard,
affifted us in manning the capftan, hauling in ropes, and
performing all forts of labour. If they had had the leaft
fpark of a treacherous difpofition, they could not have
found a better opportunity of diftreffing us ; but they approved
themfelves good-natured, and friendly in this, as
on all other occafions. The heat during this violent exertion
of our ftrength was immenfe ; the thermometer being
upwards of ninety degrees in the fhade, and the fun blazing
in a perfetftly clear fkv. The Adventure was clofe to
us, and efcaped fharing the fame diftreffes, by. dropping an-,
anchor in time. It was another fortunate circumftance,
that the reef fhelved in this place fo as to admit of anchor?
age, which is indeed rarely the cafe, the coral- rock being
perpendicular in moft parts. It was about three o’clock
when
' 773-
A ugust.