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GAMBIER ISLANDS.
Th is g ro u p consists o f eig h t h ig h isiands, surrounded b y coral islands and reefs, enclosing
a lagoon, m whreh th ere are several secure anchoring p la c e s ; b u t the lagoou has many hnolis,
winch re n d e r nec essary a good look-out from aloft, and even th e precaution o f k eep in g a
boat ahead. As th e islands afford only a su p p ly o f wa te r, th e anchorage u nder M o u n t D u ff
IS th e most desirable.
T h e b est channel to e n te r by lies on th e ea ste rn side o f th e g roup, to th e southward of
all th e cora islands; an d with M o u n t D u ff b ea ring N . 39° W ., tru e , in one zeilh the sonth
tan g en t c [ th e easternmost h ig h island. W ith these marks s te e r boldly over th e reef, upon
which th e re IS in this p a rt six fathoms wa te r, and pass close to tlie soutliern e.xtreme o f
tlie island before m one with M o u n t Duff. T h e n k ee p in g a boat ahead, proceed u nder
easy sail for th e anchorage , ab o u t a q u a rte r o f a mile south o f M o u n t Duff, tlie peaks
be a rin g ab o u t n o rth , tru e ; b u t do n o t a ttem p t to go to th e nortliward, as aU th a t p a rt o f th e
lagoon IS full o f reefs and knolls. In tbis situation a ship will be abreast o f two streams of
good w a te r ; b u t th e re will be some difficulty in p ro c u rin g it, on account o f the ledges
o f rora which surround this aud ail th e otlier islands. As the gro u n d is rocky. It is
advisable to use a chain cable. T h e re are several other anchorages, and w a te r Z j also
In vM ie to t ” • ' * W “"“ '0 fo . on th e whole, th e most
T h e r e are also o th e r passages over th e reef; an d th e islands ly in g to th e south-east may
j a s s r f on e ith e r side, b u t those w hich I have recommended are th e b e s tan d most conveuie„;
for navigation with th e trad e wind. T lie western channel must no t be a ttempted, and all the
sontb-western p a r t o f th e gro u p should be avoided as dangerous. T h e b est passage to sail
out a t bears iffiout S., tru e , from M o u n t Duff, th e eastern bluffs o f P e a rd Island, upon
which M o u n t D uff IS situated, in one. T h is mark will lead over th e b a r in six and a
q u a rte r fathoms T h o n g h this chauuel lies to leeward of th e g roup, th ere is gen e rally a
v e ry heavy sweU upon th e re e f; and it would not be advisable to a ttem p t it in lig h t winds,
as th e re is no auchormg ground o u tsid e ; an d tb e swell and th e currents, wliich sometimes
ru n strong, mig h t drift a vessel npo n a shallow p a r t of th e bar, e itl.er to th e eastward or
westward o f th e channel, upon which tlie sea breaks lieavily in four fathoms, and outside
which th e re is no bottom a t e ig h ty fathoms, within forty yards o f the breakers.
T h e plan which I have g iv en o f these islands must not be considered complete, as sucli
a su rv e y re q u ired more examination th an I conld bestow; and th ere are, no doubt, many
knolls o f coral in th e lagoon which we did not discover. A careful look-out from aloft is
therefore absolutely necessary.
I t is high wa te r here a t lb . 50m. full an d c h a n g e ; b u t a cu rran t gene rally sets to tl.e
westward m th e day -tim e, and runs s trong in tlie we ste rn channel.
OTAHEITE.
In clear we ather th e mountains of Otalieite may be seen n in e ty miles from tl.e deck
T l.e ports most freq u en ted are situa ted ou tile no rth side o f tho island, and may be approacl.od
i t h o u t difficulty when th e trade wind is blowing. I t, liowever, sometimes liappens in
th e w in te r months th a t th e trade is in te rru p te d by breezes from, the N. W . and AV., and a t
others th a t calms an d u n se ttled we ather prevail. A t such times avoid g e ttin g in to th e bay
b etwe en Otahe ite an dT y ra b o o , especially on th e south-west side o f th e island, as the swell
rolls in h eav ily upon th e shore, an d th ere is no anchorage outside th e re efs.
Arriv ed within a few miles o f th e north-e astern p a rt of O tah e ite , several points covered
with cocoa-nut tree s will b e seen stretch in g from th e foot o f the hills. O n e o f th e se is P o in t
Venus, and may b e known b y O n e -tree H ill, which, w ith th e exception o f th e we ste rn
ex trem ity o f th e island, is th e last bluff head-land upon th is p a rt o f th e coast.
Matavai Bay, on th e south-western side o f P o in t Venus, may be considered a safe
anchorage from Ap ril to D e c em b e r; b u t d u rin g th e rema inder o f th e y e a r th e trad e is liable
to interruptions from westerly winds, which blow directly into Matavai, and occasion a high
sea. T h e protection to th e anchorage is afforded b y P o in t Venus an d th e Dolphin shoal,
a coral bank, with only two an d a q u a rte r fathoms upo n its shallowest p art. Between
i t an d P o in t Venus th ere is a channel ab o u t fifty yards wide, w ith 17, 15, and 10 fathoms
close to th e r e e f ; an d by anchoring a b o at on th e edge o f th e shoal, a vessel may en te r with
p erfec t safety, provided th e b re eze be fair. I t is, however, b e tte r to pass to th e southward
o f th e bank, whicli m ay b e ascertained by two remarkable cocoa-nut tree s in th e E . N . E-
bein g seen, to the southward of an Eu ro p e an bu ilt house on th e beach, b e a rin g E. by N., and
haul round it towards th e anchorage, tak in g care n o t to g e t to leeward, so as to b rin g the
N. E . bluff o f O n e -tre e H ill to b ea r to th e southward of S. E ., as th e re are several coral banks
in th a t direction. Anchor in eiglit and a h a lf or nine fathoms, mud, off old P oma rre’s house,
tak in g care of the re e f th a t lies off th a t part, o f tlie shore.
T o the westward of Matavai th ere are th re e good harbours, Papawa, Toanoa , and
Pap ie te , o f which th e la tte r is th e larg e st and the most frequented. T h e others, however,
are tho most hea lthy. T h e entrances to all are ex trem e ly narrow, an d a s tran g e r ought to
talic on board a p ilo t; b u t h e should bear in mind th a t some of th e persons who a c t in th a t
capacity, though well acquainted with th e channels, un d ersta n d very little about nav ig a tin g
a vessel.
Toanoa is four miles west of Matavai, an d may b e known by a rema rkable ragged
mountain, which will be seen tlirough a deep valley when abreast o f it. W h e n nea r, this
rag g ed mountain is very conspicuous, and a t n ig h t it is a good guide to th e entrance.
T h e channel into T o an o a is only th ree h undred and tliirty yards w id e ; off th e eastern
side o f the passage th ere is a rock upon which th e sea sometimes bre aks ly in g N. AV. s ix ty
fathoms from the breakers, and anothe r on th e inner side o f th e opposite reef. N e ith e r o f these
rocks, however, narrow the channel much, and are only dangerous in th e event o f the wind
bre aking th e ship off, or in rounding th e reefs closely. AA'ith a fair wind sail boldly
ill, k ee p in g mid-channel, and, clue ing all up, allow the ship to shoot into a b e rth about two
cables’ len g th from the shore in th irteen or fourte en fathoms. H e re she must wait until the
wind falls, and then tow into th e h a rb o u r; or i f th e wind be off tlie land, set fore an d aft sails,
and keep th e boats re ady with lines in them. T h e re are th ree channels to th e inner harbour,
of which th e two south ones only are frequented, on account o f th e currents ru n n in g s tro n g
through th a t to th e northward. P erhaps the centre channel, though scarcely broader th an a
frigate, had be tte r be used going in, and th e south coming out. In the centre channel th ere
are eight to twelve fathoms w a te r; b u t in the soutliern one a slioal extends from th e shore
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