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CHAPTER VII.
T A H IT I .— N A S S A U I S L A N D .— U N IO N GROUP.
WE sailed from Coquimbo on the 14th of June; and after
a somewhat uneventful voyage across the Pacific, which
was considerably prolonged by sounding operations, and which
lasted fiity-three days, we arrived at Tahiti.
Tahiti was discovered, in the year 1606, by a Spanish exploring,
expedition, which set out from Peru under the command of Pedro
Fernandez de Quiros, a navigator who had previously acquired
some renown in IMendaha’s exploration of the New Hebrides
group. One of his vessels anchored for a short time off the
island ; but as a landing could not be safely effected by means
of the ship’s boats, an adventurous young Spanish sailor stripped
and swam to the shore, where he was well received by the
natives ; so that the honour of having discovered Tahiti and
communicated with the natives is justly due to this expedition.
The name then given to the island by Quiros was “ La Sagittaria.”
In 1767 Tahiti was visited by an English exploring ship, the
Dolphin, commanded by Captain Wallis, who, unaware of the visit
of Quiros, and imagining himself to be the original discoverer, set
up an English fiag at Matavai Pay, took possession in the name
of King George HI., and named the island “ King George’s
Island.” The account given by Wallis of this visit (published in
Hawksvvorth’s “ Voyages”) is full of most curious and interesting
information, and perhaps in this respect equals the well-known
WOMAN OF T A H I T I ( / . 147).
{To face p. 144.