Aswedrewnearertheland，Ihailedwithdelighttheappearanceofinnumerablesea-fowl。Screamingandwhirlinginspiraltracks，theywouldaccompanythevessel，andattimesalightonouryardsandstays。Thatpiratical-lookingfellow，appropriatelynamedtheman-of-war’s-hawk，withhisblood-redbillandravenplumage，wouldcomesweepingroundusingraduallydiminishingcircles，tillyoucoulddistinctlymarkthestrangeflashingsofhiseye；andthen，asifsatisfiedwithhisobservation，wouldsailupintotheairanddisappearfromtheview。Soon，otherevidencesofourvicinitytothelandwereapparent，anditwasnotlongbeforethegladannouncementofitsbeinginsightwasheardfromaloft，-givenwiththatpeculiarprolongationofsoundthatasailorloves-“Landho！“
　　Thecaptain，dartingondeckfromthecabin，bawledlustilyforhisspy-glass；themateinstilllouderaccentshailedthemast-headwithatremendous“Where-away？“Theblackcookthrusthiswoollyheadfromthegalley，andBoatswain，thedog，leapedupbetweentheknightheads，andbarkedmostfuriously。Landho！Ay，thereitwas。A
　　hardlyperceptibleblueirregularoutline，indicatingtheboldcontouroftheloftyheightsofNukuheva。
　　Thisisland，althoughgenerallycalledoneoftheMarquesas，isbysomenavigatorsconsideredasformingoneofadistinctcluster，comprisingtheislandsofRoohka，Ropo，andNukuheva；uponwhichthreetheappellationoftheWashingtonGrouphasbeenbestowed。Theyformatriangle，andliewithintheparallelsof8deg。38’and9deg。32’
　　southlatitude，and139deg。20’and140deg。10’westlongitude，fromGreenwich。Withhowlittleproprietytheyaretoberegardedasformingaseparategroupwillbeatonceapparent，whenitisconsideredthattheylieintheimmediatevicinityoftheotherislands，thatistosay，lessthanadegreetothenorth-westofthem；
　　thattheirinhabitantsspeaktheMarquesandialect，andthattheirlaws，religion，andgeneralcustomsareidentical。Theonlyreasonwhytheywereeverthusarbitrarilydistinguished，maybeattributedtothesingularfact，thattheirexistencewasaltogetherunknowntotheworlduntiltheyear1791，whentheywerediscoveredbyCaptainIngraham，ofBoston，Massachusetts，nearlytwocenturiesafterthediscoveryoftheadjacentislandsbytheagentoftheSpanishViceroy。
　　Notwithstandingthis，Ishallfollowtheexampleofmostvoyagers，andtreatofthemasformingpartandparceloftheMarquesas。
　　Nukuhevaisthemostimportantoftheseislands，beingtheonlyoneatwhichshipsaremuchinthehabitoftouching，andiscelebratedasbeingtheplacewheretheadventurousCaptainPorterrefittedhisshipsduringthelatewarbetweenEnglandandtheUnitedStates，andwhencehesalliedoutuponthelargewhalingfleetthensailingundertheenemy’sflaginthesurroundingseas。
　　Thisislandisabouttwentymilesinlength，andnearlyasmanyinbreadth。Ithasthreegoodharboursonitscoast，thelargestandbestofwhichiscalledbythepeoplelivinginitsvicinity，“Tyohee，“andbyCaptainPorterwasdenominatedMassachusettsBay。Amongtheadversetribesdwellingabouttheshoresoftheotherbays，andbyallvoyagers，itisgenerallyknownbythenamebestowedupontheislanditself-Nukuheva。Itsinhabitantshavebecomesomewhatcorrupted，owingtotheirrecentcommercewithEuropeans；butsofarasregardstheirpeculiarcustoms，andgeneralmodeoflife，theyretaintheiroriginalprimitivecharacter，remainingverynearlyinthesamestateofnatureinwhichtheywerefirstbeheldbywhitemen。Thehostileclans，residinginthemoreremotesectionsoftheisland，andveryseldomholdinganycommunicationwithforeigners，areineveryrespectunchangedfromtheirearliestknowncondition。
　　InthebayofNukuhevawastheanchoragewedesiredtoreach。Wehadperceivedtheloomofthemountainsaboutsunset；sothat，afterrunningallnightwithaverylightbreeze，wefoundourselvescloseinwiththeislandthenextmorning；butasthebaywesoughtlayonitsfartherside，wewereobligedtosailsomedistancealongtheshore，catching，asweproceeded，shortglimpsesofbloomingvalleys，deepglens，waterfalls，andwavinggroves，hiddenhereandtherebyprojectingandrockyheadlands，everymomentopeningtotheviewsomenewandstartlingsceneofbeauty。
　　ThosewhoforthefirsttimevisittheSouthSeas，generallyaresurprisedattheappearanceoftheislandswhenbeheldfromthesea。
　　Fromthevagueaccountswesometimeshaveoftheirbeauty，manypeopleareapttopicturetothemselvesenamelledandsoftlyswellingplains，shadedoverwithdeliciousgroves，andwateredbypurlingbrooks，andtheentirecountrybutlittleelevatedabovethesurroundingocean。Therealityisverydifferent；boldrock-boundcoasts，withthesurfbeatinghighagainsttheloftycliffs，andbrokenhereandthereintodeepinlets，whichopentotheviewthickly-woodedvalleys，separatedbythespursofmountainsclothedwithtuftedgrass，andsweepingdowntowardstheseafromanelevatedandfurrowedinterior，formtheprincipalfeaturesoftheseislands。
　　Towardsnoonwedrewabreasttheentrancetotheharbour，andatlastweslowlysweptbytheinterveningpromontory，andenteredthebayofNukuheva。Nodescriptioncandojusticetoitsbeauty；butthatbeautywaslosttomethen，andIsawnothingbutthetri-colouredflagofFrance，trailingoverthesternofsixvessels，whoseblackhulls，andbristlingbroadsides，proclaimedtheirwarlikecharacter。
　　Theretheywere，floatinginthatlovelybay，thegreeneminencesoftheshorelookingdownsotranquillyuponthem，asifrebukingthesternnessoftheiraspect。Tomyeye，nothingcouldbemoreoutofkeepingthanthepresenceofthesevessels；butwesoonlearntwhatbroughtthemthere。ThewholegroupofislandshadjustbeentakenpossessionofbyRear-AdmiralDuPetit-Thouars，inthenameoftheinvincibleFrenchnation。
　　Thisitemofinformationwasimpartedtousbyamostextraordinaryindividual，agenuineSouthSeavagabond，whocamealongsideofusinawhale-boatassoonasweenteredthebay，and，bytheaidofsomebenevolentpersonsatthegangway，wasassistedonboard，forourvisitorwasinthatinterestingstageofintoxicationwhenamanisamiableandhelpless。Althoughhewasutterlyunabletostanderect，ortonavigatehisbodyacrossthedeck，hestillmagnanimouslyprofferedhisservicestopilottheshiptoagoodandsecureanchorage。Ourcaptain，however，ratherdistrustedhisabilityinthisrespect，andrefusedtorecognisehisclaimtothecharacterheassumed；butourgentlemanwasdeterminedtoplayhispart，for，bydintofmuchscrambling，hesucceededingettingintotheweather-quarterboat，wherehesteadiedhimselfbyholdingontoashroud，andthencommencedissuinghiscommandswithamazingvolubilityandverypeculiargestures。Ofcourse，nooneobeyedhisorders；butasitwasimpossibletoquiethim，wesweptbytheshipsofthesquadronwiththisstrangefellowperforminghisanticsinfullviewofalltheFrenchofficers。
　　WeafterwardslearnedthatoureccentricfriendhadbeenalieutenantintheEnglishnavy，buthavingdisgracedhisflagbysomecriminalconductinoneoftheprincipalportsonthemain，hehaddesertedhisship，andspentmanyyearswanderingamongtheislandsofthePacific，untilaccidentallybeingatNukuhevawhentheFrenchtookpossessionoftheplace，hehadbeenappointedpilotoftheharbourbythenewlyconstitutedauthorities。
　　Asweslowlyadvancedupthebay，numerouscanoespushedofffromthesurroundingshores，andweweresooninthemidstofquiteaflotillaofthem，theirsavageoccupantsstrugglingtogetaboardofus，andjostlingoneanotherintheirineffectualattempts。
　　Occasionallytheprojectingout-riggersoftheirslightshallops，runningfoulofoneanother，wouldbecomeentangledbeneaththewater，threateningtocapsizethecanoes，whenasceneofconfusionwouldensuethatbafflesdescription。SuchstrangeoutcriesandpassionategesticulationsInevercertainlyheardorsawbefore。Youwouldhavethoughttheislanderswereonthepointofflyingatoneanother’sthroats，whereastheywereonlyamicablyengagedindisentanglingtheirboats。
　　Scatteredhereandthereamongthecanoesmightbeseennumbersofcocoa-nutsfloatingcloselytogetherincirculargroups，andbobbingupanddownwitheverywave。Bysomeinexplicablemeansthesecocoa-nutswereallsteadilyapproachingtowardstheship。AsIleanedcuriouslyoverdieside，endeavouringtosolvetheirmysteriousmovements，onemass，farinadvanceoftherest，attractedmyattention。InitscentrewassomethingIcouldtakefornothingelsethanacocoa-nut，butwhichIcertainlyconsideredoneofthemostextraordinaryspecimensofthefruitIhadeverseen。Itkepttwirlinganddancingaboutamongtherestinthemostsingularmanner:andasitdrewnearer，Ithoughtitborearemarkableresemblancetothebrownshavenskullofoneofthesavages。Presentlyitbetrayedapairofeyes，andsoonIbecameawarethatwhatIhadsupposedtohavebeenoneofthefruitwasnothingelsethantheheadofanislander，whohadadoptedthissingularmethodofbringinghisproducetomarket。
　　Thecocoa-nutswereallattachedtooneanotherbystripsofthehusk，partlytornfromtheshell，andrudelyfastenedtogether。Theirproprietor，insertinghisheadintothemidstofthem，impelledhisnecklaceofcocoa-nutsthroughthewaterbystrikingoutbeneaththesurfacewithhisfeet。
　　Iwassomewhatastonishedtoperceivethatamongthenumberofnativesthatsurroundedus，notasinglefemalewastobeseen。AtthattimeIwasignorantofthefactthatbytheoperationofthe“taboo，“theuseofcanoesinallpartsoftheislandisrigorouslyprohibitedtotheentiresex，forwhomitisdeatheventobeseenenteringonewhenhauledonshore；consequently，wheneveraMarquesanladyvoyagesbywater，sheputsinrequisitionthepaddlesofherownfairbody。
　　Wehadapproachedwithinamileandahalfperhapsofthefootofthebay，whensomeoftheislanders，whobythistimehadmanagedtoscrambleaboardofusattheriskofswampingtheircanoes，directedourattentiontoasingularcommotioninthewateraheadofthevessel。AtfirstIimaginedittobeproducedbyashoaloffishsportingonthesurface，butoursavagefriendsassuredusthatitwascausedbyashoalof“whinhenies“younggirls，whointhismannerwerecomingofffromtheshoretowelcomeus。Astheydrewnearer，andIwatchedtherisingandsinkingoftheirforms，andbeheldtheupliftedrightarmbearingabovethewaterthegirdleoftappa，andtheirlongdarkconfiding，theyareeasilyledintoeveryvice，andhumanityweepsovertheruinthusremorselesslyinflicteduponthembytheirEuropeancivilizers。Thricehappyaretheywho，inhabitingsomeyetundiscoveredislandinthemidstoftheocean，haveneverbeenbroughtintocontaminatingcontactwiththewhiteman。
　　ITwasinthesummerof1842，thatwearrivedattheislands。
　　OurshiphadnotbeenmanydaysintheharbourofNukuhevabeforeI
　　cametothedeterminationofleavingher。Thatmyreasonsforresolvingtotakethisstepwerenumerousandweighty，maybeinferredfromthefactthatIchoserathertoriskmyfortunesamongthesavagesoftheislandthantoendureanothervoyageonboardtheDolly。Tousetheconcise，point-blankphraseofthesailors，Ihadmadeupmymindto“runaway。“Now，asameaningisgenerallyattachedtothesetwowordsnowayflatteringtotheindividualtowhomtheyareapplied，itbehovesme，forthesakeofmyowncharacter，tooffersomeexplanationofmyconduct。
　　WhenIenteredonboardtheDolly，Isigned，asamatterofcourse，theship’sarticles，therebyvoluntarilyengagingandlegallybindingmyselftoserveinacertaincapacityfortheperiodofthevoyage；and，specialconsiderationsapart，Iwasofcourseboundtofulfiltheagreement。Butinallcontracts，ifonepartyfailtoperformhisshareofthecompact，isnottheothervirtuallyabsolvedfromhisliability？Whoistherewhowillnotanswerintheaffirmative？