Travels in the Sandwich and Society Islands (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1856. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXIII. VOYAGE PEOM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS TO OTAHEITE. Departure from Woahoo--Fellow Passenger--Difficulties about making the Passage--Character of our Ship-- Crossing the Sun--Crossing the Equator--The Southern Heavens--The North Star--Southern Cross--Prospects of fetching the Island--Making the Land--Magnificent Scenery--Pilot on Board--Harbour and Town of Papiete --Two Ships only here--Bring up--The Town--Visit of Merchants. At length an opportunity occurred, which enabled me to carry out my wishes of visiting the Society Islands, and completing the passage of the Pacific by continuing my route thence for the coast of South America. The schooner Sola, commanded by a young Swede and manned by Chilians, arrived from the west coast of North America bound to Otaheite and Valparaiso; and I embarked by her on the 5th of the month of May, accompanied by Monsieur Hardy, Chancelier of the French Legation at Woahoo. Some difficulty attends making the passage from the Sandwich to the Society Islands, which occasionally becomes inordinately long. This is owing to the southern group lying four or five degrees to windward of the northern, which, unless the little variation in the direction of the trade-winds, depending on the season, or proceeding from tempests, or from some other inconstant cause, be in favour of the ship, is a distance too great to fetch on a direct course, even sometimes by the fastest vessels that visit any of the islands. In this case the ship must run to the southward till she falls in with the variables, where she has to make her easting, re-enter the trades, and run down upon the islands to which she is bound. Our Chilian schooner was, however, a clipper, and we hauled dead upon a wind on leaving the port, and had great hopes of fetching the ...