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？