arrived at the palace, a large cottage-shaped
house, pleasantly situated at one end of a green
lawn, ornamented with trees and shrubs. We at
once entered, without ceremony, from the
verandah into a large public room, scantily
furnished in European style, but abundantly
strewed with mats instead of carpets, on
which squatted some women, sewing. One
pretty young girl, probably a princess royal,
with a fan, brushed away the obtrusive flies
from the face of a sleeping infant—a recent
addition to the royal family, who lay upon
some bright-coloured pillows on the floor. The
queen herself was seated on a sofa, but rose on
our entrance, and advanced to H., whom she
shook warmly by the hand, honouring me in
the same manner when I had been introduced.
She seemed a decent, motherly-looking woman,
of about forty-five years of age, with an
expression of care on her face, which was certainly
not handsome, and had little of that softness
generally characteristic of the Tahitians. Her
dress, on this occasion, was of black satin,
made in the usual flowing style of the people.
She displayed no ornaments, and had neither
shoes nor stockings. I observed on the wall a
large oil-painting in a gorgeous frame, representing
her in a magnificent European dress, in
which I afterwards saw her, but I must
confess not to advantage, for it seemed out of
character, and she did not look at all at ease in it.
When she entered into conversation with H.,
which she did in a lively, fluent style, her face
was seen to greater advantage, particularly
when she smiled. I subsequently met Pomare
Tanie, the king-consort, at dinner with H. He
is a tall, handsome, noble-looking fellow, of a
decidedly jovial disposition, his principal
characteristic being a ready appreciation of the
good things of this life in eating and drinking.
Their children (I should say, her children) were
most of them handsome; one of the boys, a lad
of perhaps twelve or fourteen years of age,
clothed in a blue jacket and white trousers,
having a remarkably intelligent and manly
countenance. When I first met Pomare Tanie
he wore merely a black satin shirt and poriew;
but I saw him, on another occasion, in a general's
uniform of bright sky-blue, profusely
embroidered with gold lace, and with large epaulets
on the shoulders. In the cocked-hat and boots
which he also wore, he did not appear at all at
ease."

During the short stay of a few days at Tahiti,
the Chatham did a good business in disposing of
the stock procured at the Marquesas; she was
repainted, and laid in merchandise suited for
"the Harvey group." She first touched at
Huahine to take in cocoa-nuts as food for live
stock. Tahiti and Morea are frequently laid
down in charts as a portion of the Society
Islands, whereas they belong to the Georgian
group. The cluster to the westward,
commencing with Huahine, alone constitute the
Society Islands. The settlement at Huahine
consists of some hundred habitations scattered
round the bay, for the most part plastered and
whitewashed cottages with verandahs, but with
many native-built huts interspersed. The church,
which is of stone, and the house of the king,
both erected on little promontories, are
prominent objects. The residence of Mr. Barfe,
the missionary, is pleasantly situated on a rising
ground, overlooking the village and harbour:
a lovely spot for a residence. The Chatham
was delayed here some time owing to the
drunken habits of the captain, and everything
on board appears to have been in a state of
utter confusion and disgraceful disorder. At
last she proceeds again to sea, making for the
Harvey group.

"We now proceeded again to sea," says
Lamont, "steering our course to Mankè, or
Parry's Island, one of the Harvey group. These
islands, ten in number, are situated between
nineteen degrees ten seconds to twenty-two
degrees twenty seconds south latitude, and one
hundred and fifty-five degrees to one hundred and
sixty-one degrees west longitude. The great
navigator, Cook, whose name they sometimes bear,
had the honour of first discovering them as
early as 1773. One of these [from which the
others take their name], erroneously supposing
it to be the principal of the group, he named
Harvey Island. It is really one of the least
important, being one, or rather two, of those low
sandy islands connected by a sea-washed reef,
its scanty soil producing none of the tropical
fruits save the cocoa-nut. It is about eighteen
miles in circumference, and, when first seen, was
reported as uninhabited; but, on a subsequent
visit of Cook in 1777, some sixty or seventy
natives were found on it, who are described by
him as extremely savage, and thievish in
propensities. Rorotonga, containing a population
of some five or six thousand, and measuring
about thirty miles round, is the principal island
of the group, not only in extent and population,
but in fertility of soil and beauty of scenery. It
has one or two harbours for small craft, which
the others are deficient in. Cook never saw
this island. The Reverend Mr. Williams, the
indefatigable Polynesian missionary, is said to
have first discovered this lovely spot. Some
teachers from the Society Islands were placed
on it by him, and in about two years the whole
population was converted to Christianity.
Mangaia, or Mangier, is some twenty-five miles in
circumference, and has about two thousand
inhabitants. The population of Aitutakè is about
the same number, and that of Atien, which has
a circuit of about twenty miles, one thousand
five hundred. Mankè, or Parry's Island, which
is not mentioned by Cook, is said to have been
discovered by the missionaries in 1823. It is
not more than sixteen miles round, with a
decreasing population of two or three hundred.
Mitiaro, near it, is still smaller. Palmerston's,
considerably to the westward (by some
hydrographers included in the group), is a low
cocoa-nut island, and uninhabited. This, with
two other small uninhabited islands, concludes
the number."

Kings abound in Polynesia like cockroaches.