VOYAGE TO BORABORA.

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pend on the use of the oar, throughout the whole day, occasioned great exertion, on the part of our men, under a vertical sun. But no European crew, however well trained, could have held more steadily to their work, or performed it with more alacrity, than our native rowers. As we were thus laboriously proceeding, a large shark had the audacity to spring at one of the oars, and fasten upon it with his teeth. On being disappointed of his prey, by mistaking so indigestible a substance for palatable food, he approached quite near the boat, as though he meditated an attack for the purpose of carrying off a living victim; but he was anticipated by our brave fellows, one of whom laid hold of a fin, and kept his gripe, regardless of the danger. The terrible animal instantly raised his tail out of the water over the gunnel of the boat, which, notwithstanding his desperate floundering, several of our stout hands seized, and detained him by it till the rest had made a rope fast round his belly, when, by their united force, and after many efforts, they actually succeeded in hauling him out of his element, and laying him a prisoner at the bottom of the boat. There, with mallets and staves which they had on board, they soon dispatched him. This was more than either fighting or amusement to the conquerors, for they took their slain enemy on shore, in the evening, and baked and made their suppers of him. Such assaults upon canoes are not uncommon by these voracious and persevering fishes, who will follow in their wake, frequently biting the oars, and watching unweariedly to snatch one of the crew overboard, for a day together. Many of the natives are fearless of the most savage shark, when they are properly equipped with weapons to repel or attack, and ropes to secure the formidable but precious carcass, dead or alive.

Our voyage, though slow, was exceedingly pleasant. We were sailing on a sea of glass, mingled with fire," from the splendor of the sunshine upon it; while on every hand, like halcyons' nests, above the tranquil surge, that only broke in wreaths of snow-white spray upon the circumambient reefs, appeared the little peopled spots of mountain, wood, and level beach, that form these western Cyclades. We might have imagined ourselves transported beyond the regions of storms, and floating upon that true Pacific flood, "where the green islands of the happy shine," while, as in the vision of Ezekiel, "the firmament that was above their head" appeared

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ARRIVAL AT BORABORA.

as it were a sapphire stone;" or-such was the ethereal purity of the sky-we might apply to it even the higher words of Moses, when he and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders from afar, on the Mount of Sinai, 66 saw the God of Israel;" and "there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness." Oh, how often to the eyes of those who live as seeing him who is invisible, may "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament show his handiwork!" And oh! how often, when they behold "the earth full of his goodness," do not their aching hearts exclaim, "And why is it not full of his praise?"

On approaching Borabora, with its stately and most magnificent peaks, which are three quarters of a mile in height, we found that what appeared at a distance but one, was in reality a cluster of islands. In the centre of these stands Borabora, with its belt of motus, like a prince among his courtiers. The coral reefs, on which the latter are founded, branch out to great lengths in the deep sea; and, on the side of Tahaa, whither we were steering, completely fortify the shores with ramparts, through which there are no openings. We were, therefore, obliged to diverge to the north-west, at which there is a good entrance to a commodious harbor. As we struck into the lagoon, and rowed towards the beach, the descending sun had turned the waters to flame, and the towering rocks beyond into palaces and pinnacles, more superb in architecture, and richer in materials, than the visions of romance ever exhibited in fairy-land. We disembarked at the pier, which has been carried out in a triangular form, having a middle path, with two sheets of water between the exterior walls, a quarter of a mile in length, towards the reef. This must have been reared at an immense expense of native labor, to heave the coral blocks out of their sub-marine quarries, and fix them in compact bulwarks within the domain of the deep. Mr. Orsmond, the missionary, with a great concourse of people, was waiting to welcome us on the pier. Hither, be it recorded, by the mercy of God, we had been brought seventy miles in an open boat, without injury or mischance, though the deathshot had passed over our heads at our outset, and the shark had rushed from his ambush upon us by the way.

Jan. 29. Mr. Tyerman, with his companion Mr. Ellis, under the guidance of Mr. Orsmond, walked through the