eparture. Captain
Bellingshausen, in the year 1820, wished to land on one of these
islands, but the natives opposed his intention so seriously that he
relinquished it rather than use force. These people resemble the O
Tahaitians, their neighbours and relatives, in appearance and language;
and when the latter are farther advanced in civilization, it may be
presumed that intercourse with them will effect a considerable
amelioration in the condition of the other South Sea islanders.

O TAHAITI.

O TAHAITI.

This beautiful island, so richly endowed by nature with every thing that
its simple and innocent natives can require for the enjoyment of
existence, was perhaps first seen by the Spanish voyager Quiras, when,
in the year 1606, he made an expedition from Lima, "to win," as a
countryman of his expresses it, "souls for Heaven, and kingdoms for
Spain." Since, however, the position pointed out by him is extremely
incorrect, it is uncertain whether the island which he called Sagittaria
was really O Tahaiti or not. More probably, the honour of the discovery
belongs to the English Captain Wallis, who in the year 1767 landed
there, and took possession of the country by a solemn declaration, in
the name of his King. As, however, the Tahaitians did not understand
him, this act remained unknown to them; and, notwithstanding a
subsequent renewal, has fallen into oblivion. Captain Wallis gave it the
name of King George the Third's Island.

Eight months after him, the French Captain Bougainville visited it; and
not knowing that Captain Wallis had been there before him, considered
himself the first discoverer, and called it, from the most remarkable
custom of the natives, _Nouvelle Cythere_, but heard that they
themselves called it Tahaiti, or with the article, O Tahaiti; and this
name it has retained.

The celebrated Englishman, Cook, stopped there in each of his three
voyages, between the years 1769 and 1778. He remained much longer in
communication with the inhabitants than any of his predecessors had
done; brought back Omai, to whom in London it had been attempted to give
an European education, to his native land, and made use of the
narrations he obtained from him during the voyage. Since that time, Cook
and his companions, particularly the two Forsters, father and son, have
given us considerable information concerning the condition of the
Tahaitians before their conversion to the Christian faith.

To estimat