I may just mention that the remarkable group of rocks called the “Four Crowns,” and which on many charts are marked doubtful, not only exist, but may be seen on a clear day from Rapa, some forty miles off.
The French Resident, Mons. Caillet, gave me one piece of information which is generally interesting, and to navigators, valuable. It is that Easter Island, the natives of which have hitherto been found fierce and treacherous, rendering any attempt at communication dangerous, may now be visited without apprehension, and supplies obtained. This happy change has only recently been effected by the influence of some courageous and benevolent French priests, who ventured upon the difficult task of endeavouring to civilize these hitherto savages.
But the coaling is done, the signal gun is fired, and the “Ruahine,” by the fiercely blowing-off steam, seems impatient to be away again; so the stragglers get on board, with their spoils of coral and fern, &c., we cast off from the hulk, and with captain and pilots once more at their posts, we move slowly ahead towards the sinuous pathway amid the reefs, and which, at a distance, is only indicated by the buoys on either side of it, looking like small red spots on the north of the channel, whilst black ones mark the limit of safety on the south side.
I took my post in the fore-top, that I might the better see the reefs mapped out, as they beautifully were, below and around us. The light gleams again on the scarcely covered rocks, here and there, which we have to pass, and the general interest in this short but intricate bit of navigation is greater than ever. We at length pass between the last of the black and red buoys, and are once more in clear water. We bid adieu to our skilful pilots, their boat returns to the harbour, we again go “full speed ahead,” and then have a capital view of this interesting little island as we sail and steam round it.
It was a beautiful sight watching the many varied and varying forms, and tints of colour, too, of the needle-like peaks and crags, and deep valleys, with their exuberant vegetation, and here and there a dark precipitous cliff, having a sparkling stream of water, like a silver thread, running down its face. But we rapidly left behind this our last stopping-place, becoming very soon too distant for us to admire any more; and Rapa at length melted away from our view, absorbed in the purple haze of sunset, leaving us to turn our thoughts, hopes, and expectations exclusively to New Zealand.
