Tom went up himself several times
and scanned the horizon carefully, but in vain. It is therefore
evident either that the position of the island is incorrectly stated,
or that it has become submerged. I believe that in these seas there
are many islands marked that have no existence, and that several that
do exist are not marked, which renders it necessary to keep a constant
good look-out. What a charming task it would be thoroughly to survey
these parts, and to correct the present charts where necessary, and
how much I should like to be one of the officers appointed for the
service!
[Illustration: Tatakotoroa or Clarke Island]
At 1.30 p.m. land was sighted from the mast-head, and at two o'clock I
saw from the deck what looked like plumes of dark ostrich feathers
rising from the sea. This was the island of Tatakotoroa--also known as
Narcissus, or Clarke Island--to the eastward of the Paumotu or Low
Archipelago of the South Seas. The sailing directions describe the
inhabitants as 'hostile,' and Sir Edward Belcher mentions that some of
them tried to cut off the boats sent from a man-of-war for water. We
were therefore afraid to attempt a landing, but sailed as near as we
could to the shore, which, surrounded by a rampart of snow-white
coral, and clothed almost to the water's edge with feathery palms,
cocoa-nut trees, and luxuriant vegetation of various kinds, looked
very tempting.
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