_Friday, December 8th_.--I persuaded Tom to make another excursion to
the coral reef this morning, and at five o'clock he and Mabelle and I
set off in the 'Flash,' just as the sun was rising. We had a
delightful row, past the Quarantine Island[11], to the portion of the
reef on the other side of the harbour, where we had not yet been, and
where I think the coral plants and flowers and bushes showed to
greater advantage than ever, as they were less crowded, and the
occasional patches of sandy bottom enabled one to see them better. We
were so engrossed in our examination of these marvels of the deep, and
of the fish with which the water abounded, that we found ourselves
aground several times, and our return to the yacht was consequently
delayed.
[Footnote 11: The native name is 'Motu-iti,' i.e. _little island_.]
After breakfast I had another visit from a man with war-cloaks,
shell-belts, _tapa_, and _reva reva_, which he brought on board for my
inspection. It was a difficult task to make him understand what I
meant, but at last I thought I had succeeded in impressing on his mind
the fact that I wished to buy them, and that they would be paid for at
the store. The sequel unfortunately proved that I was mistaken. At
nine o'clock we set out for the shore, and after landing drove along
the same road by which we had returned from our excursion round the
island.
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