November15th——Atdaylight，Tahiti，anislandwhichmustforeverremainclassicaltothevoyagerintheSouthSea，wasinview。Atadistancetheappearancewasnotattractive。Theluxuriantvegetationofthelowerpartcouldnotyetbeseen，andasthecloudsrolledpast，thewildestandmostprecipitouspeaksshowedthemselvestowardsthecentreoftheisland。AssoonasweanchoredinMatavaiBay，weweresurroundedbycanoes。
ThiswasourSunday，buttheMondayofTahiti：ifthecasehadbeenreversed，weshouldnothavereceivedasinglevisit；fortheinjunctionnottolaunchacanoeonthesabbathisrigidlyobeyed。Afterdinnerwelandedtoenjoyallthedelightsproducedbythefirstimpressionsofanewcountry，andthatcountrythecharmingTahiti。Acrowdofmen，women，andchildren，wascollectedonthememorablePointVenus，readytoreceiveuswithlaughing，merryfaces。TheymarshalledustowardsthehouseofMr。Wilson，themissionaryofthedistrict，whometusontheroad，andgaveusaveryfriendlyreception。
Aftersittingaveryshorttimeinhishouse，weseparatedtowalkabout，butreturnedthereintheevening。
Thelandcapableofcultivation，isscarcelyinanypartmorethanafringeoflowalluvialsoil，accumulatedroundthebaseofthemountains，andprotectedfromthewavesoftheseabyacoralreef，whichencirclestheentirelineofcoast。Withinthereefthereisanexpanseofsmoothwater，likethatofalake，wherethecanoesofthenativescanplywithsafetyandwhereshipsanchor。Thelowlandwhichcomesdowntothebeachofcoral-sand，iscoveredbythemostbeautifulproductionsoftheintertropicalregions。Inthemidstofbananas，orange，cocoa-nut，andbread-fruittrees，spotsareclearedwhereyams，sweetpotatoes，andsugar-cane，andpine-applesarecultivated。Eventhebrush-woodisanimportedfruit-tree，namely，theguava，whichfromitsabundancehasbecomeasnoxiousasaweed。InBrazilIhaveoftenadmiredthevariedbeautyofthebananas，palms，andorange-treescontrastedtogether；andherewealsohavethebread-fruit，conspicuousfromitslarge，glossy，anddeeplydigitatedleaf。Itisadmirabletobeholdgrovesofatree，sendingforthitsbrancheswiththevigourofanEnglishoak，loadedwithlargeandmostnutritiousfruit。Howeverseldomtheusefulnessofanobjectcanaccountforthepleasureofbeholdingit，inthecaseofthesebeautifulwoods，theknowledgeoftheirhighproductivenessnodoubtenterslargelyintothefeelingofadmiration。Thelittlewindingpaths，coolfromthesurroundingshade，ledtothescatteredhouses；theownersofwhicheverywheregaveusacheerfulandmosthospitablereception。
Iwaspleasedwithnothingsomuchaswiththeinhabitants。Thereisamildnessintheexpressionoftheircountenanceswhichatoncebanishestheideaofasavage；andintelligencewhichshowsthattheyareadvancingincivilization。Thecommonpeople，whenworking，keeptheupperpartoftheirbodiesquitenaked；anditisthenthattheTahitiansareseentoadvantage。Theyareverytall，broad-shouldered，athletic，andwell-proportioned。