Man upon the sea : or, a history of maritime adventure, exploration, and discovery, from the earliest ages to the present time ... . nd, to thejoy of all, columns of smoke—an unmistakable sign that theland was inhabited—were perceived ascending at numerouspoints. A boat advanced to the surf, through which it seemedimpossible to gain the shore. A young man, Francisco Ponceby name, stripped off his clothes, saying that, if they should 300 MAN UPON THE SEA. thus turn their faces from the first danger which offered, therewould be no hope of eventual success. He threw himself intothe sea, and, afte
Man upon the sea : or, a history of maritime adventure, exploration, and discovery, from the earliest ages to the present time ... . nd, to thejoy of all, columns of smoke—an unmistakable sign that theland was inhabited—were perceived ascending at numerouspoints. A boat advanced to the surf, through which it seemedimpossible to gain the shore. A young man, Francisco Ponceby name, stripped off his clothes, saying that, if they should 300 MAN UPON THE SEA. thus turn their faces from the first danger which offered, therewould be no hope of eventual success. He threw himself intothe sea, and, after a fierce struggle with the receding waves,clambered up a rock to a spot where one hundred Indians wereawaiting him. They seemed pleased with his resolution, andfrequently kissed his forehead. Peace was made, and a safeanchorage was pointed out. The island thus discovered subse-quently became, for many reasons, the most famous in the wholePacific Ocean. Quiros called it Sagittaria; but it is now knownas Tahiti or Otaheite. We shall have occasion hereafter todescribe at length this lovely oasis in the desert of the SCENE IN TAH ITI. The fleet stayed here but two days, and then continued on itsway. Quiros discovered several islands which have not beenseen again from that time to this. To one of them he gave thename of Isla de la Gentc Hermosa,—Island of Handsome that the mainland must be near, ho kept on in search MAN UPON THE SEA. 301 of what he called the mother of so many islands. At onenamed Taumaco he seized four natives to serve him as guidesand interpreters, and carried them away. He has been muchblamed for this act of treachery towards a people who treatedhim with kindness and hospitality. Three of the four jumpedoverboard during the two days following, and escaped to islandsin the vicinity. The chief of the island where he had takenthem had informed him that, if he would change his course fromthe west to the south, he would come to a larg
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