November 25th.--In the evening four boats were sent for her majesty;
the ship was dressed with flags, and the yards manned on her coming on
board. She was accompanied by most of the chiefs. The behaviour of
all was very proper: they begged for nothing, and seemed much pleased
with Captain Fitz Roy's presents. The queen is a large awkward woman,
without any beauty, grace or dignity. She has only one royal
attribute: a perfect immovability of expression under all
circumstances, and that rather a sullen one. The rockets were most
admired, and a deep "Oh!" could be heard from the shore, all round the
dark bay, after each explosion. The sailors' songs were also much
admired; and the queen said she thought that one of the most boisterous
ones certainly could not be a hymn! The royal party did not return on
shore till past midnight.
26th.--In the evening, with a gentle land-breeze, a course was steered
for New Zealand; and as the sun set, we had a farewell view of the
mountains of Tahiti--the island to which every voyager has offered up
his tribute of admiration.
December 19th.--In the evening we saw in the distance New Zealand. We
may now consider that we have nearly crossed the Pacific. It is
necessary to sail over this great ocean to comprehend its immensity.
Moving quickly onwards for weeks together, we meet with nothing but the
same blue, profoundly deep, ocean. Even within the archipelagoes, the
islands are mere specks, and far distant one from the other. Accustomed
to look at maps drawn on a small scale, where dots, shading, and names
are crowded together, we do not rightly judge how infinitely small the
proportion of dry land is to water of this vast expanse. The meridian
of the Antipodes has likewise been passed; and now every league, it
made us happy to think, was one league nearer to England. These
Antipodes call to one's mind old recollections of childish doubt and
wonder. Only the other day I looked forward to this airy barrier as a
definite point in our voyage homewards; but now I find it, and all such
resting-places for the imagination, are like shadows, which a man
moving onwards cannot catch. A gale of wind lasting for some days, has
lately given us full leisure to measure the future stages in our
homeward voyage, and to wish most earnestly for its termination.
December 21st.--Early in the morning we entered the Bay of Islands, and
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