In 34° S. and 76° W., the temperature of the ocean was observed suddenly to fall 3°.1 Fahr., and we now, for a distance of about 200 nautical miles, were in what is known as Humboldt's current, which carried us towards N. by W. at a velocity of from half to three-quarters of a mile per hour. Our experience of this renowned current, so far at least as regards the season of the year, and the latitude and longitude in which it is fallen in with, are widely different from those statistics which represent it as sensibly felt at a distance of from 800 to 1000 miles off the W. coast of South America.
On the 16th, the faint outline was visible of Aconcagua, the highest of the Chilean Andes, and a few hours later we made the lighthouse of Valparaiso. A light breeze with a heavy sea made it seem advisable not to run in during the night, the result of which was that on the following morning it was only by the efforts of some tow-boats dispatched to our assistance by the commander of H.B.M. ship of the line "Ganges," and the French corvette "Eurydice" that we were enabled, by 3.30 P.M., to reach Valparaiso in the midst of a profound calm, when our anchor was let go in 25 fathoms, good holding
ground, in an excellent roomy berth, away from the bustle of the merchantmen.
The voyage from Tahiti, 5000 nautical miles, was accomplished in 48 days, and although a considerable portion must be marked as "lost," owing to our having steered for the zero point of magnetic declination, we yet arrived at our destination sooner than merchantmen which left Papeete before us, or in company, but had steered south of the Paomotu group.
Mr. Flemmich, the Austrian Consul-general at Valparaiso, immediately sent our letters on board, but the regular packet, which we had expected to find here before us, had not come in, and the delay served to double the anxiety of all on board, in view of the political clouds that were hovering over our native land.
FOOTNOTES:
[60] The original spelling of the name of this island arose from ignorance of the language. To the question, "Eaha tera fenúa?" (What is the name of this island?) the natives replied, "O Taïti Oia." The article was thus taken for the first syllable and the island was called O Taheite. Since then the thorough knowledge we have acquired of the language has rectified the mistake. In Tahitian the two verbs "to be" and "to have" are altogether wanting. O is simply the nominative of an article which very frequently is placed before a proper name to give it emphasis, or even for the sake of euphony. O accordingly is used in the above sentence merely to imply "it is." A literal translation from Tahitian into any European language is in most cases impossible. Occasionally one finds Tahiti mentioned by the names of La Sagittaria, King George the Third's Island, Nouvelle Cythère, and Amat.
[61] The derivation of the name Pomáre, which has since become that of the Tahitian dynasty, is purely accidental. The father of Otu was once travelling among the mountains, and had to camp out in the open air. The bad weather gave him a violent cold with hoarseness, which induced one of his companions to name the night spent in such discomfort Po-mare, i. e. a night (po) of cough (mare). The chieftain so acutely felt the pertinency of this name that he adopted it as his own name.—(Vide Ellis, Polynesian Researches, vol. ii. p. 70.)
[62] These four missionaries were named Chrysostome Liansu, François d'Assis Caret, Honoré Laval, and Columban Murphy, an Irish catechist.
[63] Vide Annales de la Propagation de la Foi, No. xli. p. 31.