Besides Papara, I visited also Venus Point, a small tongue of land
where Cook observed the transit of Venus. The stone on which he
placed his instruments still remains. On my way, I passed the
grave, or murai, of King Pomare I. It consists of a small piece of
ground, surrounded by a stone wall, and covered with a roof of palm-
leaves. Some half-decayed pieces of cloth and portions of wearing
apparel were still lying in it.
One of my most interesting excursions, however, was that to Fantaua
and the Diadem. The former is a spot which the Indians considered
impregnable; but where, nevertheless, they were well beaten by the
French during the last war. Monsieur Bruat, the governor, was kind
enough to lend me his horses, and to allow me the escort of a non-
commissioned officer, who could point out to me each position of the
Indians and French, as he had himself been in the engagement.
For more than two hours, we proceeded through horrible ravines,
thick woods, and rapid mountain torrents. The ravines often became
so narrow as to form so many defiles, with such precipitous and
inaccessible sides, that here, as at Thermopylae, a handful of
valiant warriors might defy whole armies.
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