Made the land at daylight; not an inviting coast for a stranger. Fired a signal gun and got a native pilot. [Illustration: _A Coral Island._] Noon.--Came to in 13 fathoms off the capital of Tonga Tabu, Malanga. The coast is bound by a coral reef about 200 yards in width, inside which boats will float at low water, when landing is disagreeable. [Illustration: _A Stockade._] The island is well managed by an English missionary, who had King George well under control. In the afternoon His Majesty came on board, and was received and entertained with due honours. He is a Christian and intelligent, but rather too prejudiced against the French for his own interests. The King once got into a scrape. Drifting about in his canoe on a Sunday, he observed a huge turtle floating in the warmth of the sun. His Majesty could not resist the temptation, but quitting his canoe, swam carefully up and grasped the hind-fins of the turtle; which, with so much stern weight, could not dive, but was able to make rapid headway with his fore-fins, and towed His Majesty a good mile before he let go. The King got severely reprimanded for his desecration of the Sabbath. I visited the two schools, crowded with promising children of both sexes. Tonga Tabu is a fertile island with an industrious population. [Sidenote: June 22.] Weighed. It was curious navigation between the coral reefs. Suddenly, while weighing, a flaw of wind veered and caused our stern to touch the edge of a coral bank, with 80 fathoms under our chains. She was easily backed off. [Sidenote: June 25.] We started with a fair wind, which turned into a gale. [Illustration: Mæander _in a Gale_.] We had not many pets, but the purser had a gray parrot, the right African sort, who would not talk or be taught, and was voted a nuisance. [Sidenote: June 26.] During one of our frequent squalls, in a lee lurch, everything was capsized and sent to the scuppers, some of us sent off our legs, decanters, tumblers, lamps, the parrot’s cage, etc. In the midst of broken crockery and glass, a voice was calling out “Abaft there!” “A glass of grog!” It was this much-abused parrot! Ship under close-reefed topsails, main trysail, and fore-staysail. Weather soon moderated. [Sidenote: June 29.] We were now drawing towards Tahiti, carrying a mail from Sydney. [Illustration: _Point Venus, Tahiti._] [Sidenote: July 8.] Late in the afternoon a sail was reported, which we made out, from the round sort of baskets at the fore- and main-topmast-heads, to be a whaler; she had boats in the water. We hove to. She hoisted American colours: her captain came on board--a respectable-looking old salt, with gray hair. Invited him to my cabin, where, with accompaniments of Manila cheroots and Jamaica rum, we had an agreeable chat. On his leaving, I presented him with a box of cheroots, saying we had been six months without European news. On which he “guessed” that I must be aware of the war between France and England.