religion, and general customs are identical. The only reason why
they were ever thus arbitrarily distinguished may be attributed
to the singular fact, that their existence was altogether unknown
to the world until the year 1791, when they were discovered by
Captain Ingraham, of Boston, Massachusetts, nearly two centuries
after the discovery of the adjacent islands by the agent of the
Spanish Viceroy. Notwithstanding this, I shall follow the
example of most voyagers, and treat of them as forming part and
parcel of Marquesas.

Nukuheva is the most important of these islands, being the only
one at which ships are much in the habit of touching, and is
celebrated as being the place where the adventurous Captain
Porter refitted his ships during the late war between England and
the United States, and whence he sallied out upon the large
whaling fleet then sailing under the enemy's flag in the
surrounding seas. This island is about twenty miles in length
and nearly as many in breadth. It has three good harbours on its
coast; the largest and best of which is called by the people
living in its vicinity 'Taiohae', and by Captain Porter was
denominated Massachusetts Bay. Among the adverse tribes dwelling
about the shores of the other bays, and by all voyagers, it is
generally known by the name bestowed upon the island
itself--Nukuheva. Its inhabitants have become somewhat
corrupted, owing to their recent commerce with Europeans, but so
far as regards their peculiar customs and general mode of life,
they retain their original primitive character, remaining very
nearly in the same state of nature in which they were first
beheld by white men. The hostile clans, residing in the more
remote sections of the island, and very seldom holding any