Identifier: sketcherstourrou00elwe (find matches)
Title: A sketcher's tour round the world
Year: 1854 (1850s)
Authors: Elwes, Robert Hullmandel & Walton
Subjects: Voyages around the world Voyages around the world
Publisher: London : Hurst and Blackett, Publishers, Successors to Henry Colburn
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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he mostconspicuous structure is the French bakery, a large white-washed edifice, with a steam-engine and chimney. Theharbour is formed by a beautiful bay, protected from theswell of the Pacific by a coral-reef, in which two narrow buteasy openings afford admission to vessels. Near the middleof the reef is a small wooded island, fortified by the French,and further protected by a battery on shore. The town isdefended by a trench and bank, with drawbridge, guard-house, &c, and on the hills behind are several block-houses,commanding the town. Sentries are posted in differentparts; and after 8 p.m., when a drum is beaten, no strangeris allowed to remain on shore without a permit. The Frenchhold the island as a sort of naval, or rather military post inthe South Seas, but it seems of but little use to them; andinstead of increasing the trade, they have decreased it, for nowhalers or other ships will call for supplies, where everythingis excessively dear, and where there are such numerous
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pH Pu INTERIOR OF THE ISLAND. 227 troublesome regulations. They do not seem to interferemuch with the inhabitants, but have posts in different partsof the island. Several invalids and old soldiers have settledthere, but they never make good colonists, and seem onlysojourners in the land, cultivating little patches of groundnear the town, more as gardens than farms. There was aFrench restaurant in the town, but no inn of any sort whereI could stay, so I slept on board every night. Horses weredifficult to be obtained, and there were no means of gettingabout. Having heard of a very beautiful lake in the mountains,said to be an extinct crater, I determined to visit it. I didnot expect much, but as the distance was considerable, Ithought I might meet some fine scenery on my way. Aftertwo days search, and a good deal of trouble, I succeeded inhiring a horse, and a native to go with me, with a pony forhimself, paying nearly half the value of the animals, for threedays use. We left Papeiti by

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