A Woman's Journey Round The World, From Vienna To Brazil, Chili, Tahiti, China, Hindostan, Persia, And Asia Minor By Ida Pfeiffer
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For Nearly A Month Did We Now Sail On, Without The Slightest
Interruption, Free From Storms, With The Same Monotonous Prospect Of
Sky And Water Before Us, Until, On The 19th Of April, We Reached The
Archipelago Of The Society Islands.
This Archipelago, stretching
from 130 to 140 degrees longitude, is very dangerous, as most of the
islands composing it scarcely rise above the surface of the water;
in fact, to make out David Clark's Island, which was only twelve
miles distant, the captain was obliged to mount to the shrouds.
During the night of the 21st to the 22nd of April we were overtaken
by a sudden and violent storm, accompanied by heavy thunder; this
storm our captain termed a thunder-gust. While it lasted flashes of
lightning frequently played around the mast-top, occasioned by
electricity. They generally flutter for two or three minutes about
the most elevated point of any object, and then disappear.
The night of the 22nd to the 23rd of April was a very dangerous one;
even the captain said so. We had to pass several of the low islands
in dark rainy weather, which completely concealed the moon from us.
About midnight our position was rendered worse by the springing up
of a strong wind, which, together with incessant flashes of
lightning, caused us to expect another squall; luckily, however,
morning broke, and we escaped both the storm and the islands.
In the course of the day we passed the Bice Islands, and two days
later, on the 25th of April, we beheld one of the Society Islands,
Maithia.
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