CHAPTER 1V.
THE island of Tahiti , to which the first missionariesof the Pacific were sent, is one of a group called theSociety Islands ; so named by Capt. Cook in honor ofthe Royal Society of London . This group is situatedbetween latitudes 16° and 18° South, and longitudes1480 and 155° West. It consists of thirteen islands andseveral small islets, and is divided by a channel sixtymiles wide into two clusters; the eastern, called the Wind-ward or Georgian Islands , comprising six islands, thewestern, called the Leeward or Society Islands , comprisingseven islands. Their aggregate area is 650 square miles.
With the exception of the coral islets in the extremenorthwest these islands are of volcanic origin; as isindicated by their lavas, basalt, and pumice-stone. Ingeneral appearance the volcanic islands resemble eachother. A high mountain crowned with steep peaksoccupies the interior; on all sides steep ridges descendto the sea or to sloping plains; and over all, mountains,valleys and plains, spreads a most luxuriant robe oftropical vegetation. Around most of these islands. arebarrier reefs, situated from a few yards to five miles fromthe shore.
Tahiti lies in the southern part of the Windward orGeorgian cluster, and is the largest island of the group,