Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Without realising it, Bellingshausen had become the first ex-
plorer to see the edge of the Antarctic continent. (The terrain he
failed to identify lies due south of the Cape of Good Hope. It was not
charted until 1931, when it was named Princess Ragnhild Land.)
Leaving the polar region for the winter, Bellingshausen now un-
dertook a thorough survey of the treacherous Tuamotu group of is-
lands and reefs. Then he made a refreshment stop at Tahiti. The
place had changed. The Society Islanders were still very friendly. But
now they were clothed in dresses, shirts and jackets of European
manufacture. A number of white men (mostly sailors) who had
deserted had settled among them. Missionaries had arrived. The
people had pulled down their shrines. And on their first Sunday,
when the officers went ashore,
. . . we saw only children about the houses, all the grown-up nat-
ives having gone to the service. When we arrived at the Church, it was
already quite full . . . All the islanders were dressed very neatly in their
best white and yellow holiday robes; almost all wore the umbrella-
shaped head-dress and the women had fastened white or red flowers
above their ears. All were very attentive to the Christian teaching of
Mr Nott, who spoke with great feeling. Coming out of church the nat-
ives greeted us and then scattered to go home, whilst we returned to
the cutter. After dinner the officers of both ships went ashore again,
where they were received in the usual friendly way and were enter-
tained with cocoa-nut milk. Some of the natives would not accept any
presents on Sunday.
This strict observance of the religious law enjoining disinterested-
ness in a people whose former savage instincts cannot have completely
faded from memory, must really be regarded as exemplary. 7
 
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