Thro' the long aifles the murm'ring tempefts blow,
And Ocean chides his dafhing waves below,
From this fair fane, along the filver fands,
Two fifter-virgins wave their fnowy hands;
Firft gentle Flora round her fmiling brow
Leaves of new forms, and flow'rs uncultur'd glow;
Thin folds of vegetable filk, behind,

*

Shade her white neck, and wanton in the wind;
Strange fweets where'er the turns, perfume the glades,
And fruits unnam'd adorn the bending fhades.
-Next Fauna treads, in youthful beauty's pride,
A playful + Kangroo bounding by her fide;
Around the Nymph her beauteous Pois difplay
Their varied plumes, and trill the dulcet lay;

*Firft gentle Flora.-Flora is the Goddess of modern Botany, and Fauna of modern Zoology: hence the pupils of Linnæus call their books Flora Anglica Fauna Danica, &c." The Flora of one of thefe islands contain'd thirty new plants."

↑ Vegetable filk.-In New-Zealand is a flag of which the natives make their nets and cordage. The fibres of this vegetable are longer and ftronger than our hemp and flax; and fome manufactured in London, is as white and gloffy as fine filk. This valuable vegetable will probably grow in our climate.

A playful Kangroo. The kangroo is an animal peculiar to thofe climates. It is perpetually jumping along on its hind legs, its fore legs being too fhort to be used in the manner of other quadrupeds.

Beauteous Pois.- "The poi-bird, common in thofe countries, has feathers of a fine mazarine blue, except thofe of the neck, which are of a beautiful filver grey; and two or three flot white ones, which are in the pinion-joint of the wing. Under its throat hang Y

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Giant-bat, with leathern wings outspread,
Umbrella light, hangs quiv'ring o'er her head.
As o'er the cliff her graceful step she bends,
On glitt ring wing her infect-train attends.
With diamond-eye her fcaly tribes furvey
Their Goddefs-nymph, and gambol in the spray.

With earnest gaze the ftill, enamour'd crew Mark the fair forms; and, as they pass, purfue; But round the fteepy rocks, and dangerous ftrand, Rolls the white furf, and fhipwreck guards the land.

So, when of old, Sicilian fhores along, Enchanting Syrens trill'd th' alluring fong, Bound to the maft the charm'd Ulyffes hears, And drinks the fweet tones with infatiate ears; Strains the ftrong cords, upbraids the profp'rous gale, And fighs, as Wisdom spreads the flying fail.

Now leads HUMANITY the deftin'd way, Where all the Loves in Otaheite ftray.

two little tufts of curled white feathers, called its poies,' which, being the Otaheitean word for ear-rings, occafioned our giving that name to the bird; which is not more remarkable for the beauty of its plumage, than for the exquifite melody of its note."

* A Giant-bat.-The bats which Captain Cook faw in fome of these countries were of incredible dimenfions, meafuring three feet and a half in breadth, when their wings were extended.

+Rolls the white furf-" As we paffed this ifland, many of its trees had an unusual appearance, and the richness of the vegetation much invited our naturalifts to land, but their earneft wishes were in vain, from the dangerous reefs and the violence of the furfs."

To bid the Arts difclose their wond'rous pow'rs,
To bid the Virtues confecrate the bow'rs,
She gives her Hero to its blooming plain.—
Nor has he wander'd, has he bled in vain!
His lips perfuafive charm the uncultur'd youth,
Teach Wisdom's lore, and point the path of Truth.
See! *chaften'd love in fofter glances flows,
See! with new fires parental duty glows.

Thou fmiling Eden of the fouthern wave, Could not, alas! thy grateful withes fave That angel-goodnefs, which had blefs'd thy plainAh! vain thy gratitude, thy wishes vain! On a far diftant, and remorfelefs fhore, Where human fiends their dire libations pour; Where treachery, hov'ring o'er the blafted heath, Poifes with ghaftly fmile the darts of death, Pierc'd by their venom'd points, your favorite bleeds, And on his limbs the luft of hunger feeds!

Thus when, of old, the Mufe-born Orpheus bore
Fair Arts and Virtues to the Thracian fhore;
Struck with fweet energy the warbling wire,
And pour'd perfuafion from the immortal lyre ;
As foften'd brutes, the waving woods among,
Bow'd their meek heads, and lifen'd to the fong;
Near, and more near, with rage and tumult loud,
Round the bold bard th' inebriate maniacs crowd.-
Red on th' ungrateful foil his life-blood fwims,
And Fiends and Furies tear his quiv'ring limbs!

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* Chaften'd love.-Captain Cook obferves, in his fevoyage, that the women of Otaheite where grown more modeft, and that the barbarous practice of destroy, ing their children was leffened.

Gay Eden of the fouth, thy tribute pay,
And raife, in pomp of woe, thy Cook's Mora!!
Bid mild Omiah bring his choiceft ftores,
The juicy fruits, and the luxuriant flow'rs;
Bring the bright plumes, that drink the torrid ray,
And ftrew each lavish fpoil on Cook's Morai!

Come, Oberea, hapless fair-one! come,
With piercing fhrieks bewail thy Hero's doom
She comes!he gazes round with dire furvey!
Oh! fly the mourner on her frantic way.

See! fee! the pointed ivory wounds that head,
Where late the Loves impurpled roses spread;
Now ftain'd with gore, her raven-treffes flow,
In ruthlefs negligence of mad'ning woe;
Loud fhe laments and long the Nymph fhall ftray
With wild unequal ftep round Cook's Morai!

But ah!-aloft on Albion's rocky fleep,
That frowns incumbent o'er the boiling deep,
Solicitous, and fad, a fofter form

Eyes the lone flood, and deprecates the ftorm.-
Ill-fated matron!-for, alas! in vain

Thy eager glances wander o'er the main !—
'Tis the vex'd billows, that infurgent rave,
Their white foam filvers yonder diftant wave,

*Morai.-The Morai is a kind of funeral altar, which the people of Otaheite raife to the memory of their deceafed friends. They bring to it a daily tribute of fruits, flowers, and the plumage of birds. The chief mourner wanders around it in a state of apparent distraction, shrieking furiously, and striking at intervals a fhark's tooth into her head. All people fly her, as fhe aims at wounding not only herfelf, but others.

'Tis not his fails!-thy husband comes no more!
His bones now whiten an accurfed Thore!
Retire, for hark! the fea-gull fhrieking foars,
The lurid atmosphere portentous low'rs;
Night's fullen fpirit groans in ev'ry gale,
And o'er the waters draws the darkling vell,
Sighs in thy hair, and chills thy throbbing breast--
Go, wretched mourne!-weep thy griefs to reft!

Yet, tho' through life is loft each fond delight,
Tho' fet thy earthly fun in dreary night,
Oh! raise thy thoughts to yonder starry plain,
And own thy forrow selfish, weak, and vain;
Since, while Brittannia, to his virtues juft,
Twines the bright wreath, and rears th' immortal bust ;
While on each wind of heav'n his fame fhall rife,
In endless incenfe to the fmiling skies;

THE ATTENDANT POWER, that bade his fails expand,
And waft her bleffings to each barren land,
Now raptur'd bears him to th' immortal plains,
Where Mercy hails him with congenial strains;
Where foars, on Joy's white plume, his fpirit free,
And angels choir him, while he waits for THEE.

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