A Giant-bat, with leathern wings outfpread, With earnest gaze the ftill, enamour'd crew Mark the fair forms; and, as they pafs, purfue; But round the steepy 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 frong cords, upbraids the profp'rous gale, And fighs, as Wifdom fpreads the flying fail. Now leads HUMANITY the deftin'd way, Where all the Loves in Otaheite stray. two little tufts of curled white feathers, called its poies, which, being the Otaheitean word for ear-rings, occa fioned 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 thefe 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 island, 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 difclofe their wond'rous pow'rs, Thou fmiling Eden of the fouthern wave, On a far diftant, and remorfelefs fhore, Thus when, of old, the Mufe-born Orpheus bore * Chaften'd love.-Captain Cook obferves, in his fecond voyage, that the women of Otaheite where, grown more modeft, and that the barbarous practice of destroying their children was leffened. Gay Eden of the fouth, thy tribute pay, Come, Oberea, hapless fair-one! come, With piercing fhrieks bewail thy Hero's doom '— She comes!-fhe 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 rofes fpread; 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 sleep, That frowns incumbent o'er the boiling deep, Solicitous, and fad, a fofter form Eyes the lone flood, and deprecates the ftorm.- *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, fhrieking furiously, and striking at intervals a fhark's tooth into her head. All people fly her, as fhe aims at wounding not only herself, but others. ་ 'Tis not his fails!-thy husband comes no more! Yet, tho' through life is loft each fond delight, THE ATTENDANT POWER, that bade his fails expand, Y 3 |