Omoo Chapter Chapters 17-18

In which a somewhat dubious navigation leads the voyage to the resplendent Pomotu or Coral Islands, where the marvels of coral formations and sparse yet verdant islets stir the imagination, while talk of pearl-shell fisheries and coconut oil trade weaves a quiet commercial undertone. In which, at last, the grand and storied peaks of Tahiti rise into view, their fertile valleys and poetic inhabitants conjuring the very image of a paradisiacal Eden, suffused with the charm and historic resonance that has long captured the fancy of distant Europe.