French Polynesia island of Rekareka to the southeast of Tahiti. Over a century later, British explorer Samuel Wallis visited Tahiti in 1767. French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville also visited Tahiti in 1768, while British explorer James Cook arrived in 1769. In 1772, the Spanish Viceroy of Peru Don Manuel de Amat ordered a number of expeditions to Tahiti under the command of Domingo de Bonechea who was the first European to explore all of the main islands beyond Tahiti. A short-lived Spanish settlement was created in 1774, and for a time some maps bore the name "Isla de Amat" after Viceroy
RMS Tahiti "Tahiti"′s passengers and crew if needed. At 9:30 a.m. on 17 August, "Tahiti"′s passengers and some of her crew abandoned ship, with all lifeboats away in 13 minutes; some of her crew remained behind in order to continue efforts to slow the flooding. The American steamer was just arriving on the scene, having signaled that she could take "Tahiti"′s passengers and crew aboard, and she picked them up soon after they abandoned ship. Members of "Tahiti"′s crew, assisted by a boat from "Penybryn", then returned to "Tahiti" in "Tahiti"′s boats and began efforts to save the first class mails and