SUNDRY NOTICES OF THE ISLAND. 32] 



"You ask, also, for photographs of the scenery of Easter Island. I have no 

 means by which I could obtain a photographic view of that kind. But after 

 somewhat lengthy conversations with the natives, Mr. DeGreno, and others on 

 that subject, I think I can give you a pen-picture of some of the scenery. Fancy 

 an island which raises smoothly from the principal portion of the shore to hills 

 of moderate height, divested for the most part of rocks and roughnesses. In 

 three parts of the island are extinct volcanoes, as laid down in the chart. Their 

 craters, however, have been rounded down by time and the 'elements,' and 

 the whole appearance of the island indicates great age, much older than Tahiti 

 and its surrounding islands. There is not a tree or bush to be seen on the 

 island, except some few that have been planted near the residence of M r . I )utrou - 

 Bornier, a French sea-captain now residing on the island, and who is connected 

 with Mr. John Brander, of this place, in sheep and cattle-raising there. 



" In reference to your question, ' How do the natives of Easter Island obtain 

 fire?' I have to answer that they cannot tell. Their forefathers, like the 

 ancient Romans, had their 'vestal' fires, preserved from ancient times; but 

 the ' Vestal Virgins ' of Easter Island were gray-headed and gray-bearded old 

 heathen priests. It was a part of their duty, sacredly attended to, to guard the 

 eternal fire, which was neutral, together with its guardians, in all wars. From 

 this sacred fire the whole community at one time a large one could obtain 

 that useful ' element ' from time to time, as they needed it, for culinary and 

 other purposes. This custom is still kept up by a portion of the community, 

 while another portion rely on the matches of Mr. Dutrou-Bornier for their sup- 

 ply. Another portion of the community have learned from Gambier Islanders 

 (who were sent there by the Catholics, to assist the priests) how to make fire : 

 not by rubbing two sticks together, as you ask in your letter, but by rubbing 

 the point of one stick on the side of the other, until it makes a hot groove and 

 eventually fire a work generally of from five to ten minutes. In order to 

 illustrate this, I have had a photograph taken for you, showing you the natives 

 in the very act of producing fire, and have also sent you the identical sticks used 

 on that occasion. You will notice that the wood is of a soft and spongy nature. 

 It grows abundantly on these islands, and is a variety known as the Hibiscus 

 tiliaceus, and called by the natives ' Purau' and 'Fan,' pronounced ' Purow' 

 and ' Fow,' ' ow' being sounded as in the word 'how.' You can, if you wish, 

 obtain large quantities of it, by going on board the vessels carrying oranges 

 from these islands to San Francisco ; the orange crates are mostly made of it. 

 And you could also get one of the Tahitian or other islanders, sailors on board of 

 such vessels, to make fire for you by the aid of these sticks, and thus practically 

 or ocularly answer your own question, as they are all experienced in the art. 



"As to the cord of human hair, it is no doubt of very modern origin, and 

 therefore of no value in investigating the age of the inscriptions or the origin of 

 the language. I have, therefore, not sent you any of it. The natives of the 

 islands are all the time making it, and it is of no value in reference to matters of 

 antiquity. 



" I have spoke to the natives about the white men seen by Roggewein. They 

 state that some of their people are very light-colored when they are not much 

 exposed to the sun's rays. And it may have been much more so formerly, and 

 the lighter portion may have been readily mistaken for white men ; for they 

 were quite as light as some white sailors who are much exposed to the sun. 



"Mr. Calligan, before spoken of in this letter, informs me that during his 

 forced stay on Easter Island he kept a journal, noting down things which came 

 under his observation, and that he has sent it to his friend, Mr. MacCrclhsh, of 

 the San Francisco Alia California, who will doubtless publish extracts from it. 

 You will thereby, perhaps, be able to learn much about the island, written upon 



