Physiognomy of the Islands in the Pacific. 221 



affording us bonie security, we dared to walk erect. We at last fcloo 

 perched on the summit edge, not six feet broad. The ridge con 

 tinued beyond for a short distance, with the same sharp, knife-edge 

 character, and was then broken off by the Punaavia Valley. Our 

 height afforded a near view of Orohena; it was separated from us 

 only by the valley of Matavai, from whose profound depths it rose 

 with nearly erect sides. The peak has a saddle-shape, and the 

 northern of the two points is called Pitohiti. Those summits, and 

 the ridge which stretches from thence toward Matavai, intercept the 

 view to the southward. In other directions, the rapid succession of 

 gorge and ridge that characterises Tahitean scenery, was open before 

 us. At the western foot of.Aorai appeared the crown. Beyond it 

 extended the Punaavia Valley, the only level spot in sight ; and far 

 away, in the same direction, steep ridges, rising behind one another 

 with jagged outline, stood against the western horizon. To the 

 north, deep valleys gorge the country, with narrow precipitous ridges 

 between ; and these melt away into ridgy hills and valleys, and 

 finally into the palm-covered plains bordering the sea. 



On our descent, we followed the western side of the Papaua 

 Valley, along a narrow ridge, such as we have described, but two or 

 three feet wide at top, and enclosed by precipices of not less than a 

 thousand feet. Proceeding thus for two hours, holding to the bushes 

 which served as a kind of balustrade, although occasionally startled 

 by a slip of the foot on one side or the other — our path suddenly nar- 

 rowed to a mere edge of naked rock, and, moreover, the ridge was 

 inclined a little to the east, like a tottering wall. Taking the upper 

 side of the sloping wall, and trusting our feet to the bushes while 

 clinging to the rocks above, carefully dividing our weight, lest we 

 should precipitate the rocks and ourselves to the depths below, we 

 continued on till we came to an abrupt break in the ridge of twenty 

 feet, half of which was perpendicular. By means of ropes doubled 

 around the rocks above, we in turn let ourselves down, and soon 

 reached again a width of three feet, where we could walk in safety. 

 Two hours more at last brought us to slopes and ridges where we 

 could breathe freely. 



The peculiarities here described characterize all parts of the 

 island. Towards the high peaks of the interior, the ridges which 

 radiate from, or connect with them, become mere mountain walls 

 with inaccessible slopes, and the valleys are from one to three 

 thousand feet in depth. The central peaks themselves have the same 

 wall-like character. It is thus with Orohena and Pitohiti, as well 

 as Aorai ; and owing to the sharpness of the summit edge, rather 

 than the steepness of the ascent, Orohena is said to be quite inac- 

 cessible. Dr Pickering and Mr Couthony, in an excursion to a 

 height of five thousand feet on this ridge, met with difficulties of the 

 same character we have described. — American Journal of Science 

 and Arts J Vol. ix., No. 25. January 1850. Page 48. 



