NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 171 



with a village church. There is now nothing but a windmill and 

 a shed — no inhabitants. While the guides were watering the 

 horses, we amused ourselves by turning over the loose rocks at 

 the base of the images, in hope of discovering some ancient relic 

 overlooked by previous expeditions. Nor were we disappointed. 

 Paul found a collection of skeletons with bones intact, and a 

 pile of old skulls. Climbing under the rocks he passed the skulls 

 out to the others. One of them had the chiselled markings 

 supposed to be the sign of a chief. 



While we were digging around in this way we saw a solitary 

 native bathing at the base of the platform. Each time before 

 he dived into the water he vigorously made the sign of the cross 

 three times, as he stood at attention facing the sea. Apparently 

 he had some superstitious fear of the sea. 



A short ride brought us to the cabin of two Scotch shepherds 

 who had been brought to the island for one year to set up fences 

 for the cattle. These men said that our disturbing the bones of 

 the dead was responsible for the heavy rains that fell throughout 

 our excursion. We were much surprised to find a turkey walking 

 around in their grounds. They explained that it was left here 

 by the Routledges of the Mana Expedition. 



After tea we proceeded to the volcano, Rano Roroku, on whose 

 slopes the hundreds of giant images were quarried. The nearer 

 we approached, the harder it rained. Only the tremendous 

 spectacle, which had been visible for many miles, kept us from 

 turning back. The long rows of overturned images and an oc- 

 casional fig-tree offered shelter during the heavier showers, al- 

 though we could not have been more thoroughly soaked. 



Half buried in the debris from the quarries above, dozens of 

 huge busts stand up menacingly. They are single blocks of lava, 

 twenty to seventy feet from waist to head. There are no two 

 alike; but all have a prominent aquiline nose, wide nostrils, thin, 

 closed lips, and bold chin. None of these now standing carry 

 the absurd three ton hats which we had seen on our halt at the 

 beach. Their features, haughty and arrogant, suggest a scorn 

 of life. Captain Ault remarks: "The unseeing eyes, sombre, 

 austere expressions, and unsmiling lips give no hint of the secret 

 which they have been guarding for centuries." 



