362 Voyage of the Novara. 



230wder of an intense yellow, prepared from tlie Curcuma longa^ 

 and wore merely a piece of calico round the loins, while 

 splendid yellow blossoms set off the raven blackness of their 

 long- hair. 



We now followed up a narrow foot-path, which led to a 

 gently sloping eminence behind the huts, and soon founci 

 ourselves surrounded by bread-fruit trees and banana, while 

 from time to time a black basaltic rock cropped out from 

 among the red, marl-like soil, and beautiful small lizards 

 with sapphire-blue tails that shone with a metallic lustre, 

 shot about with the velocity of an arrow among the stones. 

 The prevailing formation, as in almost all the volcanic islands 

 of the Pacific, is an amorphous basalt-lava, full of olivin and 

 porphyry. On gaining the summit of the hill, we found 

 there a solitary, wretched-looking hut. A dog, a few hens, 

 and a phlegmatic native worn away to a shadow, whom the 

 sudden appearance of a number of European strangers hardly 

 seemed to rouse from his apathy, were the only living crea- 

 tures visible. On our requesting to be furnished with a light, 

 a wrinkled old hag crept out of the hut, and handed us a piece 

 of lighted wood. The dusky old woman was presented with 

 a cigar, which she forthwith lit, and proceeded to smoke with 

 unmistakeable satisfaction. To our request for fresh cocoa- 

 nuts with which to quench om' thirst, the man, without mov- 

 ing from his place, shouted a few words in the direction of the 

 forest, which was speedily replied to, when some young girls 

 came forth giggling and romping, who brought us what we 



