22 8 Voyage of the Novara. 



French in all parts of the world, and which makes them 

 everywhere such "jolly" companions. The provisions we 

 had brought with us were speedily improved by the addition 

 of everything that the garrison mess could set before us, and 

 there was no lack even of delicacies, as they might be con- 

 sidered in these latitudes, for the little kitchen-garden con- 

 tiguous fm-nished plenty of water-cresses and strawberries. 

 The temperature was at this season singularly delicious and 

 elastic, but in July, when the thermometer occasionally sinks 

 to 46|^° Fahr., the little garrison suffers much from cold and 

 inflammatory attacks. 



Another excursion, not less charming but far more arduous, 

 is that to the Waiiria Lake, far in the interior of the island. 

 This was achieved by Mr. Frauenfeld, one of the zoologists of 

 the Expedition. From Papeuriri in the south of the island, 

 which is easily reached in one day from Papeete by a road 

 winding along the coast, the Waiiria valley leads in a S. S. E. 

 to N. N.W. direction, up to the central peak, whence the deep 

 valleys and water-courses radiate towards the coast like the 

 spokes of a wheel. The valley is at first tolerably wide, but 

 so densely covered with trees and shrubs, interlaced in wild 

 confusion, that the horses had to be left behind at Papeuriri. 

 A rather wide mountain-torrent rushes throughout its length, 

 and, a little further on, when the valley contracts into a path- 

 less defile, has not merely to be crossed so frequently as to 

 baffle all count, but leaves the tourist to scramble up its rocky 

 course by leaping from stone to stone. After four hours' toil 



