PROGRESS OF THE TRAVELLERS. 209 
Tahaitian manufacture, called Tapa, for its 
covering. 
The volubility of his guides, restrained dur- 
ing the repast by the more important business 
of satisfying their appetites, now broke out to 
bis great disturbance. They chattered almost 
incessantly during great part of the night with 
the host, whom they were probably entertain- 
ing with an account of our ship, which he had 
not yet visited, and of their intercourse with 
us. Mr. Hoffman, on taking leave in the morn- 
ing, gave his host a knife, an important present, 
which the old man received very gratefully, as 
far exceeding his expectations. 
The valley as they proceeded became wilder, 
but more beautiful: it opened to greater width, 
the precipices around rose to a thousand feet 
in height, covered from their black summits 
down to the valley with green shrubs of a 
thousand hues, through which cascades glitter- 
ing like silver in the sun, rushed gurgling and 
foaming to the river. 
At noon the travellers reached a hut inha- 
bited by a friend of Maititi, named Tibu; the 
owner also of another hut some miles further 
