Journey across the Island of Tahiti. 153 



The bed of this ravine, aud indeed all the sections which it aflforded, con- 

 sisted of basalt of different degrees of density, containing crystals of olivine 

 and augite; and upon ascending the hills by this route, I discovered no stra- 

 tified rocks, but disintegrated masses of the before-mentioned minerals and 

 chert. It was during a visit to this and other ravines, that by means of 

 washing the debris through a sieve, I obtained a quantity of the olivine 

 rolled, which found a market in London among jewellers, as a new variety 

 of chrysolite. 



Having thus forced our way for certainly not less than ten miles, we came 

 to a cataract, falling from a height of not less than four or five hundred 

 feet, the waters being much increased by the rains. About six hundred 

 feet below the level of the lake, the water passes through the side of the 

 mountain, forming for itself a natural tunnel. The appearance of this and 

 of the fall is exceedingly grand and sublime. 



Near two hundred feet above the tunnel I arrived at a chasm, which the 

 guides approached with apparent aWe. Upon enquiry, they informed me 

 that this place was frequented by the spirits of departed warriors, there 

 having been a great battle fought on this side of the mountain, after which 

 the dead were buried in the chasm. 



We had now ascended above the ravines, and our journey became ex- 

 ceedingly fatiguing, from the very heavy rains which had fallen during 

 the last fortnight, and which still continued without a prospect of their 

 cessation ; I was, however, determined to proceed. At one p. m. we had 

 succeeded in ascending this first mountain, whose height, from the level of 

 the ocean, is computed at six or seven thousand feet. We now descended 

 about one hundred feet, when the much-talked-of lake presented itself to 

 our view. Its circumference must be two miles ; it has two beaches, the 

 one opposite the other, the sides elsewhere being perpendicular. There is 

 no way of crossing except by means of a raft or by swimming ; the natives 

 prefer the latter method, and hence its name P'aihiria ; — vai, water j and 

 hiria, to swim. This lake presents the appearance of a crater, forming a 

 kind of basin, from whence the rain-water can only escape through the 

 natural tunnel before mentioned. My guides now employed themselves in 

 making two rafts of dead banana trees, whilst I shot a brace of fine ducks, 

 and examined the lake for shells, &c. This water appears to contain no 

 animal productions but eels, of which there are some very large and fine 

 ones. 



, Mr. Henry informed me that he had sounded, and found eighteen and 

 twenty fathoms water. In the centre I could not find bottom with a twenty- 

 fathom line. The surrounding mountains, one of which is the highest in 

 Tahiti /4rafenn, cannot be less than three or four thousand feet above the 

 lake. On the shore I observed several columns of basalt, of seven or eight 

 feet in length, lying on their sides. 



At three v. m. the guides informed me that the rafts were ready; the 



