154 Journey across the Island of Tahiti. 



rain still continued, and at times we were so tliickly enveloped in clouds or 

 dense vapour, that we could not proceed. Having arranged my baggage 

 and collection on one raft, I seated myself upon the other, and the two 

 guides commenced swimming, pushing the rafts before them. When about 

 half way across, and while engaged in sounding, the raft upon which my 

 baggage, dry clothes, collection, &c. were placed, unfortunately upset ; and 

 the fellow who had the care of tlie raft on which I was seated, in his hurry 

 to eive assistance, left me with such little caution, that J was instantly in 

 the same situation. However, placing ray gun and shot belt upon the raft, 

 I made the best of my way ashore, and a more deplorable object could not 

 have been seen : here, very reluctantly, I was obliged to take up my 

 quarters for the niglit. It being my determination to cross the island to 

 Matavai, we therefore rigged a tent, cooked the ducks, and retired to such 

 rest as the uuisquitoes would allow us. 



By this accident I lost the whole that had been collected during our 

 journey, consisting of numerous botanical specimens, some shells, many 

 minerals, &c. and my instruments. The tent which the guides prepared 

 to secure us from the rain, was erected in an amazingly short time ; it was 

 constructed of the gnn and three sticks, stuck in the ground under the lee 

 of a rock, the roof being formed of portions of the plantain tree, and covered 

 with the broad leaves of the same : the ducks were cooked in a time nearly 

 as short. The guides took some red bole, which is formed by the decom- 

 position of basalt, and kneading it into a plastic state, cut off the head, 

 legs, and pinion portion of the wings, plastered the whole body over with 

 the clay, and then placed it in the midst of an ember fire : when done, which 

 they by practice seemed to know to a nicety, the ball was soused in water, 

 the clay broken off, and the body of the duck produced, entirely divested of 

 feathers and skin, full of gravy, and highly palatable. My bed was formed 

 of two young succulent plantain trees, cut down and bruised into mache^ 

 by large stones. This proved a wet but soft bed ; and the principal ob- 

 jection to such a coucli was, that when I arose in the morning, it appeared 

 as if I had slept in a tub of indigo, the juice from these plants dying the 

 body of a deep blue colour. 



It rained heavily during the night, and I arose at day-break, cold and wet, 

 immediately to recommence our journey, wiiich, for a short distance, led up 

 a ravine, down which rolled a large stream of water to empty itself into 

 the lake. In this stream I found specimens of navicella elliptica, neritina 

 canalis, and auricularia. We now began to ascend an exceedingly steep 

 and high mountain, our lives frequently depending only upon the strength 

 of a few ferns, (the ferns assuming the character of trees often twenty feet 

 high) or what was still more unstable, upon the strength of a plantain 

 tree. 



Here at intervals the clouds were dispelled, and the lake then jjresented 

 itself to the view, together with the distant vallies leading towards the 



