296 TAHITI, [CHAP. x\ni, 



From the highest point which I attained, there was a good view of 

 the distant island of Eimeo, dependent on the same sovereign with 

 Tahiti. On the lofty and broken pinnacles white massive clouds were 

 piled up, which formed an island in the blue sky, as Eimeo itself did 

 in the blue ocean. The island, with the exception of one small gate- 

 way, is completely encircled by a reef. At this distance, a narrow but 

 well-defined brilliantly white line was alone visible, where the waves 

 first encountered the wall of coral. The mountains rose abruptly out 

 of the glassy expanse of the lagoon, included within this narrow white 

 line, outside which the heaving waters of the ocean were dark-coloured. 

 The view was striking: it may aptly be compared to a framed en- 

 graving, where the frame represents the breakers, the marginal paper 

 the smooth lagoon, and the drawing the island itself. When in the 

 evening I descended from the mountain, a man, whom I had pleased 

 with a trifling gift, met me, bringing with him hot roasted bananas, a 

 pine-apple, and cocoa-nuts. After walking under a burning sun, I do 

 not know anything more delicious than the milk of a young cocoa-nut. 

 Pine-apples are here so abundant that the people eat them in the same 

 wasteful manner as we might turnips. They are of an excellent flavour 

 perhaps even better than those cultivated in England ; and this I 

 believe is the highest compliment which can be paid to any fruit. 

 Before going on board, Mr. Wilson interpreted for me to the Tahitian 

 who had paid me so adroit an attention, that I wanted him and another 

 man to accompany me on a short excursion into the mountains. 



November \$>ih. In the morning I came on shore early, bringing with 

 me some provisions in a bag, and two blankets for myself and servant. 

 These were lashed to each end of a long pole, which was alternately 

 carried by my Tahitian companions on their shoulders. These men 

 are accustomed thus to carry, for a whole day, as much as fifty pounds 

 at each end of their poles. I told my guides to provide themselves 

 \vith food and clothing ; but they said that there was plenty of food in 

 the mountains, and for clothing, that their skins were sufficient. Our 

 line of march was the valley of Tia-auru, down which a river flows into 

 the sea by Point Venus. This is one of the principal streams in the 

 island, and its source lies at the base of the loftiest central pinnacles, 

 which rise to a height of about 7,000 feet. The whole island is so 

 mountainous that the only way to penetrate into the interior is to 

 follow up the valleys. Our road, at first, lay through woods which 

 bordered each side of the river ; and the glimpses of the lofty central 

 peaks, seen as through an avenue, with here and there a waving cocoa- 

 nut tree on one side, were extremely picturesque. The valley soon 

 began to narrow, and the sides to grow lofty and more precipitous. 

 After having walked between three and four hours, we found the width 

 of the ravine scarcely exceeded that of the bed of the stream. On each 

 hand the walls were nearly vertical ; yet from the soft nature of the 

 volcanic strata, trees and a rank vegetation sprung from every projecting 

 ledge. These precipices must have been some thousand feet high ; and 

 the whole formed a mountain gorge for more magnificent than anything 

 which I had ever before beheld. Until the mid-day sun stood vertically 



