98 KAMORTA 



All around, the shores sloped downward, covered with dense 

 forest, but now and again the inland hills rose grass-clad above 

 the tree-tops ; on either hand we passed small villages, Itoe 

 (six houses), and Pachoak (five houses), placed just above the 

 edge of the water. 



The western opening is bold and rocky, but very narrow ; 

 and among the boulders of the shore are several blow-holes, 

 from which, when the sea rolls on the beach, spouts of water 

 fly upwards and break into showers of spray. 



Outside, the wind was still light, and we tacked along the 

 coast for some hours before it strengthened. Much of this 

 side of Kamorta consists of low broken hills with pointed 

 summits looking like volcanic cones — a grassy country, varied 

 by occasional small patches of forest — while along the shore 

 low bluffs and stretches of coco palms succeed each other. 



Soon we passed the entrance of Expedition Harbour, a deep, 

 land-locked bight, separated from Nankauri Harbour by a 

 narrow strip of land ; this was the reputed headquarters of 

 the band of piratical savages who formerly committed so many 

 depredations in this neighbourhood. Near by. Mount Edge- 

 combe, of a very volcanic appearance, rises about 400 feet. 



This shore seems but little inhabited, for until we reached 

 our destination at 4 P.M., we saw only one small village of four 

 or five houses. 



The wind was off the land when we arrived at Dring Harbour, 

 and since the entrance was narrowed by rocks and reefs projecting 

 from either side, we lowered all sail and warped in. 



The bay is about half a mile square, and the head, which 

 is slightly wider than the mouth, is bordered by a long sandy 

 beach, backed by a belt of scrub and palm trees, from a quarter 

 to half a mile in depth. The other shores are partially formed 

 by small cliffs, with a thin fringe of jungle, bounding grassy 

 hills and downs. 



The village of Olta-moit (fifteen to twenty houses), " Captain 

 John," headman, lies along the beach, which abuts at the southern 

 end upon a fair-sized creek leading to a mangrove swamp at 



