EXCURSION IN THE MOUNTAINS. 183 



turnips. They are of an excellent flavour — per- 

 haps 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. 



18th. — 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 alter- 

 teniately 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 with food and clothing ; but 

 they said that there was plenty of food in the 

 mountains, and for clothing, that their skins wei'e 

 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 7000 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 be- 

 tween 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 



