438 CHARLES DARWIN 



the valley. In the less precipitous parts we passed through 

 extensive groves of the wild banana. The Tahitians, with 

 their naked, tattooed bodies, their heads ornamented with 

 flowers, and seen in the dark shade of these groves, would 

 have formed a fine picture of man inhabiting some primeval 

 land. In our descent we followed the line of ridges; these 

 were exceedingly narrow, and for considerable lengths steep 

 as a ladder; but all clothed with vegetation. The extreme 

 care necessary in 'poising each step rendered the walk fa- 

 tiguing. I did not cease to wonder at these ravines and 

 precipices : when viewing the country from one of the knife- 

 edged ridges, the point of support was so small, that the 

 effect was nearly the same as it must be from a balloon. In 

 this descent we had occasion to use the ropes only once, at 

 the point where we entered the main valley. We slept under 

 the same ledge of rock where we had dined the day before : 

 the night was fine, but from the depth and narrowness of the 

 gorge, profoundly dark. 



Before actually seeing this country, I found it difficult 

 to understand two facts mentioned by Ellis; namely, that 

 after the murderous battles of former times, the survivors 

 on the conquered side retired into the mountains, where a 

 handful of men could resist a multitude. Certainly half 

 a dozen men, at the spot where the Tahitian reared the old 

 tree, could easily have repulsed thousands. Secondly, that 

 after the introduction of Christianity, there were wild men 

 who lived in the mountains, and whose retreats were un- 

 known to the more civilized inhabitants. 



November 20th. In the morning we started early, and 

 reached Matavai at noon. On the road we met a large party 

 of noble athletic men, going for wild bananas. I found that 

 the ship, on account of the difficulty in watering, had moved 

 to the harbour of Papawa, to which place I immediately 

 walked. This is a very pretty spot. The cove is surrounded 

 by reefs, and the water as smooth as in a lake. The 

 cultivated ground, with its beautiful productions, inter- 

 spersed with cottages, comes close down to the water's edge. 



From the varying accounts which I had read before reach- 

 ing these islands, I was very anxious to form, from my own 

 observation, a judgment of their moral state, although such 



