lxxii Appendix. 
young surgeon belonging to the “ Uranie,” had agreed with me to go on an 
excursion up the mountain immediately behind Papeite (the settlement), but, 
in consequence of some rumours of native attacks, the authorities, when he 
applied the day before for permission, refused to allow him to expose himself. 
As I was in no danger I received a pass for myself and a native ; however, 
the native was afraid to go, and so I was obliged to go by myself. As the 
ascent of the mountain would take several hours I set out before daylight, in 
order to get over the hard work in the cool of the morning, and consequently 
passed the advanced post for which my permit was granted before the sentries 
were well able to see me. After passing this post (where I was not asked for 
my pass) I immediately began my ascent, and the dawn overtook me on the 
narrow crest of a hill which was in full view of another block-house, distant 
about a quarter of a mile, but separated by a small valley divided into two by 
a small hill rising in the middle of it. When the sentries first discovered me 
I was just on the top of the first ascent, and at the commencement of a long, 
nearly level, erest, about five feet wide, which led towards the higher hills, 
but in a direction nearly parallel with the crest or range on which the block- 
house was placed. I had gone on perhaps two hundred yards, when I noticed 
somebody calling ; I had heard it before, but never thought it was for me. 
I looked round, and saw a great commotion among the soldiers, five or six of 
whom had run down the side of their hill, and were in the first little valley. 
However, seeing that I stopped, one of them called out to me to know where 
I was going. І told him, and that I had a permission, which I took out and 
held up for him to see; this did not satisfy him, and he said I must come 
down and show it, I told him that I had passed the post in the valley of 
St. Emilie, and that I would not take the trouble to go so far out of my way 
as to go to him, but that I would wait for him if he chose to come to me. 
“І you don't come we'll fire"—muskets pointed accordingly ; but as I was 
determined not to undergo the detention and unnecessary fatigue of climbing 
up and down three steep hills merely to gratify the curiosity of a French 
soldier, I merely said—‘tirez si vous voulez," and jumping off the crest on to 
the slope was out of their sight in an instant. Not exactly liking to trust the 
“tigre-singe,” in case they should pursue me, I made the best of my way along 
the side of the hill, well knowing that by the time they arrived at the place 
where they saw me I should have quadrupled my distance from them, because 
I was progressing along a nearly level line, while they were climbing two 
very steep hills ; and I was quite right in my calculation. When I came to 
the end of the ridge, and in order to continue my ascent was obliged to show 
myself, I saw that only one had reached the path where I had been, and at 
the distance which I had reached I did not much fear his one musket, 
especially as I knew that he must be tolerably out of breath with his exertions, 
