shortens with the distance, for the pedes- 
trian, when tired and thirsty, sits down and 
bites off an inch or two from the end of 
his staff. A friend accompanied me as far 
as his house on the road, where there is a 
large church, his kind intention being to 
give me some provision for the excursion, 
but as he was a stout person, I soon out- 
stripped him. On leaving the bay, we 
passed through a fertile spot, consisting of 
_ Taro patches in ponds, where the ground 
is purposely overflowed, and afterwards 
covered with a deep layer of Fern-leaves 
to keep it damp. Here were fine groves 
of Bread-fruit and ponds of Mullet and 
Ava-fish ; the scenery is beautiful, being 
studded with dwellings and little planta- 
tions of vegetables and of Morus papyri- 
fera, of which there are two kinds, one 
much whiter than the other. The most 
striking feature in the vegetation consists 
m the Tree-Fern, some smaller species of 
the same tribe, and a curious kind of Com- 
posite, like an Eupatorium. At about four 
miles and a half from the bay, we entered 
the wood, through which there is a tolerably 
: path, the muddy spots being ren- 
dered passable by the stems or trunks of 
Tree-Ferns, laid close together crosswise. 
They seemed to be the same species as I 
xd Observed on the ascent to Mouna 
Kuh. About an hour's walk brought us 
through the wood, and we then crossed 
another open plain of three miles and a 
half, at the upper end of which, in a most 
tiful situation, stands the church, and 
close to it the chiefs house. Some heavy 
id Showers had drenched us through; still, 
a talkative, 
_ 9 the same dwelling, one of whom, eighty 
as soon as our friend arrived, and the 
a ul arrangements were made, I started 
continued the ascent over a very gen- 
| ty ising ground, in a southerly direction, 
‘Passing through some delightful country, 
interspersed with low timber. At night 
civil person, though remarkably 
our old women were inmates 
DUI IW ibo, wit hait white as mow, was 
LEN in feeding two favourite cats with 
TA little terrier disputed the fare 
SANDWIĊH ISLANDS, AND THE ASCENT OF MOUNA ROA. 
at a house, of which the owner. 
167 
with them, to the no small annoyance of 
their mistress. A well-looking young fe- 
male amused me with singing, while she 
was engaged in the process of cooking a 
dog on heated stones. I also observed a 
handsome young man, whose very strong 
stiff black hair was allowed to grow to a 
great length on the top of his head, while 
‘it was cut close over the ears, and falling 
down on the back of his head and neck, 
bad all the appearance of a Roman helmet. 
January the 23rd. This morning the 
old lady was engaged in feeding a dog with 
fox-like ears, instead of her cats, She 
compelled the poor animal to swallow Poe, 
by cramming it into his mouth, and what 
he put out at the sides, she took up and 
ate herself; this she did, as she informed 
me, by way of fattening the dog for food. 
A little while before day-break my host 
went to the door of the lodge, and after 
calling over some extraordinary words 
which would seem to set orthography at 
defiance, a loud grunt in response from 
under the thick shade of some adjoining 
Tree-Ferns, was followed by the appear- 
ance of a fine large black pig, which com- 
ing at his master's call, was forthwith 
caught and killed for the use of myself and 
my attendants. The meat was cooked on 
heated stones, and three men were kindly 
sent to carry it to the volcano, a distance 
of twenty-three miles, tied up in the large 
leaves of Banana and Ti-tree. The morn- 
ing was deliciously cool and clear, with a 
light breeze. Immediately on passing 
through a narrow belt of wood, where the 
timber was large, and its trunks matted 
with parasitic Ferns, I arrived at a tract of 
ground, over which there was but a scanty 
covering of soil above the lava, interspersed 
with low bushes and Ferns. Here I be- 
held one of the grandest scenes imaginable ; 
` —Mouna Roa reared his bold front, co- — 
vered with snow, far above the region of 
verdure, while Mouna Kuah was similarly 
12th and two following days. the 
of Hido, * Byron's Bay," which I had 
