Ixxii AjJpendvK. 



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 I'umours 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 1 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 j^assing 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, crest, 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, I 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 miist 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. 

 " If 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 steejD hills merely to gratify the curiosity of a French 

 soldier, I merely said — "tirez si vous voulez," and jumping ofi" the crest on to 

 the slope was out of their sight in an instant, N'ot 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. 



