354 PAUMOTU GROUP. 
peace. I was desirous of knowing to what lie imputed the change, 
and he very readily answered " Mittionari, mai-tai, mai-tai," (mis- 
sionary, good, good). They acknowledge the authority of Pomare 
of Tahiti. Dr. Pickering, who was in company with me, came to 
propose that we should ascend the bluff, which the chief, being made 
acquainted with, readily gave his consent to, and sent for two men to 
accompany us. We ascended through the narrow break, twenty 
to thirty feet wide : the natives had improved the path up by 
placing the clinky slabs of compact coral, as a rude pavement, and 
for steps, in order to make the communication more easy to their 
planting grounds. On reaching the top, we found ourselves in a 
wood, and wishing to get a view of the interior, we made for the 
east end, passing occasionally over beds of clinky coral, thrown and 
scattered in all directions. After a walk of more than a mile, we 
came to an open space, from which we had a clear view of the 
interior of the island, which was found to be densely covered with 
trees. The general shape, as far as it could be seen, was pan-like, 
or in the form of a dry lagoon. 
This island was particularly interesting, from its combining both 
high and low vegetation ; and a very considerable collection of plants 
was obtained. Several pigeons were seen, two of which we obtained ; 
they were of a large species of Columba oceanica, that inhabits these 
groups. We crossed many large fissures, running in a line with the 
cliff, some of them tw^o or three feet wide, in which trees of some size 
were growing. 
As far as our observations went, the upper portion of this island is 
composed of limestone or compact coral rock ; the cliff, on its eastern 
side, where we first landed, appears stratified, horizontally, in beds of 
ten to twelve feet in thickness, of a sort of conglomerate, composed 
of shells, coral, and pieces of compact rock, cemented together by a 
calcareous deposit. The under part of this bed had been much worn 
by the sea; the rich soil was composed of vegetable matter and 
decomposed limestone. The slabs that were lying loose upon the 
surface had a clinky or metallic sound when struck. The island has 
unequivocal marks of having been uplifted at different periods ; the 
cliff, at two different heights, appears to have, suffered abrasion by 
the sea. Stalagmites were observed under the cliffs, and some 
stalactitic columns, fourteen feet high by six in diameter. On 
coming towards the village, we saw many natives returning with 
