48 TAHITI AND EI MEO. 



After reconnoitring the ground for some time, Vahaore recollected 

 a place where they might pass the night, which he thought was not 

 far distant, He therefore immediately began to break a road, which 

 he continued for about a quarter of a mile along the ridge. He then 

 reached a place where the descent might be made, which, however, 

 to all appearances, presented as few facilities for the purpose as any 

 they had before looked at. They, however, tried it, and after a hard 

 scramble reached, about sunset, the place he sought. The descent 

 was estimated to be about two thousand feet, and was performed 

 partly by leaping from tree to tree, and partly by lowering one 

 another by ropes over precipitous ledges from ten to twelve feet in 

 height. In the words of Sacket, " No man in his senses ever went 

 down such a place before, and none but a fool would attempt to do so 

 again." At the foot of the descent lay the first valley, and they 

 found themselves among groves of the wild banana (fahies). 



A temporary shelter was soon constructed on the banks of a 

 mountain stream, which ran headlong by. In this, Vahaore amused 

 himself by catching eels, a sport in which he was expert, and which he 

 performed in the following manner : having found a small basin at 

 the foot of the cliff, in which an eel was concealed, he placed a large 

 fiat stone in the middle of it, and began to bale out the water with 

 his hands ; he next disturbed the fish, which sought shelter beneath 

 the stone, when by cautiously introducing his hands he contrived to 

 grasp it, and by a sudden jerk threw it thirty or forty feet into the 

 woods, when he easily secmred it. In this manner two eels were 

 taken, nearly four feet in length, and as thick as a man's arm. The 

 eels were not skinned, but carefully cleaned and washed ; they were 

 then wrapped in leaves, and cooked in the usual Polynesian manner. 

 Thus prepared, they proved a great delicacy. These eels, although 

 much esteemed by the natives, appear to be almost unknown to the 

 white residents. 



The idea of ascending the peak was now abandoned, and in the 

 morning they set out on their return to the coast. In their route, 

 they crossed several spurs of the main ridge. About noon they again 

 halted, and employed themselves in making collections, while Va- 

 haore again went a fishing. He soon returned with three eels, the 

 largest of which was upwards of three feet in length. These eels 

 are of a uniform dark olive colour on the back, which passes on the 

 belly to a dirty white. 



Early in the afternoon they reached the lower valley, with the 



