46 TAHITI AND EIMEO. 



A temporary shelter was soon constructed on the banks of a moun- 

 tain stream, which ran headlong by. In this, Vahaore amused himself 

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

 formed 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 flat 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, where he 

 easily secured 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 Vahaore 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 stream 

 called Pappiamatia, about twenty yards wide, and from two to three 

 feet deep, running down it. About five miles from the coast they 

 passed a range of basaltic columns, one-fourth of a mile in length ; the 

 cliff presenting a perpendicular wall, rising up at the east side of the 

 stream, formed columns, one hundred and fifty feet high ; the number 

 of sides varied from four to seven, and their diameter from nine inches 

 to two feet. The ridge at whose base this was found, was upwards 

 of two thousand feet high. The party reached Matavai Bay at sunset. 



The ridge that our gentlemen followed, is considered by them as 

 the most feasible route to the summit of Orohena ; the greatest difficulty 

 with which the attempt is attended arises from the dislike of the natives 

 to visit places where they have not been before, and their anxiety to 

 keep themselves within the region of the fahies. 



Pitohiti might also be reached by the same route; there is little 

 doubt that the latter has also been ascended by following the western 

 branch of the Pappino valley, a route which was also considered 

 feasible by our party ; a third route might also be found by following 

 the main branch of the Pappino, which, as will be seen on the map, 

 rises behind Pitohiti. 



