LAST JOURNEY TO THE COAST 
and there with patches of wild oats and groups of 
eucalyptus trees, which ran up to a height of about 30 
feet, and were conspicuous by their silvery bark, which 
was constantly peeling off like tissue paper. 
Having once undertaken the job, Mavai was as 
good as his word, and took us down to Oo-fa-fa, where 
we got boats. There I had a nasty accident. We 
put up for the night in a hut belonging to Mr. Jack 
Exton, the sandalwood trader, a very industrious and 
indefatigable man, who has made good roads to haul 
his timber down to the coast, and is very popular with 
the natives. ‘‘ Jack,’ as we called him, entertained 
us very kindly at his camp when we first went to Epa, 
and gave us every assistance in his power. During the 
first night at Oo-fa-fa I was sitting on a native ham- 
mock in the but, when suddeniy the cords gave way 
and I fell backwards upon a sharp stump and hurt my 
back severely. My leather belt saved me from any 
very serious injury, and there was fortunately no 
penetration, but the pain was intense for three or four 
days. I fomented the bruises with hot water at 
Oo-fa-fa, and managed to get down to the canoe next 
day, but I had to lie still during the rest of the 
voyage. At Pokama I was greatly relieved by the 
application of Elliman’s Embrocation, but I had 
difficulty in walking and was not free from pain for 
ten days. 
At the Sound some of the native carriers, those 
paying their first visit to the coast, drank great 
quantities of salt water without evil consequences. 
The canoe voyage was rather uneventful. Our 
flotilla was not numerous enough; the canoes we 
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