CHAPTER XIV 
A FORTY-MILE TRAMP BY THE SHORE 
At Pokama we got on board a vessel very heavily 
laden with sandalwood. I did not notice how 
perilously deep she was in the water until after we 
had put to sea. This promised a voyage of great 
discomfort, and Harry shortly became very sick. 
Partly on this account, and partly because we wanted 
to see a certain part of the coast more minutely, we 
went ashore in a small boat, and slept that night at 
the house of a coloured teacher in the service of 
the London Missionary Society. Next morning we 
set out on foot for Manu-Manu, forty miles distant, 
a long and very toilsome tramp, often rendered doubly 
difficult by the uncertain sands of the _ beach. 
Where the tide had left it wet we found it as firm 
to walk upon as a bicycle track, but in the dry sand 
we often sunk to our knees. Harry, especially, suf- 
fered severely, and his ankles were sore for a long 
time after. The heat also was terrific, and added 
greatly to our discomfort; but the walk was not 
without its interest and its diversion, although in 
point of scenery it was rather monotonous. Very 
conspicuous on the fringe of the coast vegetation 
was the true species of the shore Pandanus. Inland 
was dense forest, diversified with patches of grass 
and marshland. Our itinerary was as follows: Our 
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