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stood as a smaller island in tlie sea; and that around then-
steep flanks, streams of lava and beds of sediment were
accumulated under water, in a conical mass. Ihis, altei
being raised, has been cut hy numerous profound ravines,
which all diverge from the common centre; the intervening
ridges being flat-topped, and belonging to one slope. Having
crossed the narrow girt of inhabited and fertile land,
followed tlie line of one of these ridges; having on each
hand, very steep and smooth-sided valleys. Ih e vegetation
is singular, consisting almost exclusively of small dwarf
ferns, which, higher up, arc mingled with coarse grass.
The appearance was not very dissimilar from that on some
of the Welsh h ills; and this being so close above the
orchard of tropical plants on the coast, was very surprising.
At the highest point which I reached, trees again appeared.
Of these three zones of comparative luxuriance, the lower
one owes its moisture, and therefore fertility, to its extreme
flatness; for being scarcely raised above the level of the sea,
the water, which it receives from the higher land, drams
away slowly. The upper zone extends into a moister atmosphere;
whilst the intermediate part, not being benefited
hy either of these advantages, is barren. The wood m the
upper part was very pretty; tree-ferns having replaced the
cocoa-nuts of the coast. It must not, however, be supposed
that these woods at all equal the forests of Brazil. In an
island, that vast number of productions whioh characterizes
a continent, cannot be expected to occur.
From the point wliich I attained, there was a good view
of the distant island of Eimeo, dependant on the same
sovereign with Tahiti. On the lofty and broken pinnacles,
white massive clouds were piled up, which formed an island
in the blue sky, as Eimeo itself did in the blue ocean.
The island, with the exception of one small gateway is
completely encircled by a reef. At this distance, a narrow
but well-defined line of brilliant white was alone visible,
where the waves first encountered the wall of coral. The
glassy water of the lagoon was included withm this line;
and out of it the mountains rose abruptly. The effect was
very pleasing, and might aptly be compared to a framed
engraving, where the frame represented tlie breakers, the
marginal paper the lagoon, and the drawing the island itself.
When in the evening I descended from the mountain, a
man, whom I had pleased with a trifling gift, met me,
bringing with him hot roasted bananas, a pine-apple, and
cocoa-nuts. After having walked under a burning sun, I
do not know any thing more delicious than the milk of a
young cocoa-nut. Pine-apples are here so abundant, that
the people eat them in the same wasteful manner as we
might turnips. They are of an excellent flavour,—perhaps
even better than those cultivated in England; and this I
believe is the highest compliment which can be paid to a
fruit, or indeed to any thing else. Before going on board
I went to Mr. Wilson, who interpreted to the Tahitian, who
had paid me so adroit an attention, that I wanted him
and another man to accompany me on a short excursion
into the mountains.
N o v e m b e r I S t h .—In the morning I came on shore
early, bringing with me some provisions in a bag, and two
blankets for myself and servant. These were lashed to
each end of a pole, and thus carried by my Tahitian companions
: from custom these men are able to walk for a
whole day, with as much as fifty pounds at each end. I
told my guides to provide themselves with food and
clothing : but for the latter, they said their skins were sufficient,
and for the former, that there was plenty of food
in the mountains. The line of march was the valley of
Tia-auru, in which the river flows that enters the sea Ijy
Point Venus. This is one of the principal streams in the
island, and its source lies at the base of tlie loftiest pinnacles,
which attain the elevation of about 7000 feet. The
whole island may be considered as one group of mountains,
so tbat the only way to penetrate the interior is to follow
up the valleys. Our road, at first, lay through the wood
wliich liordered each side of the river; and the glimpses