When A Horse Was
Landing For Pomarre In 1817, The Slings Broke, And It Fell
Into The Water; Immediately The Natives Jumped Overboard,
And By Their Cries And Vain Efforts At Assistance Almost
Drowned It.
As soon, however, as it reached the shore, the
whole population took to flight, and tried to hide themselves
from the man-carrying pig, as they christened the horse.
A little higher up, the river divided itself into three little
streams. The two northern ones were impracticable, owing
to a succession of waterfalls which descended from the
jagged summit of the highest mountain; the other to all
appearance was equally inaccessible, but we managed to ascend
it by a most extraordinary road. The sides of the
valley were here nearly precipitous, but, as frequently happens
with stratified rocks, small ledges projected, which were
thickly covered by wild bananas, lilaceous plants, and other
luxuriant productions of the tropics. The Tahitians, by
climbing amongst these ledges, searching for fruit, had
discovered a track by which the whole precipice could be scaled.
The first ascent from the valley was very dangerous; for it
was necessary to pass a steeply inclined face of naked rock,
by the aid of ropes which we brought with us. How any
person discovered that this formidable spot was the only
point where the side of the mountain was practicable, I cannot
imagine. We then cautiously walked along one of the
ledges till we came to one of the three streams. This ledge
formed a flat spot, above which a beautiful cascade, some
hundred feet in height, poured down its waters, and beneath,
another high cascade fell into the main stream in the valley
below.
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