I Was Very Suitably Clothed For The Purpose, Having Got Strong Men's Shoes, Without Any Stockings, Trousers, And A Blouse, Which I Had Fastened Up As High As My Hips. Thus Equipped I Began, On The 7th Of May, My Short Journey, In Company With My Guide.

In the first third of my road, which lay along the coast, I counted about thirty-two brooks which we were obliged to walk through.

We then struck off, through ravines, into the interior of the island, first calling, however, at a hut to obtain some refreshment. The inmates were very friendly, and gave us some bread-fruit and fish, but very willingly accepted a small present in exchange.

In the interior, the fine fruit-trees disappear, and their place is supplied by plantains, tarros, and a kind of bush, growing to the height of twelve feet, and called Oputu (Maranta); the last, in fact, grew so luxuriantly, that we frequently experienced the greatest difficulty in making our way through. The tarro, which is planted, is from two to three feet high, and has fine large leaves and tubercles, similar to the potato, but which do not taste very good when roasted. The plantain, or banana, is a pretty little tree, from fifteen to twenty feet high, with leaves like those of the palm, and a stem which is often eight inches in diameter, but is not of wood, but cane, and very easily broken. It belongs properly to the herbiferous species, and grows with uncommon rapidity.

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