. Reminiscences of the South seas . nd this in the wet wood, over clay androots, or over wet clay and wet stones when we should be onthe open mountainside. The forest was as usual; occasionallythe trunks of large da kua trees stood up like separate col-umns in the green. In one case this great cylinder was up tosome fifty feet all reddish and bright with loss of bark. Ithad been cut off to this height by the natives, who use climb-ing sticks to reach far enough, in pursuit of an edible grub inthe rotten bark. The trail left the woods after a time and descended themountainside covered with reed
. Reminiscences of the South seas . nd this in the wet wood, over clay androots, or over wet clay and wet stones when we should be onthe open mountainside. The forest was as usual; occasionallythe trunks of large da kua trees stood up like separate col-umns in the green. In one case this great cylinder was up tosome fifty feet all reddish and bright with loss of bark. Ithad been cut off to this height by the natives, who use climb-ing sticks to reach far enough, in pursuit of an edible grub inthe rotten bark. The trail left the woods after a time and descended themountainside covered with reeds that flowed away from us aswe passed. This was the toughest of the path; slippery withblack mud and red clay, the shppery fallen leaves giving abetter hold, and only seen when trodden into; this uncertainway down a steep grade upon which occasionally we slide aseasier than slipping, was the most fatiguing pull I have evermade. Once or twice to my amusement, the dog of , young and inexperienced in such travel, seated him-. REMINISCENCES OF THE SOUTH SEAS 457 self on his hind quarters and pushed himself down on his forepaws. The bare feet of our native companions and theirpowerful legs carried them along with relative ease, and whenthey helped me, I was carried along for a little while at a greatrate; slipping of course, but balanced and getting on as if onskates. We were often on the. edge of the precipice and at lengthstopped at a little open spot, where on some black rocks thatedge it, we stopped for a time and looked upon the deep valley,whose opposite side was different in character from what wehad travelled in. We were now on the dry side of the island(a relative term), and the look of the opposite mountain waslike that of the hills of Hawaii, or of Tahiti; a curious goldengrey-green, intensified wherever the innumerable hollows gaveprotection and greater damp to trees and bushes. We were on the slope of a tongue or ridge between two val-leys, but it was only qui
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidreminiscence, bookyear1912
