resident，andhoiststheFrenchcoloursoveraquiteextensivecompound。AChinaman，awaiffromtheplantation，keepsarestaurantintherearquartersofthevillage；andthemissioniswellrepresentedbythesister’sschoolandBrotherMichel’schurch。FatherOrens，awonderfuloctogenarian，hisframescarcebowed，thefireofhiseyeundimmed，haslived，andtrembled，andsufferedinthisplacesince1843。Againandagain，whenMoipuhadmadecoco-brandy，hehasbeendrivenfromhishouseintothewoods。
　　’Amousethatdweltinacat’sear’hadamoreeasyresting-place；
　　andyetIhaveneverseenamanthatborelessmarkofyears。Hemustshowusthechurch，stilldecoratedwiththebishop’sartlessornamentsofpaper-thelastworkofindustriousoldhands，andthelastearthlyamusementofamanthatwasmuchofahero。Inthesacristywemustseehissacredvessels，and，inparticular，avestmentwhichwasa’VRAIECURIOSITE，’becauseithadbeengivenbyagendarme。TotheProtestantthereisalwayssomethingembarrassingintheeagernesswithwhichgrownandholymenregardthesetrifles；butitwastouchingandprettytoseeOrens，hisagedeyesshininginhishead，displayhissacredtreasures。
　　AUGUST26-Thevalebehindthevillage，narrowingswiftlytoamereravine，waschokedwithprofitabletrees。Arivergushedinthemidst。Overhead，thetallcoco-palmsmadeaprimarycovering；
　　abovethat，fromonewallofthemountaintoanother，theravinewasroofedwithcloud；sothatwemovedbelow，amidteemingvegetation，inacoveredhouseofheat。Oneitherhand，ateveryhundredyards，insteadofthehouseless，disembowellingpaepaesofNuka-hiva，populoushousesturnedouttheirinhabitantstocry’Kaoha！’tothepassers-by。Theroad，too，wasbusy：stringsofgirls，fairandfoul，asinlessfavouredcountries；menbearingbreadfruit；thesisters，withalittleguardofpupils；afellowbestridingahorse-passedandgreeteduscontinually；andnowitwasaChinamanwhocametothegateofhisflower-yard，andgaveus’Good-day’inexcellentEnglish；andalittlefartheronitwouldbesomenativeswhosetusdownbythewayside，madeusafeastofmummy-apple，andentertainedusasweatewithdrummingonatincase。Withallthisfineplentyofmenandfruit，deathisatworkherealso。Thepopulation，accordingtothehighestestimate，doesnotexceedsixhundredinthewholevaleofAtuona；andyet，whenI
　　oncechancedtoputthequestion，BrotherMichelcounteduptenwhomheknewtobesickbeyondrecovery。Itwashere，too，thatI
　　couldatlastgratifymycuriositywiththesightofanativehouseintheveryarticleofdissolution。Ithadfallenflatalongthepaepae，itspolessprawlingungainly；therainsandthemitescontendedagainstit；whatremainedseemedsoundenough，butmuchwasgonealready；anditwaseasytoseehowtheinsectsconsumedthewallsasiftheyhadbeenbread，andtheairandtherainateintothemlikevitriol。
　　Alittleaheadofus，ayounggentleman，verywelltattooed，anddressedinapairofwhitetrousersandaflannelshirt，hadbeenmarchingunconcernedly。Ofasudden，withoutapparentcause，heturnedback，tookusinpossession，andledusundissuadablyalongaby-pathtotheriver’sedge。There，inanookofthemostattractiveamenity，hebadeustositdown：thestreamsplashingatourelbow，ashockofnondescriptgreeneryenshriningusfromabove；andthither，afterabriefabsence，hebroughtusacocoa-
　　nut，alumpofsandal-wood，andastickhehadbeguntocarve：thenutforpresentrefreshment，thesandal-woodforapreciousgift，andthestick-inthesimplicityofhisvanity-toharvestprematurepraise。Onlyonesectionwasyetcarved，althoughthewholewaspencil-markedinlengths；andwhenIproposedtobuyit，Poniforthatwastheartist’snamerecoiledinhorror。ButI
　　wasnottobemoved，andsimplyrefusedrestitution，forIhadlongwonderedwhyapeoplewhodisplayed，intheirtattooing，sogreatagiftofarabesqueinvention，shoulddisplayitnowhereelse。Here，atlast，Ihadfoundsomethingofthesametalentinanothermedium；andIheldtheincompleteness，inthesedaysofworld-widebrummagem，forahappymarkofauthenticity。NeithermyreasonsnormypurposehadIthemeansofmakingcleartoPoni；Icouldonlyholdontothestick，andbidtheartistfollowmetothegendarmerie，whereIshouldfindinterpretersandmoney；butwegavehim，inthemeanwhile，aboat-callinreturnforhissandal-
　　wood。Ashecamebehindusdownthevalehesoundeduponthiscontinually。Andcontinually，fromthewaysidehouses，therepouredforthlittlegroupsofgirlsincrimson，orofmeninwhite。
　　AndtothesemustPonipassthenewsofwhothestrangerswere，ofwhattheyhadbeendoing，ofwhyitwasthatPonihadaboat-
　　whistle；andofwhyhewasnowbeinghaledtothevice-residency，uncertainwhethertobepunishedorrewarded，uncertainwhetherhehadlostastickormadeabargain，buthopefulonthewhole，andinthemeanwhilehighlyconsoledbytheboat-whistle。Whereuponhewouldtearhimselfawayfromthisparticulargroupofinquirers，andoncemorewewouldheartheshrillcallinourwake。
　　AUGUST27-ImadeamoreextendedcircuitinthevalewithBrotherMichel。Weweremountedonapairofsobernags，suitabletotheserudepaths；theweatherwasexquisite，andthecompanyinwhichIfoundmyselfnolessagreeablethanthescenesthroughwhichIpassed。Wemountedatfirstbyasteepgradealongthesummitofoneofthosetwistedspursthat，fromadistance，markoutprovincesofsunandshadeuponthemountain-side。Thegroundfellawayoneitherhandwithanextremedeclivity。Fromeitherhand，outofprofoundravines，mountedthesongoffallingwaterandthesmokeofhouseholdfires。Hereandtherethehillsoffoliagewoulddivide，andoureyewouldplungedownupononeofthesedeep-nestedhabitations。Andstill，highinfront，arosetheprecipitousbarrierofthemountain，greenedoverwhereitseemedthatscarceaharebellcouldfindroot，barredwiththezigzagsofahumanroadwhereitseemedthatnotagoatcouldscramble。Andintruth，forallthelabourthatitcost，theroadisregardedevenbytheMarquesansasimpassable；theywillnotriskahorseonthatascent；andthosewholietothewestwardcomeandgointheircanoes。Ineverknewahilltolosesolittleonanearapproach：
　　aconsequence，Imustsuppose，ofitssurprisingsteepness。Whenweturnedabout，Iwasamazedtobeholdsodeepaviewbehind，andsohighashoulderofbluesea，crownedbythewhale-likeislandofMotane。Andyetthewallofmountainhadnotvisiblydwindled，andIcouldevenhavefancied，asIraisedmyeyestomeasureit，thatitloomedhigherthanbefore。
　　Westrucknowintocovertpaths，crossedandheardmorenearathandthebickeringofthestreams，andtastedthecoolnessofthoserecesseswherethehousesstood。Thebirdssangaboutusaswedescended。Allalongourpathmyguidewasbeinghailedbyvoices：
　　’Mikael-Kaoha，Mikael！’Fromthedoorstep，fromthecotton-
　　patch，oroutofthedeepgroveofisland-chestnuts，thesefriendlycriesarose，andwerecheerilyansweredaswepassed。Inasharpangleofaglen，onarushingbrookandunderfathomsofcoolfoliage，westruckahouseuponawell-builtpaepae，thefirebrightlyburningunderthepopoi-shedagainsttheeveningmeal；andherethecriesbecameachorus，andthehousefolk，runningout，obligedustodismountandbreathe。Itseemedanumerousfamily：
　　wesaweightatleast；andoneofthesehonouredmewithaparticularattention。Thiswasthemother，awomannakedtothewaist，ofanagedcountenance，butwithhairstillcopiousandblack，andbreastsstillerectandyouthful。OnourarrivalI
　　couldseesheremarkedme，butinsteadofofferinganygreeting，disappearedatonceintothebush。Thenceshereturnedwithtwocrimsonflowers。’Good-bye！’washersalutation，utterednotwithoutcoquetry；andasshesaiditshepressedtheflowersintomyhand-’Good-bye！IspeakInglis。’Itwasfromawhaler-man，whosheinformedmewas’aplentygoodchap，’thatshehadlearnedmylanguage；andIcouldnotbutthinkhowhandsomeshemusthavebeeninthesetimesofheryouth，andcouldnotbutguessthatsomememoriesofthedandywhaler-manpromptedherattentionstomyself。NorcouldIrefrainfromwonderingwhathadbefallenherlover；intherainandmireofwhatsea-portshehadtrampedsincethen；inwhatcloseandgarishdrinking-denshadfoundhispleasure；andinthewardofwhatinfirmarydreamedhislastoftheMarquesas。Butshe，themorefortunate，livedoninhergreenisland。Thetalk，inthislosthouseuponthemountains，ranchieflyuponMapiaoandhisvisitstotheCASCO：thenewsofwhichhadprobablygoneabroadbythentoalltheisland，sothattherewasnopaepaeinHiva-oawheretheydidnotmakethesubjectofexcitedcomment。
　　Notmuchbeyondwecameuponahighplaceinthefootoftheravine。Tworoadsdividedit，andmetinthemidst。Saveforthisintersectiontheamphitheatrewasstrangelyperfect，andhadacertainruderairofthingsRoman。Depthsoffoliageandthebulkofthemountainkeptitinagratefulshadow。Onthebenchesseveralyoungfolksatclusteredorapart。Oneofthese，agirlperhapsfourteenyearsofage，buxomandcomely，caughttheeyeofBrotherMichel。Whywasshenotatschool?-shewasdonewithschoolnow。Whatwasshedoinghere?-shelivedherenow。Whyso?-noanswerbutadeepeningblush。TherewasnoseverityinBrotherMichel’smanner；thegirl’sownconfusiontoldherstory。
　　’ELLEAHONTE，’wasthemissionary’scomment，aswerodeaway。
　　Nearbyinthestream，agrowngirlwasbathingnakedinagoylebetweentwostepping-stones；anditamusedmetoseewithwhatalacrityandrealalarmsheboundedonhermany-colouredunder-
　　clothes。Eveninthesedaughtersofcannibalsshamewaseloquent。
　　ItisinHiva-oa，owingtotheinveteratecannibalismofthenatives，thatlocalbeliefshavebeenmostrudelytroddenunderfoot。Itwasherethatthreereligiouschiefsweresetunderabridge，andthewomenofthevalleymadetodefileovertheirheadsupontheroad-way：thepoor，dishonouredfellowssittingthereallobserversagreewithstreamingtears。Notonlywasoneroaddrivenacrossthehighplace，buttworoadsintersectedinitsmidst。Thereisnoreasontosupposethatthelastwasdoneofpurpose，andperhapsitwasimpossibleentirelytoavoidthenumeroussacredplacesoftheislands。Butthesethingsarenotdonewithoutresult。IhavespokenalreadyoftheregardofMarquesansforthedead，makingasitdoessostrangeacontrastwiththeirunconcernfordeath。Earlyonthisday’sride，forinstance，weencounteredapettychief，whoinquiredofcourse
　　whereweweregoing，andsuggestedbywayofamendment。’Whydoyounotrathershowhimthecemetery?’Isawit；itwasbutnewlyopened，thethirdwithineightyears。TheyaregreatbuildershereinHiva-oa；IsawinmyridepaepaesthatnoEuropeandry-stonemasoncouldhaveequalled，theblackvolcanicstoneswerelaidsojustly，thecornersweresoprecise，thelevelssotrue；buttheretaining-wallofthenewgraveyardstoodapart，andseemedtobeaworkoflove。Thesentimentofhonourforthedeadisthereforenotextinct。Andyetobservetheconsequenceofviolentlycounteringmen’sopinions。OfthefourprisonersinAtuonagaol，threewereofcoursethieves；thefourthwasthereforsacrilege。
　　Hehadlevelledupapieceofthegraveyard-togiveafeastupon，asheinformedthecourt-anddeclaredhehadnothoughtofdoingwrong。Whyshouldhe?Hehadbeenforcedatthepointofthebayonettodestroythesacredplacesofhisownpiety；whenhehadrecoiledfromthetask，hehadbeenjeeredatforasuperstitiousfool。AndnowitissupposedhewillrespectourEuropeansuperstitionsasbysecondnature。