Afterrestingforafewmomentswebegantheascent，andafteralittlevigorousclimbingfoundourselvesclosetoitssummit。Instead，however，ofwalkingalongitsridge，whereweshouldhavebeeninfullviewofthenativesinthevalesbeneath，andatapointwheretheycouldeasilyinterceptus，weretheysoinclined，wecautiouslyadvancedononeside，crawlingonourhandsandknees，andscreenedfromobservationbythegrassthroughwhichweglided，muchinthefashionofacoupleofserpents。Afteranhouremployedinthisunpleasantkindoflocomotion，westartedtoourfeetagain，andpursuedourwayboldlyalongthecrestoftheridge。
Thissalientspuroftheloftyelevationsthatencompassedthebay，rosewithasharpanglefromthevalleysatitsbase，andpresented，withtheexceptionofafewsteepacclivities，theappearanceofavastinclinedplane，sweepingdowntowardstheseafromtheheightsinthedistance。Wehadascendeditneartheplaceofitstermination，andatitslowestpoint，andnowsawourroutetothemountainsdistinctlydefinedalongitsnarrowcrest，whichwascoveredwithasoftcarpetofverdure，andwasinmanypartsonlyafewfeetwide。
Elatedwiththesuccesswhichhadsofarattendedourenterprise，andinvigoratedbytherefreshingatmospherewenowinhaled，TobyandI，inhighspirits，weremakingourwayrapidlyalongtheridge，whensuddenlyfromthevalleysbelow，whichlayoneithersideofus，weheardthedistantshoutsofthenatives，whohadjustdescriedus，andtowhomourfigures，broughtinboldreliefagainstthesky，wereplainlyrevealed。
Glancingoureyesintothesevalleys，weperceivedtheirsavageinhabitantshurryingtoandfro，seeminglyundertheinfluenceofsomesuddenalarm，andappearingtotheeyescarcelybiggerthansomanypigmies，whiletheirwhitethatcheddwellings，dwarfedbythedistance，lookedlikebaby-houses。Aswelookeddownupontheislandersfromourloftyelevation，weexperiencedasenseofsecurity；feelingconfidentthat，shouldtheyundertakeapursuit，itwould，fromthestartwenowhad，proveentirelyfruitless，unlesstheyfollowedusintothemountains，whereweknewtheycarednottoventure。
However，wethoughtitaswelltomakethemostofourtime；andaccordingly，wherethegroundwouldadmitofit，weranswiftlyalongthesummitoftheridge，untilwewerebroughttoastandbyasteepcliff，whichatfirstseemedtointerposeaneffectualbarriertoourfartheradvance。Bydintofmuchhardscrambling，however，andatsomerisktoournecks，weatlastsurmountedit，andcontinuedourflightwithunabatedcelerity。
Wehadleftthebeachearlyinthemorning，andafteranuninterrupted，thoughattimesdifficultanddangerousascent，duringwhichwehadneveronceturnedourfacestothesea，wefoundourselves，aboutthreehoursbeforesunset，standingonthetopofwhatseemedtobethehighestlandontheisland，animmenseoverhangingcliffcomposedofbasalticrocks，hungroundwithparasiticalplants。Wemusthavebeenmorethanthreethousandfeetabovethelevelofthesea，andthesceneryviewedfromthisheightwasmagnificent。
ThelonelybayofNukuheva，dottedhereandtherewiththeblackhullsofthevesselscomposingtheFrenchsquadron，layreposingatthebaseofacircularrangeelevations，whoseverdantsides，perforatedwithdeepglens，ordiversifiedwithsmilingvalleys，formedaltogethertheloveliestviewIeverbeheld，andwereItoliveahundredyears，IshallneverforgetthefeelingofadmirationwhichIthenexperienced。
MYcuriosityhadbeennotalittleraisedwithregardtothedescriptionofcountryweshouldmeetontheothersideofthemountains；andIhadsupposed，withToby，thatimmediatelyongainingtheheightsweshouldbeenabledtoviewthelargebaysofHapparandTypeereposingatourfeetononeside，inthesamewaythatNukuhevalayspreadoutbelowontheother。Buthereweweredisappointed。Insteadoffindingthemountainwehadascendedsweepingdownintheoppositedirectionintobroadandcapaciousvalleys，thelandappearedtoretainitsgeneralelevation，onlybrokenintoaseriesofridgesandinter-vales，whichasfarastheeyecouldreachstretchedawayfromus，withtheirprecipitoussidescoveredwiththebrightestverdure，andwavinghereandtherewiththefoliageofclumpsofwoodland；amongwhich，however，weperceivednoneofthosetreesuponwhosefruitwehadreliedwithsuchcertainty。
Thiswasamostunlooked-fordiscovery，andonethatpromisedtodefeatourplansaltogether，forwecouldnotthinkofdescendingthemountainontheNukuhevasideinquestoffood。Shouldweforthispurposebeinducedtoretraceoursteps，weshouldrunnosmallchanceofencounteringthenatives，whointhatcase，iftheydidnothingworsetous，wouldbecertaintoconveyusbacktotheshipforthesakeoftherewardincalicoandtrinkets，whichwehadnodoubtourskipperwouldholdouttothemasaninducementtoourcapture。
Whatwastobedone？TheDollywouldnotsailperhapsfortendays，andhowwerewetosustainlifeduringthisperiod？Ibitterlyrepentedourimprovidenceinnotprovidingourselves，asweeasilymighthavedone，withasupplyofbiscuit。WitharuefulvisageI
nowbethoughtmeofthescantyhandfulofbreadIhadstuffedintothebosomofmyfrock，andfeltsomewhatdesiroustoascertainwhatpartofithadweatheredtheratherroughusageithadexperiencedinascendingthemountain。IaccordinglyproposedtoTobythatweshouldenterintoajointexaminationofthevariousarticleswehadbroughtfromtheship。Withthisintentweseatedourselvesuponthegrass；andalittlecurioustoseewithwhatkindofjudgmentmycompanionhadfilledhisfrock-whichIremarkedseemedaboutaswelllinedasmyown-Irequestedhimtocommenceoperationsbyspreadingoutitscontents。
Thrustinghishand，then，intothebosomofthiscapaciousreceptacle，hefirstbroughttolightaboutapoundoftobacco，whosecomponentpartsstilladheredtogether，thewholeoutsidebeingcoveredwithsoftparticlesofseabread。Wetanddripping，ithadtheappearanceofhavingbeenjustrecoveredfromthebottomofthesea。ButIpaidslightattentiontoasubstanceofsolittlevaluetousinourpresentsituation，assoonasIperceivedtheindicationsitgaveofToby’sforesightinlayinginasupplyoffoodfortheexpedition。
Ieagerlyinquiredwhatquantityhehadbroughtwithhim，when，rummagingoncemorebeneathhisgarment，heproducedasmallhandfulofsomethingsosoft，pulpy，anddiscoloured，thatforafewmomentshewasasmuchpuzzledasmyselftotellbywhatpossibleinstrumentalitysuchavillanouscompoundhadbecomeengenderedinhisbosom。Icanonlydescribeitasahashofsoakedbreadandbitsoftobacco，broughttoadoughyconsistencybytheunitedagencyofperspirationandrain。Butrepulsiveasitmightotherwisehavebeen，Inowregardeditasaninvaluabletreasure，andproceededwithgreatcaretotransferthispaste-likemasstoalargeleafwhichIhadpluckedfromabushbesideme。Tobyinformedmethatinthemorninghehadplacedtwowholebiscuitsinhisbosom，withaviewofmunchingthem，shouldhefeelsoinclined，duringourflight。ThesewerenowreducedtotheequivocalsubstancewhichIhadjustplacedontheleaf。
Anotherdiveintothefrockbroughttoviewsomefourorfiveyardsofcalicoprint，whosetastefulpatternwasratherdisfiguredbytheyellowstainsofthetobaccowithwhichithadbeenbroughtincontact。Indrawingthiscalicoslowlyfromhisbosominchbyinch，Tobyremindedmeofajugglerperformingthefeatoftheendlessribbon。Thenextcastwasasmallone，beingasailor’slittle“dittybag，“containingneedles，thread，andothersewingutensils；
thencamearazor-case，followedbytwoorthreeseparateplugsofnegro-head，whichwerefishedupfromthebottomofthenowemptyreceptacle。Thesevariousmattersbeinginspected，IproducedafewthingswhichIhadmyselfbrought。
Asmighthavebeenanticipatedfromthestateofmycompanion’sediblesupplies，Ifoundmyowninadeplorablecondition，anddiminishedtoaquantitythatwouldnothaveformedhalfadozenmouthfulsforahungrymanwhowaspartialenoughtotobacconottomindswallowingit。Afewmorselsofbread，withafathomortwoofwhitecottoncloth，andseveralpoundsofchoicepigtail，composedtheextentofmypossessions。
Ourjointstockofmiscellaneousarticleswerenowmadeupintoacompactbundle，whichitwasagreedweshouldcarryalternately。Butthesorryremainsofthebiscuitwerenottobedisposedofsosummarily:theprecariouscircumstancesinwhichwewereplacedmadeusregardthemassomethingonwhichveryprobablydependedthefateofouradventure。Afterabriefdiscussion，inwhichwebothofusexpressedourresolutionofnotdescendingintothebayuntiltheship’sdeparture，Isuggestedtomycompanionthatlittleofitastherewas，weshoulddividethebreadintosixequalportions，eachofwhichshouldbeaday’sallowanceforbothofus。Thispropositionheassentedto；soItookthesilkkerchieffrommyneck，andcuttingitwithmyknifeintohalfadozenequalpieces，proceededtomakeanexactdivision。
Atfirst，Toby，withadegreeoffastidiousnessthatseemedtomeill-timed，wasforpickingouttheminuteparticlesoftobaccowithwhichthespongymasswasmixed；butagainstthisproceedingI
protested，asbysuchanoperationwemusthavegreatlydiminisheditsquantity。
Whenthedivisionwasaccomplished，wefoundthataday’sallowanceforthetwowasnotagreatdealmorethanwhatatable-spoonmighthold。Eachseparateportionweimmediatelyrolledupinthebitofsilkpreparedforit，andjoiningthemalltogetherintoasmallpackage，Icommittedthem，withsolemninjunctionsoffidelity，tothecustodyofToby。Fortheremainderofthatdayweresolvedtofast，aswehadbeenfortifiedbyabreakfastinthemorning；andnowstartingagaintoourfeet，welookedaboutusforashelterduringthenight，which，fromtheappearanceoftheheavens，promisedtobeadarkandtempestuousone。
Therewasnoplacenearuswhichwouldinanywayanswerourpurpose；soturningourbacksuponNukuheva，wecommencedexploringtheunknownregionswhichlayupontheothersideofthemountain。
Inthisdirection，asfarasourvisionextended，notasignoflife，noranythingthatdenotedeventhetransientresidenceofmancouldbeseen。Thewholelandscapeseemedoneunbrokensolitude，theinterioroftheislandhavingapparentlybeenuntenantedsincethemorningofthecreation；andasweadvancedthroughthiswilderness，ourvoicessoundedstrangelyinourears，asthoughhumanaccentshadneverbeforedisturbedthefearfulsilenceoftheplace，interruptedonlybythelowmurmuringsofdistantwaterfalls。
Ourdisappointment，however，innotfindingthevariousfruitswithwhichwehadintendedtoregaleourselvesduringourstayinthesewilds，wasagooddeallessenedbytheconsiderationthatfromthisverycircumstanceweshouldbemuchlessexposedtoacasualmeetingwiththesavagetribesaboutus，whoweknewalwaysdweltbeneaththeshadowsofthosetreeswhichsuppliedthemwithfood。
Wewanderedalong，castingeagerglancesintoeverybushwepassed，untiljustaswehadsucceededinmountingoneofthemanyridgesthatintersectedtheground，Isawinthegrassbeforemesomethinglikeanindistinctlytracedfootpath，whichappearedtoleadalongthetopoftheridge，andtodescendwithitintoadeepravineabouthalfamileinadvanceofus。