subsequentlylearned-thatalltheislandsofPolynesiaenjoythereputation,incommonwiththeHibernianisle,ofbeingfreefromthepresenceofanyvipers;thoughwhetherSaintPatrickevervisitedthem,isaquestionIshallnotattempttodecide。
AsthefeverishsensationincreaseduponmeItossedabout,stillunwillingtodisturbmyslumberingcompanion,fromwhosesideIremovedtwoorthreeyards。Ichancedtopushasideabranch,andbysodoingsuddenlydisclosedtomyviewascenewhichevennowIcanrecallwithallthevividnessofthefirstimpression。HadaglimpseofthegardensofParadisebeenrevealedtome,Icouldscarcelyhavebeenmoreravishedwiththesight。
FromthespotwhereIlaytransfixedwithsurpriseanddelight,Ilookedstraightdownintothebosomofavalley,whichsweptawayinlongwavyundulationstothebluewatersinthedistance。Midwaytowardsthesea,andpeeringhereandthereamidstthefoliage,mightbeseenthepalmetto-thatchedhousesofitsinhabitants,glisteninginthesunthathadbleachedthemtoadazzlingwhiteness。Thevalewasmorethanthreeleaguesinlength,andaboutamileacrossatitsgreatestwidth。
Oneithersideitappearedhemmedinbysteepandgreenacclivities,which,unitingnearthespotwhereIlay,formedanabruptandsemicircularterminationofgrassycliffsandprecipiceshundredsoffeetinheight,overwhichflowednumberlesssmallcascades。Butthecrowningbeautyoftheprospectwasitsuniversalverdure;andinthisindeedconsists,Ibelieve,thepeculiarcharmofeveryPolynesianlandscape。Everywherebelowme,fromthebaseoftheprecipiceuponwhoseveryvergeIhadbeenunconsciouslyreposing,thesurfaceofthevalepresentedamassoffoliage,spreadwithsuchrichprofusionthatitwasimpossibletodetermineofwhatdescriptionoftreesitconsisted。
ButperhapstherewasnothingaboutthesceneryIbeheldmoreimpressivethanthosesilentcascades,whoseslenderthreadsofwater,afterleapingdownthesteepcliffs,werelostamidsttherichherbageofthevalley。
Overallthelandscapetherereignedthemosthushedrepose,whichIalmostfearedtobreak,lest,liketheenchantinggardensinthefairytale,asinglesyllablemightdissolvethespell。Foralongtime,forgetfulalikeofmyownsituation,andthevicinityofmystillslumberingcompanion,Iremainedgazingaroundme,hardlyabletocomprehendbywhatmeansIhadthussuddenlybeenmadeaspectatorofsuchascene。
RECOVERINGfrommyastonishmentatthebeautifulscenebeforeme,IquicklyawakenedToby,andinformedhimofthediscoveryIhadmade。Togetherwenowrepairedtotheborderoftheprecipice,andmycompanion’sadmirationwasequaltomyown。Alittlereflection,however,abatedoursurpriseatcomingsounexpectedlyuponthisvalley,sincethelargevalesofHapparandTypee,lyinguponthissideofNukuheva,andextendingaconsiderabledistancefromtheseatowardstheinterior,mustnecessarilyterminatesomewhereaboutthispoint。
Thequestionnowwasastowhichofthosetwoplaceswewerelookingdownupon。TobyinsistedthatitwastheabodeoftheHappars,andIthatitwastenantedbytheirenemies,theferociousTypees。
TobesureIwasnotentirelyconvincedbymyownarguments,butToby’spropositiontodescendatonceintothevalley,andpartakeofthehospitalityofitsinmates,seemedtometoberiskingsomuchuponthestrengthofameresupposition,thatIresolvedtoopposeituntilwehadmoreevidencetoproceedupon。
Thepointwasoneofvitalimportance,asthenativesofHapparwerenotonlyatpeacewithNukuheva,butcultivatedwithitsinhabitantsthemostfriendlyrelations,andenjoyedareputationforgentlenessandhumanitywhichledustoexpectfromthem,ifnotacordialreception,atleastashelterduringtheshortperiodweshouldremainintheirterritory。
Ontheotherhand,theverynameofTypeestruckapanicintomyheartwhichIdidnotattempttodisguise。Thethoughtofvoluntarilythrowingourselvesintothehandsofthesecruelsavages,seemedtomeanactofmeremadness;andalmostequallysotheideaofventuringintothevalley,uncertainbywhichofthesetwotribesitwasinhabited。Thatthevaleatourfeetwastenantedbyoneofthem,wasapointthatappearedtouspastalldoubt,sinceweknewthattheyresidedinthisquarter,althoughourinformationdidnotenlightenusfurther。
Mycompanion,however,incapableofresistingthetemptingprospectwhichtheplaceheldoutofanabundantsupplyoffoodandothermeansofenjoyment,stillclungtohisowninconsiderateviewofthesubject,norcouldallmyreasoningshakeit。WhenIremindedhimthatitwasimpossibleforeitherofustoknowanythingwithcertainty,andwhenIdweltuponthehorriblefateweshouldencounterwerewerashlytodescendintothevalley,anddiscovertoolatetheerrorwehadcommitted,herepliedbydetailingalltheevilsofourpresentcondition,andthesufferingswemustundergoshouldwecontinuetoremainwherewethenwere。
Anxioustodrawhimawayfromthesubject,ifpossible-forI
sawthatitwouldbeinvaintoattemptchanginghismind-I
directedhisattentiontoalongbrightunwoodedtractoflandwhich,sweepingdownfromtheelevationsintheinterior,descendedintothevalleybeforeus。Ithensuggestedtohimthatbeyondthisridgemightlieacapaciousanduntenantedvalley,aboundingwithallmannerofdeliciousfruits;forIhadheardthattherewereseveralsuchupontheisland,andproposedthatweshouldendeavourtoreachit,andifwefoundourexpectationsrealizedweshouldatoncetakerefugeinitandremainthereaslongaswepleased。
Heacquiescedinthesuggestion;andweimmediately,therefore,begansurveyingthecountrylyingbeforeus,withaviewofdetermininguponthebestrouteforustopursue;butitpresentedlittlechoice,thewholeintervalbeingbrokenintosteepridges,dividedbydarkravines,extendinginparallellinesatrightanglestoourdirectcourse。Allthesewewouldbeobligedtocrossbeforewecouldhopetoarriveatourdestination。
Awearyjourney!Butwedecidedtoundertakeit,though,formyownpart,Ifeltlittlepreparedtoencounteritsfatigues,shiveringandburningbyturnswiththeagueandfever;forIknownothowelsetodescribethealternatesensationsIexperienced,andsufferingnotalittlefromthelamenesswhichafflictedme。Addedtothiswasthefaintnessconsequentonourmeagrediet-acalamityinwhichTobyparticipatedtothesameextentasmyself。
Thesecircumstances,however,onlyaugmentedmyanxietytoreachaplacewhichpromisedusplentyandrepose,beforeIshouldbereducedtoastatewhichwouldrendermealtogetherunabletoperformthejourney。Accordinglywenowcommenceditbydescendingthealmostperpendicularsideofasteepandnarrowgorge,bristlingwithathickgrowthofreeds。Heretherewasbutonemodeforustoadopt。Weseatedourselvesupontheground,andguidedourdescentbycatchingatthecanesinourpath。Thevelocitywithwhichwethussliddownthesideoftheravinesoonbroughtustoapointwherewecoulduseourfeet,andinashorttimewearrivedattheedgeofthetorrent,whichrolledimpetuouslyalongthebedofthechasm。
Aftertakingarefreshingdraughtfromthewaterofthestream,weaddressedourselvestoamuchmoredifficultundertakingthanthelast。Everyfootofourlatedescenthadtoberegainedinascendingtheoppositesideofthegorge-anoperationrenderedthelessagreeablefromtheconsiderationthatintheseperpendicularepisodeswedidnotprogressahundredyardsonourjourney。But,ungratefulasthetaskwas,wesetaboutitwithexemplarypatience,andafterasnail-likeprogressofanhourormore,hadscaledperhapsonehalfofthedistance,whenthefeverwhichhadleftmeforawhilereturnedwithsuchviolence,andaccompaniedbysoragingathirst,thatitrequiredalltheentreatiesofTobytopreventmefromlosingallthefruitsofmylateexertion,byprecipitatingmyselfmadlydownthecliffswehadjustclimbed,inquestofthewaterwhichflowedsotemptinglyattheirbase。Atthemomentallmyhopesandfearsappearedtobemergedinthisonedesire,carelessoftheconsequencesthatmightresultfromitsgratification。Iamawareofnofeeling,eitherofpleasureorofpain,thatsocompletelydeprivesoneofallpowertoresistitsimpulses,asthissameragingthirst。
Tobyearnestlyconjuredmetocontinuetheascent,assuringmethatalittlemoreexertionwouldbringustothesummit,andthattheninlessthanfiveminutesweshouldfindourselvesatthebrinkofthestream,whichmustnecessarilyontheothersideoftheridge。
“Donot,“heexclaimed,“turnback,nowthatwehaveproceededthusfar;forItellyouthatneitherofuswillhavethecouragetorepeattheattempt,ifoncemorewefindourselveslookinguptowherewenowarefromthebottomoftheserocks!“
Iwasnotyetsoperfectlybesidemyselfastobeheedlessoftheserepresentations,andthereforetoiledon,ineffectuallyendeavouringtoappeasethethirstwhichconsumedme,bythinkingthatinashorttimeIshouldbeabletogratifyittomyheart’scontent。
Atlastwegainedthetopofthesecondelevation,theloftiestofthoseIhavedescribedasextendinginparallellinesbetweenusandthevalleywedesiredtoreach。Itcommandedaviewofthewholeinterveningdistance;and,discouragedasIwasbyothercircumstances,thisprospectplungedmeintotheverydepthsofdespair。Nothingbutdarkandfearfulchasms,separatedbysharpcrestedandperpendicularridgesasfarastheeyecouldreach。
Couldwehavesteppedfromsummittosummitofthesesteepbutnarrowelevationswecouldeasilyhaveaccomplishedthedistance;
butwemustpenetratetothebottomofeveryyawninggulf,andscaleinsuccessioneveryoneoftheeminencesbeforeus。EvenToby,althoughnotsufferingasIdid,wasnotproofagainstthedishearteninginfluencesofthesight。
Butwedidnotlongstandtocontemplateit,impatientasIwastoreachthewatersofthetorrentwhichflowedbeneathus。WithaninsensibilitytodangerwhichIcannotcalltomindwithoutshuddering,wethrewourselvesdownthedepthsoftheravine,startlingitssavagesolitudeswiththeechoesproducedbythefallingfragmentsofrockweeverymomentdislodgedfromtheirplaces,carelessoftheinsecurityofourfooting,andrecklesswhethertheslightrootsandtwigsweclutchedatsustainedusforthewhile,ortreacherouslyyieldedtoourgrasp。Formyownpart,IscarcelyknewwhetherIwashelplesslyfallingfromtheheightsabove,orwhetherthefearfulrapiditywithwhichIdescendedwasanactofmyownvolition。
Inafewminuteswereachedthefootofthegorge,andkneelinguponasmallledgeofdrippingrocks,Ibentovertothestream。
WhatadelicioussensationwasInowtoexperience!Ipausedforasecondtoconcentrateallmycapabilitiesofenjoyment,andthenimmergedmylipsintheclearelementbeforeme。HadtheapplesofSodomturnedtoashesinmymouth,Icouldnothavefeltamorestartlingrevulsion。Asingledropofthecoldfluidseemedtofreezeeverydropofbloodinmybody;thefeverthathadbeenburninginmyveinsgaveplaceontheinstanttodeathlikechills,whichshookmeoneafteranotherlikesomanyshocksofelectricity,whiletheperspirationproducedbymylateviolentexertionscongealedinicybeadsuponmyforehead。Mythirstwasgone,andIfairlyloathedthewater。Startingtomyfeet,thesightofthosedankrocks,oozingforthmoistureateverycrevice,andthedarkstreamshootingalongitsdismalchannel,sentfreshchillsthroughmyshiveringframe,andIfeltasuncontrollableadesiretoclimbuptowardsthegenialsunlightasIbeforehadtodescendtheravine。