第14章

NoanswerfromtheChiefJustice，whichislikehim，butsurelyverywronginsuchacase。Thelunchbell！Ihavebeenoffwork，playingpatienceandweedingallmorning。

YesterdayandthedaybeforeIdraftedelevenandrevisedninepagesofChapterV。，andthetruthis，Iwasextinctbylunch-time，andplayedpatiencesourlytherestoftheday。

To-morrowornextdayIhopetogoinagainandwin。Lunch2ndBell。

DEC。2ND，AFTERNOON。

Ihavekeptuptheidleness；blewonthepipetoBelle’spiano；thenhadarideintheforestallbymynainsel；backandpipedagain，andnowdinnernearing。Takeupthissheetwithnothingtosay。TheweirdfigureofFaaumaisintheroomwashingmywindows，inablacklavalava(kilt)witharedhandkerchiefhangingfromroundherneckbetweenherbreasts；notanotherstitch；herhairclosecroppedandoiled；whenshefirstcamehereshewasanangeliclittlestripling，butsheisnowinfullflower-orhalf-flower-

andgrowsbuxom。AsIwrite，Ihearherwetclothmovingandgruntingwithsomeindustry；forIhadawordthisdaywithherhusbandonthematterofworkandmeal-time，whensheisalwayslate。AndshehasavaguereverenceforPapa，assheandherenormoushusbandaddressmewhenanythingiswrong。

HerhusbandisLafaele，sometimescalledthearchangel，ofwhomIhavewrityouoften。Restofourhousehold，Talolo，cook；Pulu，kitchenboy，good，steady，industriouslads；

Henry，backagainfromSavaii，wherehisloveaffairseemsnottohaveprospered，withwhatlookslikeaspear-woundinthebackofhishead，ofwhichMr。Reticencesaysnothing；

Simi，Manuele，andtwootherlabourersout-doors。Lafaeleisprovostofthelive-stock，whereofnow，threemilk-cows，onebull-calf，oneheifer，Jack，Macfarlane，themare，Harold，TifagaJack，DonaldandEdinburgh-sevenhorses-O，andthestallion-eighthorses；fivecattle；total，ifmyarithmeticbecorrect，thirteenheadofbeasts；Idon’tknowhowthepigsstand，ortheducks，orthechickens；butwegetagoodmanyeggs，andnowandagainaducklingorachicklingforthetable；thepigsaremoresolemn，andappearonlyonbirthdaysandsich。

MONDAY，DEC。7。

OnFridaymorningabouteleven1500cacaoseedsarrived，andwesettoandtoiledfromtwelvethatdaytosix，andwenttobedprettytired。NextdayIgotaboutanhourandahalfatmyHistory，andwasatitagainby8。10，andexceptanhourforlunchkeptatittillfourP。M。Yesterday，IdidsomeHistoryinthemorning，andsleptmostoftheafternoon；andto-day，beingstillaversefromphysicallabour，andthemaildrawingnigh，drewoutofthesquad，andfinishedforpressthefifthchapterofmyHistory；fifty-ninepagesinonemonth；which(youwillallowmetosay)isadevilofalargeorder；itmeansatleast177pagesofwriting；89，000words！

andhoursgoingtoandfroamongmynotes。However，thisisthewayithastobedone；thejobmustbedonefast，oritisofnouse。Anditisacuriousyarn。Honestly，Ithinkpeopleshouldbeamusedandconvinced，iftheycouldbeatthepainstolookatsuchadamnedoutlandishpieceofmachinery，whichofcoursetheywon’t。AndmuchIcare。

WhenIwasfillingbasketsallSaturday，inmydullmulishway，perhapstheslowestworkerthere，surelythemostparticular，andtheonlyonethatneverlookeduporknockedoff，IcouldnotbutthinkIshouldhavebeensentonexhibitionasanexampletoyoungliterarymen。Hereishowtolearntowrite，mightbethemotto。Youshouldhaveseenus；theverandahwaslikeanIrishbog；ourhandsandfaceswerebedaubedwithsoil；andFaaumawassupposedtohavestrucktherightnotewhensheremarked(APROPOSofnothing)，’ToomuchELEELE(soil)forme！’Thecacao(youmustunderstand)hastobeplantedatfirstinbasketsofplaitedcocoa-leaf。Fromfourtotennativeswereplaitingtheseinthewood-shed。Fourboyswerediggingupsoilandbringingitbytheboxfultotheverandah。LloydandIandBelle，andsometimesS。(whocametobearahand)，werefillingthebaskets，removingstonesandlumpsofclay；

AustinandFaaumacarriedthemwhenfulltoFanny，whoplantedaseedineach，andthensetthem，packedclose，inthecornersoftheverandah。FromtwelveonFridaytillfiveP。M。onSaturdayweplantedthefirst1500，andmorethan700

ofasecondlot。Youcannotdreamhowfilthywewere，andwewereallproperlytired。Theyareallatitagainto-day，barBelleandme，notrequired，andgladtobeoutofit。

TheChiefJusticehasnotyetreplied，andIhavenewsthathereceivedmyletter。Whataman！

IhavegonecrazyoverBourget’sSENSATIONSD’ITALIE；hencetheencloseddedications，amerecryofgratitudeforthebestfunI’vehadoveranewbookthiseverso！

SIR，-IhavethehonourtoreportfurtherexplorationsofthecourseoftheriverVaea，withaccompanyingsketchplan。

Thepartyundermycommandconsistedofonehorse，andwasextremelyinsubordinateandmutinous，owingtonotbeingusedtogointothebush，andbeinghalf-brokenanyway-andthatthewronghalf。Therouteindicatedformypartywasupthebedoftheso-calledriverVaea，whichIaccordinglyfollowedtoadistanceofperhapstwoorthreefurlongseastwardfromthehouseofVailima，wherethestreambeingquitedry，thebushthick，andthegroundverydifficult，Idecidedtoleavethemainbodyoftheforceundermycommandtiedtoatree，andpushonmyselfwiththepointoftheadvanceguard，consistingofoneman。Thevalleyhadbecomeverynarrowandairless；foliagecloseshutabove；drybedofthestreammuchexcavated，sothatIpassedunderfallentreeswithoutstooping。Suddenlyitturnedsharplytothenorth，atrightanglestoitsformerdirection；Iheardlivingwater，andcameinviewofatallfaceofrockandthestreamsprayingdownit；itmighthavebeenclimbed，butitwouldhavebeendangerous，andIhadtomakemywayupthesteepearthbanks，wherethereisnowhereanyfootingforman，onlyfallentrees，whichmadetheroundsofmyladder。Iwasnearthetopofthisclimb，whichwasveryhotandsteep，andthepulseswerebuzzingallovermybody，whenImadesuretherewasoneexternalsoundinmyears，andpausedtolisten。Nomistake；asoundofamill-wheelthundering，Ithought，closeby，yetbelowme，ahugemill-wheel，yetnotgoingsteadily，butwithaSCHOTTISCHEmovement，andateachfreshimpetusshakingthemountain。There，whereIwas，Ijustputdownthesoundtothemysteryofthebush；wherenosoundnowsurprisesme-andanysoundalarms；IonlythoughtitwouldgiveJackafinefright，downwherehestoodtiedtoatreebyhimself，andhewasbadlyenoughscaredwhenIlefthim。

Thegoodfolksathomeidentifiedit；itwasasharpearthquake。

AtthetopoftheclimbImademywayagaintothewater-

course；itishererunningsteadyandprettyfull；strangetheseintermittencies-andjustalittlebelowthemainstreamisquitedry，andalltheoriginalbrookhasgonedownsomelavagalleryofthemountain-andjustalittlefurtherbelow，itbeginspickingupfromthelefthandinlittleboggytributaries，andintheinsideofahundredyardshasgrownabrookagain。Thegeneralcourseofthebrookwas，I

guess，S。E。；thevalleystillverydeepandwhelmedinwood。

Itseemedaswindletohavemadesosheeraclimbandstillfindyourselfatthebottomofawell。Butgraduallythethingseemedtoshallow，thetreestoseempoorerandsmaller；Icouldseemoreandmoreofthesilversprinklesofskyamongthefoliage，insteadofthesombrepilingupoftreebehindtree。AndhereIhadtwoscares-first，awayuponmyrighthandIheardabulllow；Ithinkitwasabullfromthequalityofthelow，whichwassingularlysongfulandbeautiful；thebullsbelongtome，buthowdidIknowthatthebullwasawareofthat？andmyadvanceguardnotbeingatallproperlyarmed，weadvancedwithgreatprecautionuntilI

wassatisfiedthatIwaspassingeastwardoftheenemy。Itwasduringthisperiodthatapooloftheriversuddenlyboiledupinmyfaceinalittlefountain。Itwasinaverydreary，marshypartamongdilapidatedtreesthatyouseethroughholesinthetrunksof；andifanykindofbeastorelfordevilhadcomeoutofthatsuddensilverebullition，I

declareIdonotthinkIshouldhavebeensurprised。Itwasperhapsathingascurious-afish，withwhichtheseheadwatersofthestreamarealive。Theyaresomeofthemaslongasmyfinger，shouldbeeasilycaughtintheseshallows，andsomedayI’llhaveadishofthem。

VerysoonafterIcametowherethestreamcollectsinanotherbananaswamp，withthebananasbearingwell。Beyond，thecourseisagainquitedry；itmountswithasharpturnaverysteepfaceofthemountain，andthenstopsabruptlyatthelipofaplateau，IsupposethetopofVaeamountain:

plainlynomorespringshere-therewasnosmallestfurrowofawatercoursebeyond-andmytaskmightbesaidtobeaccomplished。Butsuchistheanimatedspiritintheservicethatthewholeadvanceguardexpressedasentimentofdisappointmentthatanexploration，sofarsuccessfullyconducted，shouldcometoastopinthemostpromisingviewoffreshsuccesses。Andthoughunprovidedeitherwithcompassorcutlass，itwasdeterminedtopushsomewayalongtheplateau，markingourdirectionbythelaboriousprocessofbendingdown，sittingupon，andthusbreakingthewildcocoanuttrees。Thiswasthelessregrettedbyallfromadelightfuldiscoverymadeofahugebanyangrowinghereinthebush，withflying-buttressedflyingbuttresses，andhugearcsoftrunkhanginghighoverheadandtrailingdownnewcomplicationsofroot。Iclimbedsomewayupwhatseemedtheoriginalbeginning；itwaseasiertoclimbthanaship’srigging，evenrattled；everywheretherewasfoot-holdandhand-hold。Itwasjudgedwisetoreturnandrallythemainbody，whohadnowbeenleftaloneforperhapsfortyminutesinthebush。

Thereturnwaseffectedingoodorder，butunhappilyIonlyarrived(likesomanyotherexplorers)tofindmymainbodyorrear-guardinaconditionofmutiny；thework，itistobesupposed，ofterror。ItisrightIshouldtellyoutheVaeahasabadname，anAITUFAFINE-femaledevilofthewoods-

succubus-hauntingit，anddoubtlessJackhadheardofher；

perhaps，duringmyabsence，sawher；luckyJack！Anyway，hewasneithertoholdnortobind，andfinally，afternearlysmashingmebyaccident，andfrommerescareandinsubordinationseveraltimes，deliberatelysetintokillme；butpoorJack！thetreeheselectedforthatpurposewasabanana！Ijumpedoffandgavehimtheheavyendofmywhipoverthebuttocks！ThenItookandtalkedinhisearinvariousvoices；youshouldhaveheardmyalto-itwasadreadful，devilishnote-IKNEWJackKNEWitwasanAITU。

ThenImountedhimagain，andhecarriedmefairlysteadily。

He’lllearnyet。Hehastolearntotrustabsolutelytohisrider；tillhedoes，theriskisalwaysgreatinthickbush，whereafellowmusttrydifferentpassages，andputbackandforward，andpickhiswaybyhair’s-breadths。

TheexpeditionreturnedtoVailimaintimetoreceivethevisitoftheR。C。Bishop。Heisasuperiorman，muchabovetheaverageofpriests。

THURSDAY。

YesterdaythesameexpeditionsetforthtothesouthwardbywhatisknownasCarruthers’Road。Atafallentreewhichcompletelyblockstheway，themainbodywasasbeforeleftbehind，andtheadvanceguardofonenowproceededwiththeexploration。AtthegreattreeknownasMEPITREE，afterMabenthesurveyor，theexpeditionstruckfortyyardsduewesttillitstruckthetopofasteepbankwhichitdescended。Thewholebottomoftheravineisfilledwithsharplavablocksquiteunrolledandverydifficultanddangeroustowalkamong；nowaterinthecourse，scarceanysignofwater。Andyetsurelywatermusthavemadethisboldcuttingintheplateau。Andifso，whyisthelavasharp？

Mysciencegaveout；butIcouldnotbutthinkitominousandvolcanic。Thecourseofthestreamwastortuous，butwitharesultantdirectionalittlebywestofnorth；thesidesthewholewayexceedingsteep，theexpeditionburiedunderfathomsoffoliage。Presentlywaterappearedinthebottom，agoodquantity；perhapsthirtyorfortycubicfeet，withpoolsandwaterfalls。Atreethatstandsallalongthebanksheremustbeveryfondofwater；itsrootslieclose-packeddownthestream，likehanksofguts，soastomakeoftenacorrugatedwalk，eachrootendinginablunttuftoffilaments，plainlytodrinkwater。Twicetherecameinsmalltributariesfromtheleftorwesternside-thewholeplateauhavingasmartishinclinationtotheeast；oneofthetributariesinahandsomelittlewebofsilverhangingintheforest。TwiceIwasstartledbybirds；onethatbarkedlikeadog；anotherthatwhistledloudploughman’ssignals，sothatIvowIwasthrilled，andthoughtIhadfallenamongrunawayblacks，andregrettedmycutlasswhichIhadlostandleftbehindwhiletakingbearings。Agoodmanyfishesinthebrook，andmanycray-fish；oneofthelastwithaqueerglow-