[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

184 WITH NATIVES IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC

was to follow the traces of the pygmy population,
but as the natives mostly live inland, and only rarely
come to the coast, I had to go in search of them.
At that time I was often ill with fever, and could
not do as much as I could have Wished. Once I
tried to reach the highest mountain of the islands,
Santo Peak, but my guides from the mission village
of Vualappa led me for ten days through most un-
interesting country and an unfriendly population
without even bringing me to the foot of the
mountain. I had several unpleasant encounters with
the natives, during one of which I fully expected
to be murdered, and when our provisions were ex—
hausted we had to return to the coast. But every
time I saw the tall pyramid of Santo Peak rising
above the lower hills I longed to be the first
European to set foot on it, and I tried it at last
from the Tassiriki side.

After long consultations with the natives, I at
last found two men who were willing to guide me to
the mountain. I decided to give up all other plans,
and to take nothing with me but what was strictly
necessary. ‘ On the second day we climbed a hill which
my guides insisted was the Peak, the highest point
of the island. I pointed out a higher summit, but
they said that We would never get up there before
noon, and, indeed, they did everything they could
to delay our advance, by following wrong trails and
being very slow about clearing the way. Still, after
an hour’s hard work, we were on the point in
question, and from there I could see the real Santo