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

110 WITH NATIVES IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC

In Hog Harbour we spent the night and enjoyed
a hearty English breakfast with the planters, the
Messrs, Th., who have a large and beautiful planta—
tion; then we continued our cruise. The country
had changed somewhat; mighty banks of coral
formed high tablelands that fell vertically down to
the sea, and the living reef stretched seaward under
the water. These tablelands were intersected by
flat valleys, in the centre of which rose steep hills,
like huge bastions dominating the country round.
The islands off the coast were covered with thick
vegetation, with white chalk cliffs gleaming through
them at intervals. A thin mist filled the valleys with
violet hues, the sea was bright and a fresh breeze
carried us gaily along. The aspect of the country
displayed the energies of elemental powers : nowhere
can the origin of chalk mountains be more plainly
seen than here, where we have the process before us
in all its stages, from the living reef, shining purple
through the sea, to the sandy beach strewn with bits
of coral, to the high table mountain. We anchored
at a headland near a small river, and were cordially
welcomed by the missionary’s dogs, cats, pigs and
native teacher. There was also a young girl whom
the father had once dug out of her grave, where a
hard-hearted mother had buried her.

I had an extremely interesting time at Port Olry.
The population here is somewhat different from that
of the rest of Santo: very dark-skinned, tall and
different in physiognomy. It may be called typically
Melanesian, while many other races show Polynesian