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

SANTO 1 39

the shade for our first meal, cooking being an occu-
pation of which the boys are surprisingly fond. Their
rations are rice and tea, with a tin of meat for every
four. This discussed, we packed up, and began our
march inland.

The road leads through a thin bush, over rough
coral boulders and gravel deposited by the river.
We leave the Jordan to our right, and march south-
east. After about an hour we come to a swampy
plain, covered with tall reed—grass. Grassy plains
are an unusual sight in Santo; the wide expanse of
yellowish green is surrounded by dark walls of she-
oak, in the branches of which hang thousands of
flying-foxes. At a dirty pond we fill our kettles with
greenish water, for our night camp will be on the
mountain slope ahead of us, far from any spring.
Even the moli has to carry a load of water, as I can
hardly ask the boys to take any more. He feels
rather humiliated, as a moli usually carries nothing
but a gun, but he is good enough to see the necessity
of the case, and condescends to carry a small kettle.

Straight ahead are the high coral plateaux across

v which our road lies. While we tackle the ascent, the
sky has become overcast, the gay aspect of the land-
scape has changed to sad loneliness and a heavy
shower soaks us to the skin. The walk through the
jungle is trying, and even the moli loses the way
now and again. Towards nightfall we enter a high
forest with but little underbrush, and work our way
SIQWIy up a steep and slippery slope to an overhang-
ing coral rock, Where we decide to camp. We have