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

SANTO x 5 5

and nearly all the men complained that their women
were unwilling to have any more children.

From the next village I had a glimpse of the wild
mountains of western Santo. I decided to spend
the night here, left the boys behind, and went south-
ward with the moli and a few natives. This was
evidently the region where the volcanic and coral
formations meet, for the character of the landscape
suddenly changed, and instead of flat plateaux we
found a wild, irregular country, with lofty hills and
deep, narrow gullies. Walking became dangerous,
though the path was fair. On top of a hill I found
an apparently abandoned Village, from which I could
overlook all central Santo. To the west were the
rugged, dark-looking mountains round Santo Peak,
with white clouds floating on the summit, and a
confusion of deep blue valleys and steep peaks;
northward lay the wild Jordan valley, and far away
I could distinguish the silver mirror of Big Bay.
All around us rose the silent, stern, lonely forest——
imposing, unapproachable.

On our way back to camp we rested beside a
‘ fresh creek which gaily squeezed its way through
rocks and rich vegetation. A little tea and a tin of
sardines were all the menu, but we enjoyed a delight-
ful bath in the cool water, and had as good a wash as
we could without soap. It was a great luxury after
the hot days in the coral country without any water.
While our things were drying in the bright sun, we
lay in the moss near the rushing stream, and it was
like a summer day at home in the mountains. The