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

CLIMBING SANTO PEAK 18 3

it was not the heaviest one, I was glad when I found
a substitute for him. This experience gave me an
insight into the feelings of a tired and discontented
carrier.

At Wora I found that my host had returned
to his station near Talamacco. So I returned to
Talamacco by boat; the earthquake had been very
violent there, and had caused the greatest damage,
and I heard that all the new houses of the Messrs.
Thomas at Hog Harbour had been ruined.

Times had been troublous in other respects at
Talamacco; the natives, especially the Christians,
were fighting, and one Sunday they were all ready,
looking very fierce, to attack each other with clubs
and other weapons, only neither side dared to begin.
I asked them to do the fighting out in the open, so
that I could take a picture of it, and this cooled
them down considerably. They sat down and began
a long palaver, which ended in nothing at all, and,
indeed, no one really knew What had started the
excitement.

In spite of the supercargo’s announcement that
the steamer would arrive on the twentieth, she did
not come till the first of the following month. This
kept me constantly on the look out and ready for
departure, and unable to do anything of importance.
At last we sailed, touching the Banks Islands on
our route; and after enjoying a few days of civiliza-
tion on board; I went ashore at Tassimaloun, on
the south-west corner of Santo, where I. had the
pleasure of being Mr. C.’s guest. My object there