--The bread-fruit
tree--Wonderful peculiarity of some of the fruit trees--Signs of former
inhabitants.

Our first care, after breakfast, was to place the few articles we
possessed in the crevice of a rock at the farther end of a small cave
which we discovered near our encampment. This cave, we hoped, might be
useful to us afterwards as a store-house. Then we cut two large clubs
off a species of very hard tree which grew near at hand. One of these
was given to Peterkin, the other to me, and Jack armed himself with the
axe. We took these precautions because we purposed to make an excursion
to the top of the mountains of the interior, in order to obtain a better
view of our island. Of course we knew not what dangers might befall us
by the way, so thought it best to be prepared.

Having completed our arrangements and carefully extinguished our fire, we
sallied forth and walked a short distance along the sea-beach, till we
came to the entrance of a valley, through which flowed the rivulet before
mentioned. Here we turned our backs on the sea and struck into the
interior.

The prospect that burst upon our view on entering the valley was truly
splendid. On either side of us there was a gentle rise in the land,
which thus formed two ridges about a mile apart on each side of the
valley. These ridges,--which, as well as the low grounds between them,
were covered with trees and shrubs of the most luxuriant kind--continued
to recede inland for about two miles, when they joined the foot of a
small mountain. This hill rose rather abruptly from the head of the
valley, and was likewise entirely covered even to the top with trees,
except on one particular spot near the left shoulder, where was a bare
and rocky place of a broken and savage character. Beyond this hill we
could not see, and we therefore directed our course up the banks of the
rivulet towards the foot of it, intending to climb to the top, should
that be possible, as, indeed, we had no doubt it was.

Jack, being the wisest and boldest among us, took the lead, carrying the
axe on his shoulder. Peterkin, with his enormous club, came second, as
he said he should like to be in a position to defend me if any danger
should threaten. I brought up the rear, but, having been more taken up
with the wonderful and curious things I saw at starting than with
thoughts of possible danger, I had very foolishly left my club behind me.
Although, as I have said the trees and bus