coral region, where there is plenty of rain, but no running water. In
these districts yam is the principal food, while we find taro in the
mountains of primary rock. Both are similar in taste to the potato.

My next journey led me across the peninsula to the west coast of
Santo. As usual, it was a very rainy day when we started, but once
across the divide the air became much drier. The clouds, driven by
the south-east trade-wind, strike the islands on the east side,
and this is the reason why the east coast is so much damper than
the west, and why the vegetation is so immoderately thick on the
one side, and much less luxuriant on the other. On the west side
the bush is thinner and there are wide stretches of reed-grass,
but there is plenty of water, bright creeks fed by the rainfall on
the mountains. Here, on the coast, it was much warmer than where we
had come from, but the air was most agreeable, dry and invigorating,
quite different from the damp, heavy air on the other side.

Late at night, after a long walk on the warm beach sand, we reached
the village of Nogugu. Next day Mr. G., a planter, was good enough to
take me with him in his motor-boat, southward along the coast. High
mountains came close to the shore, falling in almost perpendicular
walls straight down into the sea. Deep narrow valleys led inland into
the very heart of the island. Several times, when we were passing
the openings of these valleys, a squall caught us, and rain poured
down; then, again, everything lay in bright sunshine and the coast
was picturesque indeed with its violet shadows and reddish rocks. The
only level ground to be seen was at the mouths of the valleys in the
shape of little river deltas.

The village to which we were going was on one of these deltas. Hardly
had we set foot on shore than a violent earthquake almost threw us
to the ground. The shock lasted for at least thirty seconds, then
we heard a dull rumbling as of thunder, and saw how all along the
coast immense masses of earth fell into the sea from the high cliffs,
so that the water boiled and foamed wildly. Then yellow smoke came
out of all the bays, and hung in heavy clouds over the devastated
spots, and veiled land and sea. Inland, too, we saw many bare spots,
where the earth and trees had slipped down. The shocks went on all
night, though with diminished violence, and we continually heard the
thunderous rattling of falling rocks and earth.

Next day we stopped