melodiously. The other maidens were
Teina's companions, who, having no engagements on hand, accompanied us
as volunteers, or light troops. We tramped blithely along the Broom
Road, whilst the delicious strains from the brass band went sailing up
hill and grove.

Between the radiating mountain-ridges of Tahiti, which diverge from the
longitudinal core of the summit, there are many frightful
precipices--awful splits in the bosom of the earth--narrow, gloomy and
deep, that hang frowningly over the sombre, turbulent torrents of waters
that spring from the misty faces of the upper heights. Our route led up
one of them. Turning up a broad valley, we followed the course of a
rapid stream, crossing and re-crossing where rocks of the adjacent
heights became too precipitous to admit a pathway; and to save time and
unnecessary trouble, we were either ferried over on the shoulders of our
_taata_ convoy, breasting the foaming surge, or once or twice I was
mounted on one of the native damsels--Miss Toanni--who kindly offered
her services. I blush for my want of gallantry, but trust it was in a
measure redeemed by holding her drapery from the water during the
several wadings. She wore for head-dress a broad straw hat with
fluttering ribbons--a figured gingham sac, plaited and buttoned to the
throat, fell loosely over a white under-tunic--and demi-pantaletts
reached below the knees, where the costume terminated by open-worked,
indigo stockings, that would bear washing--while her fingers were
covered with indelible blue rings, of the same material as the hose.

There is very little tatooing among the Tahitians--a few leggings--blue
devices about the neck--rings on fingers or toes, but never a mark on
the face. As civilization advances, they acquire a distaste for these
heathenish skin-paintings. However, I must not lose sight of Toanni. She
had a firm, well-knit frame--wide mouth, fine, brilliant teeth, intended
for service--such as cracking flinty ship-biscuits, or wrenching husks
from cocoanuts--large, mirthsome, dark eyes, with but one flaw to their
beauty, which she enjoyed alike with all the Pacific Islanders--the
whites of the eyes were yellow! Such was Toanni.

Occasionally, when resting within the close shade of the valley, if the
bright eyes of the girls detected the sunny bulbs of _papao_ gleaming
through the surrounding foliage, off they sprang for the fruit, or
climbed the _vai_ for apples, or pretty flowers clustering ab