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Easter Island: Early Witnesses

George Cooke


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men into their cave, the officers into their tent. Previously to doing so, however, we took precaution to stuff our ears with paper, in order to exclude the "snapping beetle," one of the Elateridæ, credited by the natives with a predilection for that organ, and myriads of which had been assailing us.
   Our bed was composed of the moku - native grass - over which we placed our rubber sheets. At 2 o'clock in the morning we were awakened by a heavy rain storm, against which our flimsy patchwork tent proved but poor protection, the water either pouring through or running under our bed of litter.
   On Wednesday, December 22, after a hearty breakfast, finding that we were none the worse for the previous night's experience, we struck camp, the pack animals were loaded, and at an early hour we were underway again. Our course this day continued along the coastline to the northward and around North Cape, skirting the base of Rana Hana Kana. The shore all along this part of the island is bold, rocky, precipitous, the black frowning basalt cliffs rising in many places to the height of hundreds of feet, truly an "iron-bound" coast, upon which the seas break with terrific fury, dashing the spray high in the air. The powerful solvent action of sea water upon even the hardest volcanic rock may here be seen exemplified in the fantastic shapes wrought by the waves on every side, the arches cut through, the innumerable caves excavated in the face of the cliffs, the pinnacles, towers, basins, etc., visible at every step. Many of the caverns were explored, and human and other bones found in some of them. The character of the surface land was about the same as on the preceding day, and the tramp over rocks and stones was a weary and trying one.
   During the afternoon a detail of men was again sent ahead to locate the camp for the night, near a fresh-water spring known to the natives, and which the remainder of the party reached toward sunset. This, which we named, "Camp Day" in honor of our commanding officer, was situated in the district of Vai-maitai (good water), near Motukau Point, about 3 miles distant from our camp of the night before, but fully three times as many by the route we had taken. One of the natives was sent back to the ship, with a note, for additional supply of stores. Two caves were occupied at this camp, one by the officers, the other being allotted to the men.
   Despite the promising name of the district, the water again proved bad, being brackish. A couple of sheep had been captured and dressed, and from these and canned food, garnished with taro, sweet potatoes and bananas, baked by the natives in their inimitable way, and washed down with copious drafts of tea, an excellent meal was made. Our cave proved a damp, ill-smelling place, and visions of pneumonia, rheumatism, and other resultant affections dominated our dreams, rendering sleep fickle and unrefreshing.
   At 7.30 on the morning of Thursday, December 23, we were again

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