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Easter Island: Early Witnesses

George Cooke


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cairn, is 1,100 miles, and the South American coast is 2,100 miles to the eastward.
   The island is irregularly triangular in shape. Its greatest length from NE. to SW. is 13 miles; its greatest width from North Cape to Cape Roe-Hoe, in a direction from NNW. to SSE., is 7 miles. The circumference, measuring from headland to headland, is about 34 miles, and the area of the island is 31 square miles.
   The surface is diversified mountain and plain, the former usually rising abruptly from the latter, and generally at a distance from each other, so that, with one or two exceptions, it can hardly be said that there are valleys, strictly speaking. The mountains - a goodly number in proportion to the area of the island - are mostly cone shaped, and not of very great elevation, the tallest, near Cape North, being but 1,767 feet high. The most extensive plain is at the base of Rana Roraka, extending thence in a westerly direction for several miles, and it is believed that in ancient times a large town existed on this site, in whose vicinity all the monoliths were carved.
   The coast line on the southern and western sides, except at the extreme southwest end where Rana Kao looms up, is generally low, but extremely rocky. The northwestern, northern, northeastern, and eastern coasts are a succession of black, frowning, precipitous, basalt cliffs, worn into innumerable caves by the erosion of the sea, and with huge attached bowlders scattered at the base, over and against which the waves dash with resistless fury, forming a veritable iron-bound coast. Many of the caves thus formed have been inhabited and have also been used as burial places; and the remains of human beings, with implements interred with them or secreted by the modern natives, sometimes reward the diligent searcher.
   There are but two or three points around the entire coast line at which a sandy beach may be met with. One of these, small in extent, is on the south side, near Mr. Salmon's residence at Vaihu, in a picturesque little bay, used as a bathing ground and boat landing.
   Another, and much the larger, forms the beach of Anakana Bay on the north side of the island, the legendary landing place of Hotu Metua, and by far the best and safest boat harbor around the coast.
   The soil is for the most part decomposed of disintegrated lava, nowhere of any great depth, but exceedingly fertile and in places, as for example, where excavations were made inside of cairns, it was found of the fineness, color and richness of garden mold.
   Except where a few clearings have been made, nearly the entire surface of the island is covered in astonishing profusion with fragments of lava, varying in size from that of a pebble to that of a huge bowlder. They are nearly black in color, hard, sharp, angular, weatherworn; and it is these, in places covering the ground, which render pedestrianism so difficult and laborious.
   Until supplied with wood from wrecked lumber vessels the modern

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