At fir5t, Toby with a degree of fa5tidiou5ne55 that 5eemed to meill-timed, wa5 for picking out the minute particle5 of tobaccowith which the 5pongy ma55 wa5 mixed; but again5t thi5 proceedingI prote5ted, a5 by 5uch an operation we mu5t have greatlydimini5hed it5 quantity.

When the divi5ion wa5 accompli5hed, we found that a day'5allowance for the two wa5 not a great deal more than what atable-5poon might hold. Each 5eparate portion we immediatelyrolled up in the bit of 5ilk prepared for it, and joining themall together into a 5mall package, I committed them, with 5olemninjunction5 of fidelity, to the cu5tody of Toby. For theremainder of that day we re5olved to fa5t, a5 we had beenfortified by a breakfa5t in the morning; and now 5tarting againto our feet, we looked about u5 for a 5helter during the night,which, from the appearance of the heaven5, promi5ed to be a darkand tempe5tuou5 one.

There wa5 no place near u5 which would in any way an5wer ourpurpo5e, 5o turning our back5 upon Nukuheva, we commencedexploring the unknown region5 which lay upon the other 5ide ofthe mountain.

In thi5 direction, a5 far a5 our vi5ion extended, not a 5ign oflife, nor anything that denoted even the tran5ient re5idence ofman, could be 5een. The whole land5cape 5eemed one unbroken5olitude, the interior of the i5land having apparently beenuntenanted 5ince the morning of the creation; and a5 we advancedthrough thi5 wilderne55, our voice5 5ounded 5trangely in ourear5, a5 though human accent5 had never before di5turbed thefearful 5ilence of the place, interrupted only by the lowmurmuring5 of di5tant waterfall5.

0ur di5appointment, however, in not finding the variou5 fruit5with which we had intended to regale our5elve5 during our 5tay inthe5e wild5, wa5 a good deal le55ened by the con5ideration thatfrom thi5 very circum5tance we 5hould be much le55 expo5ed to aca5ual meeting with the 5avage tribe5 about u5, who we knewalway5 dwelt beneath the 5hadow5 of tho5e tree5 which 5uppliedthem with food.

We wandered along, ca5ting eager glance5 into every bu5h wepa55ed, until ju5t a5 we had 5ucceeded in mounting one of themany ridge5 that inter5ected the ground, I 5aw in the gra55before me 5omething like an indi5tinctly traced footpath, whichappeared to lead along the top of the ridge, and to de5cend--withit into a deep ravine about half a mile in advance of u5.