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[Page 92]
of the pinnace (all vessels of any size driven by machinery are known as pinnaces in these parts). I afterwards had dinner with the Missionary & his wife; the latter speaks English remarkably well though she had some difficulty in following my rapid articulation, which seems natural with all Australians.
I have at various times dilated on the beauties of the places visited by us. This, however, "beats the hand". The cottage is built on the edge of an extinct crater & is about 3 or 4 hundred feet above the shore. The bottom of the crater is below sea level & in the centre is a deep pool. One can stand on the verandah & look straight down into what was at one time a bed of molten rock, but which is now quiet & peaceful, covered in some parts with luxuriant foliage. To the north nothing can be seen but the tree-clad slopes of the mighty mountain. To the south & east lie the sparkling waves of the Pacific. The only drawback to the glorious picture is that the sand of the beach is, owing to its volcanic origin, black, though the foam of the breakers is as white as snow.
After dinner I went with Hr Schmidt & the Missionary to the native villages where we interviewed the Luluei (old chief) & the Tul tul, assuring them that the English were not fighting the missionaries & that the pinnace was being taken away for a short time only. Should there be any disturbance during our absence we would come back & "cook" the whole village. They savvied & promised to let the other tribes know our sayings.
I afterwards returned to the "Lili" which was moored alongside the pinnace (I will henceforth call her the "Rheno".)