[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

186 WITH NATIVES IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC

several valleys converge at SANTO Peak, so that
there are important passes near its summits. One
of my boys gave out here, and we left him to repose.
The rest of the way was not difficult, but we were
all very tired when we reached the top. There
was another summit, a trifle higher, separated from
the first by a long ridge, but we contented ourselves
with the one we were on, especially as we could see
absolutely nothing. I was much disappointed, as
on a clear day the View of SANTO and the whole
archipelago must be wonderful. I deposited a bottle
with a paper of statistics, which some native has
probably found by this time. We were wet and
hungry, and as it Was not likely that the fog would
lift, we began the descent. Without the natives I
never could have found the way back in the fog;
but they followed the path easily enough, and half-
way down we met the other guides coming slowly
up the mountain. They seemed pleased to have
escaped the tiresome climb; possibly they may have
had other reasons for their dislike of the Peak.
They were rather disappointed, I thought, that I
had had my way in spite of their resistance. They
now promised to lead us back by another route,
and we descended a narrow valley for several hours;
then came a long halt, as my guides had to chat
with friends in a Village we passed. At last I fairly
had to drive them away, and we went down another
valley, where we found a few women bathing in a
stream, who ran away at the sight of us. We
bathed, and then enjoyed an excellent meal of taro,