{"id":"01KG8AKVEBSM49AVNMZ816H9SS","cid":"bafkreif2djxvyurw7nwsog6stpnogn4tjy4h6ye4iwi3m5gyyv7s3iuj2a","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":8614,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:15.153Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG89J1H7Y803CZ7X80F0QFHZ","start_line":8542,"text":"CHAPTER LXII.\r\nTAMAI\r\n\r\n\r\nLong before sunrise the next morning my sandals were laced on, and the\r\ndoctor had vaulted into Zeke’s boots.\r\n\r\nExpecting to see us again before we went to Taloo, the planters wished\r\nus a pleasant journey; and, on parting, very generously presented us\r\nwith a pound or two of what sailors call “plug” tobacco; telling us to\r\ncut it up into small change; the Virginian weed being the principal\r\ncirculating medium on the island.\r\n\r\nTamai, we were told, was not more than three or four leagues distant;\r\nso making allowances for a wild road, a few hours to rest at noon, and\r\nour determination to take the journey leisurely, we counted upon\r\nreaching the shores of the lake some time in the flush of the evening.\r\n\r\nFor several hours we went on slowly through wood and ravine, and over\r\nhill and precipice, seeing nothing but occasional herds of wild cattle,\r\nand often resting; until we found ourselves, about noon, in the very\r\nheart of the island.\r\n\r\nIt was a green, cool hollow among the mountains, into which we at last\r\ndescended with a bound. The place was gushing with a hundred springs,\r\nand shaded over with great solemn trees, on whose mossy boles the\r\nmoisture stood in beads. Strange to say, no traces of the bullocks ever\r\nhaving been here were revealed. Nor was there a sound to be heard, nor\r\na bird to be seen, nor any breath of wind stirring the leaves. The\r\nutter solitude and silence were oppressive; and after peering about\r\nunder the shades, and seeing nothing but ranks of dark, motionless\r\ntrunks, we hurried across the hollow, and ascended a steep mountain\r\nopposite.\r\n\r\nMidway up, we rested where the earth had gathered about the roots of\r\nthree palms, and thus formed a pleasant lounge, from which we looked\r\ndown upon the hollow, now one dark green tuft of woodland at our feet.\r\nHere we brought forth a small calabash of “poee” a parting present from\r\nTonoi. After eating heartily, we obtained fire by two sticks, and\r\nthrowing ourselves back, puffed forth our fatigue in wreaths of smoke.\r\nAt last we fell asleep; nor did we waken till the sun had sunk so low\r\nthat its rays darted in upon us under the foliage.\r\n\r\nStarting up, we then continued our journey; and as we gained the\r\nmountain top—there, to our surprise, lay the lake and village of Tamai.\r\nWe had thought it a good league off. Where we stood, the yellow sunset\r\nwas still lingering; but over the valley below long shadows were\r\nstealing—the rippling green lake reflecting the houses and trees just\r\nas they stood along its banks. Several small canoes, moored here and\r\nthere to posts in the water, were dancing upon the waves; and one\r\nsolitary fisherman was paddling over to a grassy point. In front of the\r\nhouses, groups of natives were seen; some thrown at full length upon\r\nthe ground, and others indolently leaning against the bamboos.\r\n\r\nWith whoop and halloo, we ran down the hills, the villagers soon\r\nhurrying forth to see who were coming. As we drew near, they gathered\r\nround, all curiosity to know what brought the “karhowrees” into their\r\nquiet country. The doctor contriving to make them understand the purely\r\nsocial object of our visit, they gave us a true Tahitian welcome;\r\npointing into their dwellings, and saying they were ours as long as we\r\nchose to remain.\r\n\r\nWe were struck by the appearance of these people, both men and women;\r\nso much more healthful than the inhabitants of the bays. As for the\r\nyoung girls, they were more retiring and modest, more tidy in their\r\ndress, and far fresher and more beautiful than the damsels of the\r\ncoast. A thousand pities, thought I, that they should bury their charms\r\nin this nook of a valley.\r\n\r\nThat night we abode in the house of Rartoo, a hospitable old chief. It\r\nwas right on the shore of the lake; and at supper we looked out through\r\na rustling screen of foliage upon the surface of the starlit water.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJMW653738A199PG39GTQ","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1H7Y803CZ7X80F0QFHZ","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKVEBNAZVGKB3HY9066YM","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:17.867Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:30.993Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}