After  sitting  for  some  time  We  expressed  a  wish,
now  that  we  had  rested  ourselves,  to  extend  our


LOO-CHOO.  183

walk  a  mile  or  two  up  the  country,  or,  at  all  events,
to  vary  the  road  back  by  turning  to  the  left  after
reaching  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and  so  walking  along
the  edge  of  the  cliff  to  another  path,  wliich  would
lead  us  down  to  the  boats  quite  as  soon  as  the
way  by  which  we  had  ascended.     The  chiefs  ob-
served, in  reply  to  this  proposal,  that  we  should
inevitably   tumble    down    and   break   our   necks
should  we  attempt  such  a  thing,  affecting,   not-
withstanding the  gross  absurdity  of  such  an  appre-
hension, to  be  really  alarmed  at  our  danger.     We
turned  back,  thereforej   after  having  gone  about
two  hundred  yards  along  the  top  of  the   cliffs,
without  any  adventure,  excepting  a  short  interview
with  a  very  aged  decrepid  man,  upon  whom  we
lighted  by  mere  accident.     He  was  seated  in  an
open  shed  on  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  with  his
long  white  beai'd  neai'ly  covering  his  breast,  and
a  sedate  and  contemplative  air,  which  gave  him
that  sort  of  aspect  which  the  imagination  bestows
on  a  hermit.    He  was  probably  an  ascetic  of  some
kind,  for  our  appearance  did  not  in  the  least  dis-
compose   him,    nor,  until    desired   by  Ookooma,-
would  he  condescend  to  notice  us  at  all.     Even
when  spoken  to,  he  merely  bowed  his  head,  very
slightly,  without  looking  up,  and  immediately  re-
sumed his  abstracted  air,  as  if  quite  alone  and  ab-
sorbed by  other  matters.
