Wewerenearlythreehoursinreachingthevillage，itbeingmorethanninemilesintheinterior，andthepathlyingthrougharuggedcountry。Aswepassedalong，thepartyofToo-witthewholehundredandtensavagesofthecanoeswasmomentarilystrengthenedbysmallerdetachments，offromtwotosixorseven，whichjoinedus，asifbyaccident，atdifferentturnsoftheroad。ThereappearedsomuchofsysteminthisthatIcouldnothelpfeelingdistrust，andI
spoketoCaptainGuyofmyapprehensions。Itwasnowtoolate，however，torecede，andweconcludedthatourbestsecuritylayinevincingaperfectconfidenceinthegoodfaithofToo-wit。Weaccordinglywenton，keepingawaryeyeuponthemanoeuvresofthesavages，andnotpermittingthemtodivideournumbersbypushinginbetween。Inthisway，passingthroughaprecipitousravine，weatlengthreachedwhatweweretoldwastheonlycollectionofhabitationsupontheisland。Aswecameinsightofthem，thechiefsetupashout，andfrequentlyrepeatedthewordKlock-klock，whichwesup。posedtobethenameofthevillage，orperhapsthegenericnameforvillages。
Thedwellingswereofthemostmiserabledescriptionimaginable，and，unlikethoseofeventhelowestofthesavageraceswithwhichmankindareacquainted，wereofnouniformplan。SomeofthemandthesewefoundbelongedtotheWampoosorYampoos，thegreatmenofthelandconsistedofatreecutdownataboutfourfeetfromtheroot，withalargeblackskinthrownoverit，andhanginginloosefoldsupontheground。Underthisthesavagenestled。Otherswereformedbymeansofroughlimbsoftrees，withthewitheredfoliageuponthem，madetorecline，atanangleofforty-fivedegrees，againstabankofclay，heapedup，withoutregularform，totheheightoffiveorsixfeet。Others，again，weremereholesdugintheearthperpendicularly，andcoveredoverwithsimilarbranches，thesebeingremovedwhenthetenantwasabouttoenter，andpulledonagainwhenhehadentered。Afewwerebuiltamongtheforkedlimbsoftreesastheystood，theupperlimbsbeingpartiallycutthrough，soastobendoveruponthelower，thusformingthickershelterfromtheweather。Thegreaternumber，however，consistedofsmallshallowcaverns，apparentlyscratchedinthefaceofaprecipitousledgeofdarkstone，resemblingfuller’searth，withwhichthreesidesofthevillagewerebounded。Atthedoorofeachoftheseprimitivecavernswasasmallrock，whichthetenantcarefullyplacedbeforetheentranceuponleavinghisresidence，forwhatpurposeIcouldnotascertain，asthestoneitselfwasneverofsufficientsizetocloseupmorethanathirdoftheopening。
Thisvillage，ifitwereworthyofthename，layinavalleyofsomedepth，andcouldonlybeapproachedfromthesouthward，theprecipitousledgeofwhichIhavealreadyspokencuttingoffallaccessinotherdirections。Throughthemiddleofthevalleyranabrawlingstreamofthesamemagical-lookingwaterwhichhasbeendescribed。Wesawseveralstrangeanimalsaboutthedwellings，allappearingtobethoroughlydomesticated。Thelargestofthesecreaturesresembledourcommonhoginthestructureofthebodyandsnout；thetail，however，wasbushy，andthelegsslenderasthoseoftheantelope。Itsmotionwasexceedinglyawkwardandindecisive，andweneversawitattempttorun。Wenoticedalsoseveralanimalsverysimilarinappearance，butofagreaterlengthofbody，andcoveredwithablackwool。Therewereagreatvarietyoftamefowlsrunningabout，andtheseseemedtoconstitutethechieffoodofthenatives。
Toourastonishmentwesawblackalbatrossamongthesebirdsinastateofentiredomestication，goingtoseaperiodicallyforfood，butalwaysreturningtothevillageasahome，andusingthesouthernshoreinthevicinityasaplaceofincubation。Theretheywerejoinedbytheirfriendsthepelicansasusual，buttheselatterneverfollowedthemtothedwellingsofthesavages。Amongtheotherkindsoftamefowlswereducks，differingverylittlefromthecanvass-backofourowncountry，blackgannets，andalargebirdnotunlikethebuzzardinappearance，butnotcarnivorous。Offishthereseemedtobeagreatabundance。Wesaw，duringourvisit，aquantityofdriedsalmon，rockcod，bluedolphins，mackerel，blackfish，skate，congereels，elephantfish，mullets，soles，parrotfish，leather-jackets，gurnards，hake，flounders，paracutas，andinnumerableothervarieties。Wenoticed，too，thatmostofthemweresimilartothefishaboutthegroupofLordAucklandIslands，inalatitudeaslowasfifty-onedegreessouth。TheGallipagotortoisewasalsoveryplentiful。Wesawbutfewwildanimals，andnoneofalargesize，orofaspecieswithwhichwewerefamiliar。Oneortwoserpentsofaformidableaspectcrossedourpath，butthenativespaidthemlittleattention，andweconcludedthattheywerenotvenomous。