CHAPTER LXI.
PREPARING FOR THE JOURNEY DURING the remainder of the day we loitered about, talking over our plans.
The doctor was all eagerness to visit Tamai, a solitary inland village, standing upon the banks of a considerable lake of the same name, and embosomed among groves.

From Afrehitoo you went to this place by a lonely pathway leading through the wildest scenery in the world.

Much, too, we had heard concerning the lake itself, which abounded in such delicious fish that, in former times, angling parties occasionally came over to it from Papeetee.
Upon its banks, moreover, grew the finest fruit of the islands, and in their greatest perfection.

The "Ve," or Brazilian plum, here attained the size of an orange; and the gorgeous "Arheea," or red apple of Tahiti, blushed with deeper dyes than in any of the seaward valleys.
Beside all this, in Tamai dwelt the most beautiful and unsophisticated women in the entire Society group.

In short, the village was so remote from the coast, and had been so much less affected by recent changes than other places that, in most things, Tahitian life was here seen as formerly existing in the days of young Otoo, the boy-king, in Cook's time.
After obtaining from the planters all the information which was needed, we decided upon penetrating to the village; and after a temporary sojourn there, to strike the beach again, and journey round to Taloo, a harbour on the opposite side of the island.
We at once put ourselves in travelling trim.