This cave, we hoped, might be
useful to us afterwards as a storehouse. Then we cut two large clubs
off a species of very hard tree which grew near at hand. One of these
was given to Peterkin, the other to me, and Jack armed himself with the
axe. We took these precautions because we purposed to make an excursion
to the top of the mountains of the interior, in order to obtain a
better view of our island. Of course we knew not what dangers might
befall us by the way, so thought it best to be prepared.
Having completed our arrangements and carefully extinguished our fire,
we sallied forth and walked a short distance along the sea-beach, till
we came to the entrance of a valley, through which flowed the rivulet
before mentioned. Here we turned our backs on the sea and struck into
the interior.
The prospect that burst upon our view on entering the valley was truly
splendid. On either side of us there was a gentle rise in the land,
which thus formed two ridges about a mile apart on each side of the
valley. These ridges--which, as well as the low grounds between them,
were covered with trees and shrubs of the most luxuriant kind--continued
to recede inland for about two miles, when they joined the foot of a
small mountain. This hill rose rather abruptly from the head of the valley,
and was likewise entirely covered even to the top with trees, except on
one particular spot near the left shoulder, where was a bare and rocky
place of a broken and savage character.
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