THE FORESTS OF TAHITIThe primeval forests are the pride of Tahiti. Indirectly they are the wealth of the little island. They have been spared the ravages of the woodman's ax. The forests have been kind to the natives and the natives to the forests. The avaricious lumberman, the greatest enemy of public wealth and general prosperity, has fortunately so far not had a design on the magnificent forests of Tahiti, and may he never be permitted to carry on his work of destruction in this island paradise! The giant trees, growing the finest and most valuable timber, hold out much inducement to get-rich-quick men, but they have been destined for a better purpose; they, with the more menial companions, the humble, lowly shrubs, attract the clouds, determine rain, retain moisture and fill the river-beds, creeks and rivulets with the purest water. The forests extend from the shore to near the highest mountain-peaks, making up one great green sea of foliage, interrupted here and there by the summits of hills, ridges, and bare spots of brown, volcanic earth, where vegetation of any kind has been forbidden to take a foothold. Along and near the coast are the charming groves of cocoa-palms, where the ordinary trees, out of deference to the queen of the tropic forests, are few and modest in their ambition to compete with her in height. Here the guava shrub, groaning under the weight of its golden fruit, adds to the beauty of the grove. A walk through such a grove, with glimpses of the blue ocean and the verdant tree-clad hills and mountains, will bring the conviction thatThe groves were God's first temples.BRYANT.Raising the eyes and looking up the steep incline of the mountains clothed in perennial verdure by a dense virgin forest, we are almost instinctively reminded of the beautiful lines of Dryden:There stood a forest on the mountain's brow, whichoverlook'd the shady plains below;No sounding axe presumed these trees to bite, coevalwith the world; a venerable sight.The forest in the tropics has no rest. From one end of the year to the other, it appears the same. There is no general disrobing at the bidding of an uncompromising, stern winter. There are no arctic chills to suffer and no burden of snow to brave. Most of the trees are evergreen, and the few that imitate the example of their kind in the North by an annual change of their leaves, perform this task almost imperceptibly. There are no bald crowns and bare arms. Spring, summer and autumn mingle throughout the year; blossoming and ripe fruits go hand in hand in the same tree or neighboring trees. A walk through a tropic forest is no easy thing, owing to the dense interlacing and often prickly undergrowth, but the visitor is amply rewarded for his efforts. Every step brings new revelations, new surprises. Nowhere are there any signs of deforestation, either by fire or the cruel, thoughtless hand of man. You are in a forestWhere the rude ax, with heaved stroke,Was never heard the nymphs to daunt,Or frown them from their hallow'd haunts.MILTON.The biggest trees are in the shaded, rich ravines and far up on the mountainside or hill-tops. They seem to be conscious of their superiority and power in the selection of their abode. Look at one of these monsters, with wide-spread, giant branches and impenetrable foliage, andView well this tree, the queen of all the grove;How vast her bole, how wide her arms are spread.How high above the rest she shoots her head!DRYDEN.AVENUE OF FAUTAHUAAVENUE OF FAUTAHUABut in these forests, so full of life and perpetual activity, indications of death are seen here and there. The numerous climbing vines which, serpent-like, creep up and embrace in their deathly grasp some young, vigorous tree, have no good intentions for their patient, helpless host. The struggle may last for years, but the ultimate result is sure. The cruelty of the unwelcome intruder increases with his age and, strength. The fight for life becomes more and more intense. The plant-serpent throttles its victim more and more, penetrates its body with its additional roots, and sucks the very life-blood from its vitals. What promised to become the giant of the forest sickens and succumbs to a slow, lingering, ignominious death. The victory is complete and he now stands withPithless arms, like a wither'd vine,That droops his sapless branches to the ground.SHAKESPEARE.The ruthless climber has accomplished its purpose and it has become so strong and has made such intricate interlacements with adjoining trees that it holds the corpse erect in its cold embrace for an indefinite period of time, until some strong wind lays low forever the victor with the vanquished.Like everywhere else where the soil is fertile and other conditions for plant-growth favorable, so in the Tahitian forest, rank plant-life prospers. The lantana (Lantana Crocca) a shrubby plant two to four feet high, with beautiful little yellow and purple flowers arranged in umbels, has overrun the whole island. It is here, as in some of the other islands of the Pacific, the most aggressive and most troublesome of all weeds, and it is this plant which interferes with a more abundant growth of grass and consequently with a more productive pasturage in wild and cultivated grounds.The sense of isolation and solitude is nowhere more profound than in a tropical forest, and more especially so in Tahiti, as here animal life is scarce. The only game found are domestic hogs and chickens, which have run wild, and these are scarce. There are no birds of plumage and few song-birds. Chameleons frequent sunny spots, and butterflies, of all sizes and colors, enliven the air. There are no snakes and few poisonous insects; no deer, bear, leopards or monkeys. Even the ordinary water-birds, with the exception of a small species of sea-gull and occasionally a crane, seem to avoid this island.A day spent in the wonderful forests of Tahiti will bring no regrets; on the other hand, will be replete with pleasure and profit, and will leave charming pictures on memory's tablet which time can never efface. On the brightest day, darkness reigns underneath the almost impenetrable roof of branches, vines and foliage. Here and there the sun's rays penetrate through the gigantic bowery maze, and fall upon the ground with almost unnatural intensity, frequently appearing and disappearing as the wind plays with the leaves.The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind,And make a checker'd shadow on the ground.SHAKESPEARE.The solemn silence of the forest, the grandeur of vegetation, the effects of light and shadows, are impressive, and the visitor will carry away from Tahiti an inspiring and lasting mental picture ofHer forests huge,Incult, robust, and tall, by Nature's handPlanted of old.THOMSON.
THE FORESTS OF TAHITIThe primeval forests are the pride of Tahiti. Indirectly they are the wealth of the little island. They have been spared the ravages of the woodman's ax. The forests have been kind to the natives and the natives to the forests. The avaricious lumberman, the greatest enemy of public wealth and general prosperity, has fortunately so far not had a design on the magnificent forests of Tahiti, and may he never be permitted to carry on his work of destruction in this island paradise! The giant trees, growing the finest and most valuable timber, hold out much inducement to get-rich-quick men, but they have been destined for a better purpose; they, with the more menial companions, the humble, lowly shrubs, attract the clouds, determine rain, retain moisture and fill the river-beds, creeks and rivulets with the purest water. The forests extend from the shore to near the highest mountain-peaks, making up one great green sea of foliage, interrupted here and there by the summits of hills, ridges, and bare spots of brown, volcanic earth, where vegetation of any kind has been forbidden to take a foothold. Along and near the coast are the charming groves of cocoa-palms, where the ordinary trees, out of deference to the queen of the tropic forests, are few and modest in their ambition to compete with her in height. Here the guava shrub, groaning under the weight of its golden fruit, adds to the beauty of the grove. A walk through such a grove, with glimpses of the blue ocean and the verdant tree-clad hills and mountains, will bring the conviction thatThe groves were God's first temples.BRYANT.Raising the eyes and looking up the steep incline of the mountains clothed in perennial verdure by a dense virgin forest, we are almost instinctively reminded of the beautiful lines of Dryden:There stood a forest on the mountain's brow, whichoverlook'd the shady plains below;No sounding axe presumed these trees to bite, coevalwith the world; a venerable sight.The forest in the tropics has no rest. From one end of the year to the other, it appears the same. There is no general disrobing at the bidding of an uncompromising, stern winter. There are no arctic chills to suffer and no burden of snow to brave. Most of the trees are evergreen, and the few that imitate the example of their kind in the North by an annual change of their leaves, perform this task almost imperceptibly. There are no bald crowns and bare arms. Spring, summer and autumn mingle throughout the year; blossoming and ripe fruits go hand in hand in the same tree or neighboring trees. A walk through a tropic forest is no easy thing, owing to the dense interlacing and often prickly undergrowth, but the visitor is amply rewarded for his efforts. Every step brings new revelations, new surprises. Nowhere are there any signs of deforestation, either by fire or the cruel, thoughtless hand of man. You are in a forestWhere the rude ax, with heaved stroke,Was never heard the nymphs to daunt,Or frown them from their hallow'd haunts.MILTON.The biggest trees are in the shaded, rich ravines and far up on the mountainside or hill-tops. They seem to be conscious of their superiority and power in the selection of their abode. Look at one of these monsters, with wide-spread, giant branches and impenetrable foliage, andView well this tree, the queen of all the grove;How vast her bole, how wide her arms are spread.How high above the rest she shoots her head!DRYDEN.AVENUE OF FAUTAHUAAVENUE OF FAUTAHUABut in these forests, so full of life and perpetual activity, indications of death are seen here and there. The numerous climbing vines which, serpent-like, creep up and embrace in their deathly grasp some young, vigorous tree, have no good intentions for their patient, helpless host. The struggle may last for years, but the ultimate result is sure. The cruelty of the unwelcome intruder increases with his age and, strength. The fight for life becomes more and more intense. The plant-serpent throttles its victim more and more, penetrates its body with its additional roots, and sucks the very life-blood from its vitals. What promised to become the giant of the forest sickens and succumbs to a slow, lingering, ignominious death. The victory is complete and he now stands withPithless arms, like a wither'd vine,That droops his sapless branches to the ground.SHAKESPEARE.The ruthless climber has accomplished its purpose and it has become so strong and has made such intricate interlacements with adjoining trees that it holds the corpse erect in its cold embrace for an indefinite period of time, until some strong wind lays low forever the victor with the vanquished.Like everywhere else where the soil is fertile and other conditions for plant-growth favorable, so in the Tahitian forest, rank plant-life prospers. The lantana (Lantana Crocca) a shrubby plant two to four feet high, with beautiful little yellow and purple flowers arranged in umbels, has overrun the whole island. It is here, as in some of the other islands of the Pacific, the most aggressive and most troublesome of all weeds, and it is this plant which interferes with a more abundant growth of grass and consequently with a more productive pasturage in wild and cultivated grounds.The sense of isolation and solitude is nowhere more profound than in a tropical forest, and more especially so in Tahiti, as here animal life is scarce. The only game found are domestic hogs and chickens, which have run wild, and these are scarce. There are no birds of plumage and few song-birds. Chameleons frequent sunny spots, and butterflies, of all sizes and colors, enliven the air. There are no snakes and few poisonous insects; no deer, bear, leopards or monkeys. Even the ordinary water-birds, with the exception of a small species of sea-gull and occasionally a crane, seem to avoid this island.A day spent in the wonderful forests of Tahiti will bring no regrets; on the other hand, will be replete with pleasure and profit, and will leave charming pictures on memory's tablet which time can never efface. On the brightest day, darkness reigns underneath the almost impenetrable roof of branches, vines and foliage. Here and there the sun's rays penetrate through the gigantic bowery maze, and fall upon the ground with almost unnatural intensity, frequently appearing and disappearing as the wind plays with the leaves.The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind,And make a checker'd shadow on the ground.SHAKESPEARE.The solemn silence of the forest, the grandeur of vegetation, the effects of light and shadows, are impressive, and the visitor will carry away from Tahiti an inspiring and lasting mental picture ofHer forests huge,Incult, robust, and tall, by Nature's handPlanted of old.THOMSON.
The primeval forests are the pride of Tahiti. Indirectly they are the wealth of the little island. They have been spared the ravages of the woodman's ax. The forests have been kind to the natives and the natives to the forests. The avaricious lumberman, the greatest enemy of public wealth and general prosperity, has fortunately so far not had a design on the magnificent forests of Tahiti, and may he never be permitted to carry on his work of destruction in this island paradise! The giant trees, growing the finest and most valuable timber, hold out much inducement to get-rich-quick men, but they have been destined for a better purpose; they, with the more menial companions, the humble, lowly shrubs, attract the clouds, determine rain, retain moisture and fill the river-beds, creeks and rivulets with the purest water. The forests extend from the shore to near the highest mountain-peaks, making up one great green sea of foliage, interrupted here and there by the summits of hills, ridges, and bare spots of brown, volcanic earth, where vegetation of any kind has been forbidden to take a foothold. Along and near the coast are the charming groves of cocoa-palms, where the ordinary trees, out of deference to the queen of the tropic forests, are few and modest in their ambition to compete with her in height. Here the guava shrub, groaning under the weight of its golden fruit, adds to the beauty of the grove. A walk through such a grove, with glimpses of the blue ocean and the verdant tree-clad hills and mountains, will bring the conviction that
The groves were God's first temples.BRYANT.
The groves were God's first temples.
BRYANT.
Raising the eyes and looking up the steep incline of the mountains clothed in perennial verdure by a dense virgin forest, we are almost instinctively reminded of the beautiful lines of Dryden:
There stood a forest on the mountain's brow, whichoverlook'd the shady plains below;No sounding axe presumed these trees to bite, coevalwith the world; a venerable sight.
There stood a forest on the mountain's brow, which
overlook'd the shady plains below;
No sounding axe presumed these trees to bite, coeval
with the world; a venerable sight.
The forest in the tropics has no rest. From one end of the year to the other, it appears the same. There is no general disrobing at the bidding of an uncompromising, stern winter. There are no arctic chills to suffer and no burden of snow to brave. Most of the trees are evergreen, and the few that imitate the example of their kind in the North by an annual change of their leaves, perform this task almost imperceptibly. There are no bald crowns and bare arms. Spring, summer and autumn mingle throughout the year; blossoming and ripe fruits go hand in hand in the same tree or neighboring trees. A walk through a tropic forest is no easy thing, owing to the dense interlacing and often prickly undergrowth, but the visitor is amply rewarded for his efforts. Every step brings new revelations, new surprises. Nowhere are there any signs of deforestation, either by fire or the cruel, thoughtless hand of man. You are in a forest
Where the rude ax, with heaved stroke,Was never heard the nymphs to daunt,Or frown them from their hallow'd haunts.MILTON.
Where the rude ax, with heaved stroke,
Was never heard the nymphs to daunt,
Or frown them from their hallow'd haunts.
MILTON.
The biggest trees are in the shaded, rich ravines and far up on the mountainside or hill-tops. They seem to be conscious of their superiority and power in the selection of their abode. Look at one of these monsters, with wide-spread, giant branches and impenetrable foliage, and
View well this tree, the queen of all the grove;How vast her bole, how wide her arms are spread.How high above the rest she shoots her head!DRYDEN.
View well this tree, the queen of all the grove;
How vast her bole, how wide her arms are spread.
How high above the rest she shoots her head!
DRYDEN.
AVENUE OF FAUTAHUAAVENUE OF FAUTAHUA
AVENUE OF FAUTAHUA
But in these forests, so full of life and perpetual activity, indications of death are seen here and there. The numerous climbing vines which, serpent-like, creep up and embrace in their deathly grasp some young, vigorous tree, have no good intentions for their patient, helpless host. The struggle may last for years, but the ultimate result is sure. The cruelty of the unwelcome intruder increases with his age and, strength. The fight for life becomes more and more intense. The plant-serpent throttles its victim more and more, penetrates its body with its additional roots, and sucks the very life-blood from its vitals. What promised to become the giant of the forest sickens and succumbs to a slow, lingering, ignominious death. The victory is complete and he now stands with
Pithless arms, like a wither'd vine,That droops his sapless branches to the ground.SHAKESPEARE.
Pithless arms, like a wither'd vine,
That droops his sapless branches to the ground.
SHAKESPEARE.
The ruthless climber has accomplished its purpose and it has become so strong and has made such intricate interlacements with adjoining trees that it holds the corpse erect in its cold embrace for an indefinite period of time, until some strong wind lays low forever the victor with the vanquished.
Like everywhere else where the soil is fertile and other conditions for plant-growth favorable, so in the Tahitian forest, rank plant-life prospers. The lantana (Lantana Crocca) a shrubby plant two to four feet high, with beautiful little yellow and purple flowers arranged in umbels, has overrun the whole island. It is here, as in some of the other islands of the Pacific, the most aggressive and most troublesome of all weeds, and it is this plant which interferes with a more abundant growth of grass and consequently with a more productive pasturage in wild and cultivated grounds.
The sense of isolation and solitude is nowhere more profound than in a tropical forest, and more especially so in Tahiti, as here animal life is scarce. The only game found are domestic hogs and chickens, which have run wild, and these are scarce. There are no birds of plumage and few song-birds. Chameleons frequent sunny spots, and butterflies, of all sizes and colors, enliven the air. There are no snakes and few poisonous insects; no deer, bear, leopards or monkeys. Even the ordinary water-birds, with the exception of a small species of sea-gull and occasionally a crane, seem to avoid this island.
A day spent in the wonderful forests of Tahiti will bring no regrets; on the other hand, will be replete with pleasure and profit, and will leave charming pictures on memory's tablet which time can never efface. On the brightest day, darkness reigns underneath the almost impenetrable roof of branches, vines and foliage. Here and there the sun's rays penetrate through the gigantic bowery maze, and fall upon the ground with almost unnatural intensity, frequently appearing and disappearing as the wind plays with the leaves.
The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind,And make a checker'd shadow on the ground.SHAKESPEARE.
The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind,
And make a checker'd shadow on the ground.
SHAKESPEARE.
The solemn silence of the forest, the grandeur of vegetation, the effects of light and shadows, are impressive, and the visitor will carry away from Tahiti an inspiring and lasting mental picture of
Her forests huge,Incult, robust, and tall, by Nature's handPlanted of old.THOMSON.
Her forests huge,
Incult, robust, and tall, by Nature's hand
Planted of old.
THOMSON.