stock of tobacco, and whatever provision was left him, except the
meat--which he left for sundry hawks and parrots that were eyeing his
proceedings apparently without fear of man. His nuggets he concealed in
the secret pockets of which I have already spoken, keeping one bag alone
accessible.

He had had his hair and beard cut short on shipboard the day before he
landed. These he now dyed with a dye that he had brought from England,
and which in a few minutes turned them very nearly black. He also
stained his face and hands deep brown. He hung his saddle and bridle,
his English boots, and his saddle-bags on the highest bough that he could
reach, and made them fairly fast with strips of flax leaf, for there was
some stunted flax growing on the ground where he had camped. He feared
that, do what he might, they would not escape the inquisitive
thievishness of the parrots, whose strong beaks could easily cut leather;
but he could do nothing more. It occurs to me, though my father never
told me so, that it was perhaps with a view to these birds that he had
chosen to put his English sovereigns into a metal box, with a clasp to it
which would defy them.

He made a roll of his blanket, and slung it over his shoulder; he also
took his pipe, tobacco, a little tea, a few ship's biscuits, and his
billy and pannikin; matches and salt go without saying. When he had thus
ordered everything as nearly to his satisfaction as he could, he looked
at his watch for the last time, as he believed, till many weeks should
have gone by, and found it to be about seven o'clock. Remembering what
trouble it had got him into years before, he took down his saddle-bags,
reopened them, and put the watch inside. He then set himself to climb
the mountain side, towards the saddle on which he had seen the statues.