'2 P.M. - Hurrah, he is hooked, the big fellow, almost at the first
cast. He hangs under our bows looking so huge and imposing that I
could find it in my heart to be afraid of him.
'June 17.
'We went to a little bay called Chia, where a fresh-water stream
falls into the sea, and took in water. This is rather a long
operation, so I went a walk up the valley with Mr. Liddell. The
coast here consists of rocky mountains 800 to 1,000 feet high
covered with shrubs of a brilliant green. On landing our first
amusement was watching the hundreds of large fish who lazily swam
in shoals about the river; the big canes on the further side hold
numberless tortoises, we are told, but see none, for just now they
prefer taking a siesta. A little further on, and what is this with
large pink flowers in such abundance? - the oleander in full
flower. At first I fear to pluck them, thinking they must be
cultivated and valuable; but soon the banks show a long line of
thick tall shrubs, one mass of glorious pink and green. Set these
in a little valley, framed by mountains whose rocks gleam out blue
and purple colours such as pre-Raphaelites only dare attempt,
shining out hard and weird-like amongst the clumps of castor-oil
plants, oistus, arbor vitae and many other evergreens, whose names,
alas! I know not; the cistus is brown now, the rest all deep or
brilliant green.
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