ABSTRACT
T a h i t i - n u i , the larger of the two volcanic masses that make up T a h i t i
( M a p 1, 2 and Figure 1). I t is composed of a deep val ley cut i n t o
T a h i t i - n u i and a nar row section of coastal p l a i n f r o n t i n g the valley
w h i c h to ta l some 7.8 square ki lometers , as w e l l as the a d j o i n i n g stretch
of lagoon and reef w h i c h add .9 ki lometers to the to ta l . For most of
its l eng th the 'A'ou'a valley is nar row, rocky and flanked by steep
walls r i s ing up a thousand meters or more f r o m the valley floor. A l -
though the valley is w e l l watered and covered w i t h l u x u r i a n t vegeta-
t i o n , the on ly food crops g r o w i n g there are w i l d fe'i bananas and
oranges. Towards the m o u t h of the valley where the te r ra in begins
to level, stone terraces attest to major ag r i cu l tu ra l ac t iv i ty i n the past,
p robab ly the c u l t i v a t i o n of taro and other roo t crops, and there are a
few o l d stands of coffee trees w h i c h date back to the t ime when coffee
was a popula r cash crop. N o w , however, except for an occasional
sweet pota to patch, and the yearly excursions of a few people to p ick
coffee f rom the un tended trees, there is l i t t l e ag r i cu l tu ra l ac t iv i ty i n
the lower valley.
