INTERIOR OF NAVITI LEVUE. 109 



Here is a fine panoramic view, in fact one of the finest in the whole 

 course of the river. The scenery was picturesque in the extreme. On 

 the banks was abundance of what the natives call Lololalo, or Native 

 Fig, with large clusters of fruit covering the stems, and another tree 

 which the natives call Nelawa, and which bears great quantities of fruit. 

 As we went along, the Shaddock became more and more plentiful, 

 here appearing to be the principal feature of vegetation. There is also 

 a tree called MaJcasoa, used for upright posts for houses, but is not du- 

 rable. As nothing came under my notice regarding the vegetation, I 

 will pass over our proceedings until we arrived at the town of Vunbua, 

 where we remained for several days in consequence of the heavy rains. 

 Vunbua stands upon the top of a mountain, about two miles from the 

 river, and two miles from Ambuga Levue. Now, for the first time, we 

 were in a mountain woody district. Close to this town I saw several 

 trees of a white variety of Erythrina Indica, some of the flowers of 

 which I put into spirits, and these will be sent with my collections. 

 The only difference I could observe was in colour. A large tree was 

 also near to the strangers' house, a Hibiscus ; it was new to me. I 

 found also a remarkable species of Piperacece, which is not upon the 

 coast, called Angania laki (laki, short) ; it is quite different from the 

 Angania nelina [nelina, true). It is only the roots of nelina that can be 

 used as a liquid [Kava? — Ed.] ; both roots and stalks of the laki can 

 be employed, and it is then much stronger and more intoxicating, be- 

 sides being pleasant to the palate. The foliage and habit of the plant 

 are peculiar ; and I have a fine specimen of the root, which will be sent 



for the Museum. 



The day after our arrival being Sunday, I did not attempt to go out 

 collecting ; but early on Monday morning, although the weather was 

 unfavourable, I went out to have a day in the woods. As I entered 

 the forests, I saw a climbing plant with pink flowers, belonging to 

 Melastomacecs, covering all the bushes with its clusters of waxy flowers. 

 There was another beautiful shrub, with white flowers, which, upon 

 examination, I found to belong to the Order Boraginea. I collected a 

 number of Ferns, which are to be found on the other islands in Feejee, 

 and a few that I had not seen before. . There was one with small 

 crisped fronds, upon decayed wood; it is nearly allied to Hyrnenophyllum* 

 There was also another, I think belonging to the same genus; both 

 may be considered rare, if not new. A number of Cryptogamia and 



