THE PLANT WORLD 167 



this point ; but one of the early governors caused it to be diverted from 

 its natural course and led it parallel to the sea shore for about a mile, so 

 as to furnish the city with a laundry. The source of the river is a great 

 spring about two miles inland from Agafia, called Matan-hanom. The 

 water gushes forth in a large stream, but is soon spread out over a 

 swamp, or "cienaga," now overgrown with reeds {Phragmltes Boxhurghii) 

 and Acrostichum aureuni. Several hillocks arise from the swamp, having 

 cocoanuts and betel palms {Areca catechu) growing upon them, and look- 

 ing like islets in a lagoon. 



On the bank of the river saw a few tamarind trees. These were in- 

 troduced into the island many years ago, but unlike the bergamot, they 

 have failed to spread themselves over the island and are only to be found 

 where planted. Further on came to several " Aggak " trees, a species 

 of Pandanns, from the leaves of which the natives braid mats, hats, and 

 baskets. Passed some bread-fruit trees, a small grove of cocoanuts, and 

 near the mouth of the river, a number of Nipa palms {Nipa fruticans), a 

 trunkless species with giant pinnate leaves rising from the water's edge, 

 and clusters of fruit at their base. These were introduced from the 

 Philippines foi' the sake of the thatch made from their leaflets. Acres 

 of sand near the sea covered with sea-daffodils. Near the water's edge 

 found Sesuvinm portidacastrum associated with the widely spread goats- 

 foot convolvulus. 



On our w^ay back saw natives sawing boards out of logs of Afzelia, 

 and "Dugdug," or fertile bread-fruit wood; others tanning skins of 

 cattle and deer. A man engaged in tanning told us that the best tan- 

 bark on the island is gotten from Pifhecolobium didce, a tree of Mexican 

 or Central American origin, now widely spread in the East. 



Old woman came out of native house offering us a glass of tuba, as 

 the sap obtained from the flower-spadix of the cocoanut is called. This 

 very much like cider just beginning to ferment. The tips of the spadix 

 branches are sliced afresh each morning. They are tied in a bundle, 

 and bleed into a bamboo joint hung to receive the sap. Care must be 

 taken to clean the bamboo vessel each day, as putrifying insects give to 

 the tuba a bad taste. In four hours the tuba becomes pretty sour. The 

 natives distil it into a drink called aguardiente, which is very intoxicat- 

 ing. Stopped at a distillery on the river's edge to taste some aguardi- 

 ente, but found it inferior in taste to Mexican mezcal. 



Made arrangements with Henry Mellinchamp, the pilot, to take 

 my meals with him at forty pesos ($20.00) a mouth. Met his wife, Doha 

 Emilia Anderson, who is said to be the most attractive and witty matron 

 of Agaha. She is the grand-daughter of John Anderson, a Scotchman, 

 who settled in Guam about 1819, and served the government as pilot and 

 interpreter for years. The eldest daughter of Henry and Dona Emilia 



