FOOD OF THE NATIVES. 227 



help contrasting* the condition of these people with 

 that of the Australian blacks^ a considerable por- 

 tion of whose time^ at certain periods of the 3^ear^ 

 is spent in shifting* about from place to place^ 

 searching' for food^ living* from hand to mouthy and 

 leading* a hard and precarious life. But here^ on 

 this little island^ the cocoa-nut tree alone would be 

 sufficient to supply many of the principal wants of 

 man. The fruit serves both for food and drink^ — 

 the shell is used to carry about water in,*— the 

 fibres of the husk are converted into cordag-e^ and 

 the leaves into mattino- Avhile the wood is fashioned 

 into spears and other useful articles. The cultiva- 

 tion of bananas and yams — of the latter of which^ 

 and of tAVO other edible roots^ we saw larg*e quanti- 

 ties in the huts^ — costs him very little trouble^ — he 

 occasionally keeps a few pig's^ and when inclined^ 

 can ahvays catch plenty of iish^ and occasionall}" a 

 turtle upon the reefs at low water. 



Before leaving* the beach I presented old Wadai 

 with an axe^ as a recompence for his civility. The 

 poor man looked quite bewildered at his unexpected 

 good fortune^ and for a little while was quite speech- 

 less^ — not understanding* the nature of a g-ift^ or 

 being* taken with a sudden fit of g-enerosity^ he 

 afterwards waded out to the boat with some cocoa- 

 nuts to give me in return. 



* Some of these are represented in the preceding woodcut, — 

 the hole in the top is usually plugged with a portion of banana 

 leaf. 



Q 



2 



