TAHITI. 517 



and the others of us who were fishermen, got out our fly rods 

 and whipped the stream, catching a few dozen. The stream 

 falls over the rocks and stones in small runs and stickles just 

 like a trout stream, and the fish thrive in the rapid water. I 

 carried my salmon and trout rods round the world with me, but 

 the last place at which I should have looked forward to throw- 

 ing a fly in, was Tahiti. 



The first camp was made in the head of Fataua Valley, at a 

 height of about 1,600 feet, amongst the "Fei" or wild Plantain, 

 Musa uranascopus, a species which occurs also in Fiji and else- 

 where in Polynesia according to Seemann, though I do not know 

 whether the fruit of the wild plant is equally good in other places 

 to that of Tahiti. The plant is closely similar in appearance 

 to an ordinary large Banana tree, but the large bunches of fruit 

 instead of hanging down, stand up erect from the summit of the 

 stem. They are bright yellow when ripe. 



A fire is lighted and a bunch of these wild bananas is thrown 

 into it. The outer skin of the fruits becomes blackened and 

 charred, but when it is peeled off with a pointed stick, a yellow 

 floury interior is reached, which is most excellent eating and 

 like a mealy potato. This is one of the very few plants which, 

 growing spontaneously, and in abundance, affords a really good 

 and sufficient source of food to man. Hardly any improvement 

 could be wished for in the fruits by cultivation. It could not 

 but be most advantageous that the plant should be introduced 

 into many other tropical countries. On our way up the valley 

 we had passed numerous natives, going down to Papeete with 

 loads of " Fei." 



Piats live in the mountains, and climb up and devour the 

 ripe Bananas, and the groves of the trees are traversed in all 

 directions by the tracks of wild pigs, which likewise feed on the 

 fruit. It is strange that the pig should run wild and thrive, 

 under such widely different conditions as it does, and should be 

 able to exist equally well on wild Plantains in the warm Tahiti, 

 and on Penguins and Petrels in the chilly Crozets. In this 

 power of adaptation it approaches man. 



It had been raining heavily during our walk, and was still pour- 

 ing when we halted, and we were all wet through. The guides 



