BOTANICAL STUDIES IN FIJI SMITH 313 



My first two field trips in this region were made to a narrow ridge 

 that connects Korombasambasanga with Mount Naitarandamu 

 (3,781 feet), to the north. Collecting in this fine forest was excellent, 

 the weather was clear, and the men of Wainimakutii were willing and 

 competent assistants. It had aways seemed to me that the field men 

 who have "adventures" create such situations by Inck of foresight and 

 planning, and I was feeling pleased, even smug, to have reached my 

 goal with intact supplies, good health, and all the attributes essential 

 to successful fieldwork. This was the situation about noon on Sep- 

 tember 14, as we had our lunch on the sharp little ridge called 

 Ndevutu, studying the north face of Korombasambasanga and discus- 

 sing possible routes up spurs to the jagged peaks. Two minutes later 

 I had quite changed my mind about the causes of "adventures," for in 

 the interval the most severe earthquake recorded in Fiji since white 

 occupation had taken place. The men and I were lying flat on the 

 exposed ridge, ludicrously holding on to the ground as if such contact 

 would keep the shuddering ridge from sliding into the valley below. 

 To the north, through dust-filled air, we saw a cliff on the sunmiit of 

 Naitarandamu slide down a newly scarred slope, and the terrifying 

 rumble that issued from the earth on all sides made us too aware of a 

 desire to be elsewhere. I suppose that one never feels more helpless 

 than during an earthquake. Violent aftershocks spurred our scram- 

 ble down the slopes to Wainimakutu, where we found the women and 

 children sitting disconsolately on the village gi'een. 



It was some weeks before we learned of the considerable damage 

 that had been done elsewhere in southeastern Viti Levu by the quake 

 and tidal wave. During the ensuing months — at least into January — 

 aftershocks were frequent and often sharp, and so I had to revise my 

 plans to the extent of avoiding the peaks and cliffs that I had come 

 so far to visit. The innumerable new landslides that now mark the 

 region quite effectively discouraged me from high or very steep local- 

 ities. But the following wrecks were not lost, for collecting in the 

 forest of gentler slopes proved highly profitable. 



The forests of Korombasambasanga and its vicinity are too rich and 

 diverse to make a listing of their principal elements meaningful, but 

 it was always a pleasure to prepare ample material of species previ- 

 ously thought rare, in such genera as Cyathocalyx^ Aglaia, Elaeo- 

 carpus, Syzygiwm^ Astronidium, Li7iocicra, CoufJiovia, Cyrfandra, 

 and Psychotria. A special pleasure is derived by the collector who 

 obtains the second or third collection of species described by himself, 

 and in this region I met again my Aristolochia viiiensis', Kermadecia 

 ferruginea, Colubrina micropetala^ Medinilla suhviridis, and Plerand- 

 ra iv soli fa. 



On October 13, with farewell glances of regret upAvard to the now 

 familiar outline of Korombasambasanga, we retraced our route to 



