224 Voyage of the Novara. 



large tracts of land, that its systematic extirpation begins to 

 be discussed. Wherever the guava takes root it destroys all 

 other vegetation. It has already extended over the loveliest 

 spots, where its seeds have been dropped in human or animal 

 excrement. Its apple-shaped fruit, red-fleshed inside, is in 

 the raw state anything but pleasant to the taste, and is not 

 readily eaten even by the natives, but a sort of jelly pre- 

 pared of it could be made an important article of export, as 

 it is already along the west coast of South America. The 

 fruit is also valuable for jDrovender, as animals foddered with 

 it speedily get quite fat, while its wood, growing with great 

 rapidity, is in much request for fiiel. 



After riding a few miles through these guava fields, we were 

 astonished at finding a sugar plantation close by the road, 

 which here ran through a lovely little valley. This is the pro- 

 perty of an Englishman named Johnson, who, once a whaler, 

 and afterwards a sandal-wood trader, has resided for more 

 than tliirty years in Tahiti, and has married a native woman. 

 Johnson, in partnership with a Frenchman named Le Rouge, 

 had planted 23 acres of land with sugar-cane, and when we 

 saw him in February, 1859, expected a crop of from 100 to 

 110 hogsheads of sugar. The whole property is a perfect 

 model farm, and receives every encouragement and assistance 

 from Government, with the view of extending sugar-planting.* 



* Experiments have also been made quite recently with coffee, which the Govern- 

 ment likewise fosters. The largest plantation is the property of a Frenchman named 

 Bonnefin, who, in 1859, grew as much as 8000 lbs. The high price of labour, how- 

 ever, renders its production so dear thatTahitian coffee costs 100 fr. (£4) the centum 



