EuTLAND. — Historij of the Pacific. 19 



not highly esteemed, and that their cultivation in the first 

 place was owing to a restricted choice. 



Tahiti Apple (Sjjondias dulcis). — This tree has been car- 

 ried by Europeans into various parts of the tropical world, but 

 in ancient times it seems to have been confined to the islands 

 eastward of New Guinea, where its fruit was largely used as 

 food. Another species belonging to the same order, the mango 

 (Mauifera indica), a native of the Asiatic mainland, found its 

 way into the western Malay Islands at a remote period, but 

 had not extended its range to Polynesia in Forster's* time, 

 and only reached the Philippine Group after those islands had 

 been visited by the Portuguese. This confirms what we have 

 already gathered from other sources — that the communication 

 between the various sections of the great island belt was slow 

 or irregular. 



Shaddock (Citrus decumana). — The islands eastward of 

 New Guinea, being the only region in which this species has 

 been discovered positively wild, must be regarded as its 

 original habitat, whence it spread westward. It had found 

 its way into China before it became known to Europeans, but 

 its now wide extension is due to the latter people. The sweet 

 orange {Citrus aurantium sinense), undoubtedly of Chinese 

 origin, existed in the Polynesian islands, but was not generally 

 diffused in Forster's time. Moresby found it in Nevv Guinea 

 amongst people who, until he came in contact with them, had 

 never seen Europeans.! From this w^e may conclude that the 

 species was being disseminated throughout the island belt by 

 the agency of the natives before Europeans had much inter- 

 course with the region. Evidently the orange cannot be 

 included amongst the ancient cultivated plants of Polynesia, 

 described in the last chapter, for, had it been introduced along 

 with them, it must have been as generally distributed as they 

 were. As far as we can perceive, its dissemination depended 

 on accident, while, as already shown, they were designedly 

 conveyed from place to place. 



Ti-TREE {Draccena terniiiialis) . — Throughout the Poly- 

 nesian islands this species was generally cultivated for its 

 roots and leaves; the roots being used as food, and the leaves 

 for the manufacture of clothing. Ti is the Maori name of the 

 Cordyline australis, which is allied to, and resembles, the 

 Dracczna terminalis. From the leaves of the Cordyline 

 slippers and ropes were made by the Maoris, the roots being 

 also used as food. We have a good example here of the 

 manner in which names are introduced and applied by the 

 natives. 



* " Origin of Cultivated Plants." A. De Candolle. 



t "Discoveries in New Guinea anJ Polynesia." Captain J. Moresby. 



