132 A BOTANICAL TOUR AMONG THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. 
for some enterprising company. After we had passed through several places 
such as I have endeavoured to describe, we came to a large village which was 
bordered on one side with a hedge of a gigantic Heliconia, growing from 
twelve to fifteen feet high, and which at first sight I mistook for a Mi 
Beside this hedge I nici upon a long pole that rested - two forked stis; 
among others, a number of human jawbones, We had not proceeded far, 
when a number of natives in a state of nudity, some with clubs upon their 
shoulders, others with bows and arrows in their hands, rushed from several 
de 
huts bawling lustily at my guides, who at once stood, and a great vengan 
was immediately entered into between them, during which conversation 
hear the word “ man-of-war” was very frequently used. I —* ot say veni 
I felt as I stood in their midst, ignorant of their lan 
tinizing me the while from head to foot. Several cxathinaly attéurptsd- to 
haadló i my revolver,—a liberty which, of RERS I declined to allow. The 
crowd soon after began to disperse, and we passed on without further inter- 
ruption for a few paces, when I € it ivite to return, which we did 
by another track. I invariably made a practice of being as jovial as possible 
with the natives of the various islands, ase I found it to be an excellent plan. 
To make them laugh, which is a very easy matter, and to give them a small 
present of calico, babeo; etc., soon causes a sort of attachment, and they will 
do as much for you in return. They are, however, generally covetous, and I 
have found among them qaia in the Fijis) some arch rogues 
IV: 
I visited Protection and Deception Islands, which form one side of Havan- 
nah harbour. In many places the harbour is three miles wide, and, looking 
from the entrance, it reminds one of a beautiful river. The vegetation of both 
these islands presents an ap nce somewhat Australian. Every tree upon 
t seemed uffering from ught. The forests of Melaleuca re- 
delightful perfums sometimes occur. The Murraya was the only genus of 
Aurantiacee I met with in those islands, while upon the mainland, the other 
side of the harbour, — other genera occur. The predominating Orders 
were Malvacec, Asclepiad. Rubiacee, Acanthacee, Myrtaceae, Liliaceae, and 
Gramineae, of which latter, aer time pm I could have made a large col- 
lection of dried specimens. During my rambles upon these islands I did not 
meet with a drop of water. As a substitute i water the natives use the milk 
of the cocoa-nut, which may be had in abundance. The natives here are far 
more filthy-looking, the women d than in the other islands of Vate. 
In the mainland I found three species of Citron, one with very small fruit, 
another identical with pam medica, and the other, which was of rare occur- 
renee, bore a fruit of extraordinary size, more than three times that of the 
ordinary Citron. A species of Cookia was plentiful, but there were neither 
Oranges, Limes, nor Lemons. A few hours’ steam took us round to Vela 
