340 FROM CALIFORNIA TO 



the north by romantic scenery of woody moim» 

 tains, and on the south by the sea. The artificial 

 taro fields, which may justly be called taro lakes, 

 excited my attention. Each of them forms a 

 regular square of l60 feet, and is enclosed with 

 stone all round like our basins. This field, or 

 rather this pond, for such it really may be called, 

 contains two feet of water, in the shmy bottom of 

 which the taro is planted, as it does not thrive 

 except in such a wet situation ; each pond has 

 two sluices, to let in the water on one side, and out 

 again at the other, into the next field, and so on. 

 The fields are gradually lower, and the same water 

 which is led from an elevated spring or rivulet, can 

 water a large plantation. When the taro is planted, 

 the water is let off to the depth of half a foot, 

 and a slip of a plant already cut, stuck in the 

 «lime, which immediately takes root, and may be 

 gathered in three months. The taro requires much 

 room, because it has very large roots ; it has long 

 stalks and large leaves, which, when swimming on 

 the surface of the water, have a singular appear- 

 ance. In the spaces between the fields, which are 

 from three to six feet broad, there are very plea- 

 sant shady avenues, and on both sides bananas and 

 sugar-canes are planted. The taro fields afford 

 another advantage ; for the fish which are caught 

 in distant streams thrive admirably when put into 

 them. In the same manner as they here keep 

 river-fish, they manage in the sea with sea-fish^ 



