96 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



farms, huddled all together, with wilderness and 

 brush and trees, or the wide open green grass 

 lawn between. The houses were very large and 

 neat-looking. They were constructed quite in- 

 geniously from coco branches. Each branch 

 made one mat. The leaves were all brought 

 over to the same side of the stem, and then 

 plaited. The resulting mat was then six or 

 seven feet long by from twelve to sixteen inches 

 broad, and could be used for a variety of pur- 

 poses. Indeed, we found Melville's chapter in 

 " Typhee " as to the various uses of the cocoa- 

 nut palm by no means exaggerated. The nuts, 

 leaves, and fibre supplied every conceivable 

 human want. 



The natives were a pleasant, friendly, good- 

 looking lot. In fact, so Like was their cast of 

 countenance to that of the white- skinned people 

 we were accustomed to see that we had great 

 difficulty in realizing that they were mere sav- 

 ages, costume or lack of it to the contrary 

 notwithstanding. Under a huge mango tree two 

 were engaged in dividing a sheep. Sixty or 

 seventy others stood solemnly around watching. 

 It may have been a religious ceremony, for all I 

 know ; but the affair looked to be about two 

 parts business to sixty of idle and cheerful curi- 



