13 



is suitable for growing coffee. The road from Togaloa, 

 a well-made and well-kept path, runs along the 

 beach, shaded by fine ivi 3 dilo, and viitu trees, through 

 several villages which nestle among groves of cocoa-nut 

 and bread-fruit trees. Numerous clear streams are 

 crossed, and native plantations of cotton, yams, and 

 masi, or native bark-cloth trees, are seen. Some of these 

 plantations are in good order, but the condition of 

 others leaves much to be desired. On the beach and 

 on the low hills cocoa-nut trees could be largely 

 planted. At present, in these places there is little but 

 useless scrub, tall grass, reeds, &c. In the vicinity of 

 Natawa village, there are several settlers, and about 

 3 square miles of what appeared to be good cane 

 land. Between Koro ni Saca and Viene the hills 

 end abruptly on the shore, forming in many places 

 cliffs of agglomerate and basaltic rocks, which extend 

 quite into the sea. The path between the towns was 

 stony and hilly, but the land was fit for growing 

 cocoa-nuts, occasional groves of which in hollows 

 were passed. I intended to spend the night at Viene, 

 but on arriving I found the people were about to send 

 a canoe to Vuni Sawani, a village at the head of 

 Natawa bay, and about 7 miles further on the 

 journey to Savu-savu. On learning that the path 

 leading to that town was a bad one, I gladly accepted 

 the offer of a passage in the canoe. 



Viene is situated on the side of a point of land which 

 projects into the bay. A small but high lying island 

 lies at a short distance from the mainland, f i'om which 

 it is separated by a channel that is sometimes dry at low 

 water. The land in the vicinity of the village is well 

 adapted for growing sugar canes, of which I saw a 

 native plantation of about 10 acres to supply thatch, 



