330 THE CORAL LANDS OF THE PACIFIC. 



nuts and beche-de-mer. The groves of the former are remark- 

 ably luxuriant and produce about 100 tons annually, which is 

 mostly wasted by the natives, as they live on them; they 

 drink no water, and choose the young nuts for the quantity 

 of the milk they contain. 



With a little labour (and the natives work well) and care in 

 the cultivation of trees, this island would in seven years' time 

 produce at least 500 tons of copra per annum, or, at the 

 London price of the day, more than the value of XI 0,000. 

 Very few ships call at San Bernardo, and unless things have 

 strangely altered since I was in the Pacific, a splendid opening 

 is offered for organised enterprise in this matter of copra 

 alone. 



Beche-de-mer is in abundance, but good pearl-shell is rare. 

 The Damano trees grow to an enormous size on the islands ; 

 they run from 6 feet to 12 feet in diameter (one has been 

 measured more than 20 feet), and to about 200 feet in height. 

 As explained when dwelling on Fiji, this wood is very valuable 

 for ship-building and ornamental purposes, and is very like the 

 best Spanish mahogany. Other trees of commercial utility 

 flourish on the cays of San Bernardo, notably the screw-palm, 

 and the Nangiia or boxwood tree. 



Forty miles to the south-east of San Bernardo is the island 

 of Nassau, or Motungongau, as the natives call it. I believe 

 it is uninhabited; it certainly was so in 1876. The island 

 contains about 2000 acres of rich soil; has wells of fresh 

 water ; cotton grows wild over it, and cocoa-nuts were planted 

 there about ten years ago. 



To the east of San Bernardo is the island of Manihiki, or 

 Humphrey Island, about 30 miles in circumference ; the 

 interior lagoon of which contains a vast deposit of pearl-shell 

 of good quality. This lagoon has never been systematically 



