RICH VEGETATION. 187 



utes the Bticks were consumed and the stones hot. 

 They had previously folded up in small parcels of 

 leaves pieces of beef, fish, ripe and unripe bananas, 

 and the tops of the wild arum. These green par- 

 cels were laid in a layer between two layers of the 

 hot stones, and the whole then covered up with 

 earth, so that no smoke or steam could escape. In 

 about a quarter of an hour the whole was most de- 

 liciously cooked. The choice green parcels were 

 now laid on a cloth of banana leaves, and with a 

 cocoa-nut shell we drank the cool water of the run- 

 ning stream ; and thus we enjoyed our rustic meal. 

 I could not look on the surrounding plants with- 

 out admiration. On every side were forests of 

 banana, the fruit of which, though serving for food 

 in various ways, lay in heaps decaying on the 

 ground. In front of us there was an extensive 

 brake of wild sugar-cane, and the stream was 

 shaded by the dark green knotted stem of the 

 Ava — so famous in foraier days for its powerful in- 

 toxicating effects. I chewed a piece, and found 

 that it had an acrid and unpleasant taste, which 

 would have induced any one at once to have pro- 

 nounced it poisonous. Thanks to the missionaries, 

 this plant now thrives only in these deep ravines, 

 innocuous to every one. Close by I saw the wild 

 arum, the roots of which, when well baked, are 

 good to eat, and the young leaves better than spin- 

 ach. There was the wild yam, and a liliaceous 

 plant called Ti, which grows in abundance, and has 

 a soft brown root, in shape and size like a huge log 

 of wood : this served us for dessert, for it is as 

 Bweet as ti-eacle, and with a pleasant taste. There 

 were, moreover, several other wild fruits and use- 

 ful vegetables. The little stream, besides its cool 

 water, produced eels and cray-fish. I did indeed 

 admire this scene, when I compared it with an un- 



