96 A MISSION TO VITI. 



and I was always directed westward, and assured at 

 every place that I should find the object of my search a 

 few miles further on ; but that not proving the case, I 

 began to look upon it as a mere phantom, when at last, 

 after a search of several hundred miles, whole groves 

 of fine sago-palms (Sagus Vitiensis, Herm. Wendl.) 

 greeted me on the banks of the Navua river. This is 

 an interesting discovery ; botanically, because no sago- 

 palm had ever been found so far south ; philologically, 

 because the plant is here termed Soga, calling to mind 

 the names of Sagu, or Sago, by which it is known in 

 other districts peopled by the Papuan race ; and com- 

 mercially, because it adds an important article to the 

 export list of these islands. The Fijians made no use 

 of the farinaceous pith the Soga contains, though they 

 are familiar with converting that of the Cycas circinalis 

 of the district into cakes, eaten by the chiefs. 



