DEPARTURE FROM NAVUA. 117 



As a heavy south-east gale was blowing, the chief 

 told us we should not be able to proceed very far, and 

 he hoped that if on reaching the sea we should find it 

 too boisterous, we would not mind coming back. We 

 were out of tea, biscuit, and all the other necessaries a 

 European requires, unable to walk about, the heavy 

 rain having rendered the neighbourhood of Navua a 

 perfect swamp, and tired of staying indoors and wait- 

 ing for the weather to clear up; so we left on the 

 morning of the 9th of July. The sea was rougher 

 than we had expected. We had to bale constantly, 

 and therefore effected a landing on the sandy beach, and 

 walked to Taguru, where we had to stay two days. The 

 boat, lightened, reached the place with difficulty. On 

 the third day the gale and rain, which now had lasted 

 a week, abated, and we pushed on once more. Calling 

 at Naigani Island, we heard from Mr. Work, whom we 

 found quite established in his new home, that the Kau 

 karo, or itchwood, the poisonous properties of which 

 had caused Mr. Eggerstrom to be ill for two months, 

 grew on the banks of a small river of Viti Levu, nearly 

 opposite the island. We at once made up our mind 

 to fetch specimens, in order to ascertain the real name 

 of the tree. We had no difficulty in finding it, and 

 it proved to be Oncocarpus Vitiensis, A. Gray, or, as Fos- 

 ter nearly a hundred years ago called it, Ehus atrum. 

 There was a considerable village about a mile and a 

 half up the river, which we could reach in our gig. 

 The inhabitants looked dreadfully unhealthy; most of 

 the men had elephantiasis, and many of the children 

 were covered with ulcers. No doubt the site of the 



