SAGO. 291 



with water. The Cassava root has of late years been 

 introduced into Fiji, and grows remarkably well. 



The Niu soria or Sogo (Sagus Vitiensis, Wendl.) is a 

 genuine sago-palm, growing in swamps on Viti Levu, 

 Vanua Levu, and Ovalau, and was first discovered by 

 Mr. Pritchard and myself when on our first visit to 

 Chief Kuruduadua. By asking the natives respecting 

 the various palms of the islands, they described one 

 which I was led to consider as the sago-yielding tree, 

 and hence we made inquiries at all the places we called, 

 but did not obtain a sight of it until we reached Taguru, 

 on the southern coast of Viti Levu, and thence west- 

 ward it was encountered in abundance. Fine groves, 

 several miles in extent, were seen by us on the various 

 branches and deltas of the Navua river. It was after- 

 wards ascertained to grow on Ovalau ; and Mr. Water- 

 house, when accompanying Colonel Smythe, found an 

 extensive grove on the north-eastern parts of Vanua 

 Levu. The natives of Ovalau term this palm Niu soria, 

 those of Viti Levu, Sogo (pronounced " Songo ") ; the lat- 

 ter name reminding one of " Sago " or " Sagu," by which 

 some species of Sagus are known in other islands inha- 

 bited by the Papuan race ; and rendering the discovery 

 of this palm ethnologically as interesting as it is impor- 

 tant commercially, by adding another raw product to 

 the export list of the islands, and botanically, by ex- 

 tending the geographical range of sago-yielding palms 

 1500 miles further south-east than it was previously 

 known to exist. The natives of Fiji were unacquainted 

 with the nutritious qualities residing in the trunk, until 

 Mr. Pritchard and myself extracted the sago from it. 



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