TIMBER. 357 



Meyer), a sea-side shrub, perhaps identical with the 

 Sinu ni vanua, serves the same purpose, its bark, like 

 that of other Thymelece, containing a readily-available 

 fibre a fact also known, according to Mr. Pritchard, in 

 the Samoan islands, where the plant is termed " Mati." 

 Only a limited use is made of the fibre of the Kalaka- 

 lauaisoni (Hibiscus \_Abelmosclius~] diver si folius, Jacq.), a 

 plant abounding in swamps all over Fiji. 



Timber of excellent quality, both for house and ship- 

 building purposes, abounds on the large islands, and a 

 trade in it has already sprung up with the Australian 

 colonies. The timber-trees belong principally to the 

 natural orders Coniferce, Cdsuarinece, Guttiferce, Myrta- 

 cece, and Leguminosce. The most valuable wooHs~are 

 tfiose produced by the Dakua, ^esi, Dilo, and Vaivai, 

 and a list of nearly one hundred useful kinds might be 

 drawn up. 



The Dakua or Fijian Kowrie-pine (Dammar a Vitiensis, 

 Seem.) is a noble addition to a genus of Conifers, of which 

 several species are known, scattered over New Zealand, 

 Southern Queensland, New Caledonia, Aneitum, the 

 Moluccas, Java, and Borneo. Dakuas have been found 

 in Vanua Levu, Viti Levu, Ovalau, and Kadava ; but 

 European sawyers have already made such sad havoc 

 amongst them, that it is only in the two former islands 

 where they are still abundant. Wilkes alludes to a fine 

 one near Levuka, Ovalau, which measured five feet in 

 diameter, or 15 feet in circumference. Those which I 

 saw at Korovono. Vanua Levu, displayed greater dimen- 

 sions, the largest stem being, at four feet above the base, 

 eighteen feet; and another, also four feet above the 



