A TROPICAL JUNGLE 



being at a considerable elevation, and itself diversi- 

 fied with rolling hills, ravines, meadow land, and 

 wide flats. On many of the ridges were scattered 

 coco palms; and occasional mango groves; while 

 many smokes attested the presence of natives. 



These we found in shamhas or groups of little 

 farms, huddled all together, with wilderness and 

 brush and trees or the wide-open green grass lawn 

 between. The houses were very large and neat 

 looking. They were constructed quite ingeniously 

 from coco branches. Each branch made one mat. 

 The leaves were all brought over to the same side of 

 the stem, and then plaited. The resulting mat was 

 then six or seven feet long by twelve to sixteen inches 

 broad, and could be used for a variety of purposes. 

 Indeed we found Melville's chapter in "Typhee" 

 as to the various uses of the coconut palm by no 

 means exaggerated. The nuts, leaves, and fibre 

 supplied every conceivable human want. 



The natives were a pleasant, friendly, good-looking 

 lot. In fact so like was their cast of countenance 

 to that of the white-skinned people we were accus- 

 tomed to seeing that we had great difficulty in 

 realizing that they were mere savages, costume — 

 or lack of it — to the contrary notwithstanding. 

 Under a huge mango tree two were engaged in 

 dividing a sheep. Sixty or seventy others stood 



