NEW CALEDONIA. 345 



tops, and sometimes with carved door-posts. This descrip- 

 tion reminds us of the pretty little sketch of a native 

 chief's house, in Captain Erskine's work,^ corresponding ex- 

 ternally with the account above given. This cliief. Basset, is 

 described as being an intelligent man, who with his brother 

 had visited Sydney, and spoke English well enough to keep 

 up a conversation. He was a man of about thirty, of quiet 

 and rather dignified mannei's, very anxious to introduce a 

 higher civilization. In a little excursion, during his two 

 days' stay, to visit another house of this chiefs about five 

 miles inland, Captain Erskine met Avith ' trindj' kept houses 

 beautifully situate on the river banks, with good landing- 

 places, and a few trees placed in regnlar order on what 

 appeared to lie mown lawns.' The countiy sti'uck him, as 

 it had Cook, as deficient in iiatnial fertility, but he found a 

 degree of care in its cultivation he ' liad never expected to 

 see among savages.' By a system of irrigation whieli ap- 

 peared to be most scientifically conducted, the slopes of the 

 hills were covere<l with i-ectangular fields, surrounded by 

 channels of water that flowed at intervals into the liver. 

 Like Cook he found the natives about Basset's village good- 

 humoured, though poor and ill supplied with provisions. 

 On liis way were obsei'ved some poles with skulls upon 

 them, and when the meaning was asked. Basset, it is said, 

 looked confused, and said ' they were heads of friends kept 

 as mementoes.' But Mr. Hood^ supplies another ex])lanalion ; 



' Cruise of tlio ' Havniiiiali,' p. 35:^. 

 - Cruise of the ' Fnwii,' ).. US. 



