176 DISEASES. 



in my ascents to the summit of his island, which is elevated about 

 1,100 feet above the sea. 



An epidemic catarrhal disease, which is allied to influenza, is 

 very prevalent amongst the natives of these islands. It is com- 

 monly followed by lung-complications, which not infrequently cause 

 the death of the sufferer. Such an epidemic in running through a 

 village sometimes carries off several of the inhabitants. The elderly 

 natives are, in fact, very liable to pulmonary affections ; such dis- 

 eases usuall}^ terminate their lives. 



From the occurrence of an epidemic of this catarrhal disease, a 

 village often obtains an unhealthy reputation; and the natives abandon 

 it for some other situation, which is selected rather for the convenience 

 of its position than for its freedom from unhealthy influences. A 

 generation ago, one of the principal villages in the island of Ugi was 

 situated on the level summit of a hill overlooking Selwyn Bay on 

 the west coast, a site which would have at once been chosen both 

 for its salubrity and for its capability of defence. However, a 

 number of deaths occurred in the village from epidemic catarrhal 

 disease ; and the inhabitants shifted their homes to the low-lying 

 unhealthy situation where the village of Ete-ete now stands. 



Epidemics of mumps occur occasionall}^ amongst these islanders. 

 In October, 1882, wliilst we were taking to Ugi the crew of the 

 "Pioneer," a schooner which had been wrecked off the coast of 

 Guadalcanar, some cases of this disease appeared among the 

 natives belonging to that ship, affecting ten out of the twenty on 

 board, and pursuing its usual course. It was evident that the 

 disease had been originally brought from Brisbane, as the ship 

 Avhich was engaged in returning natives from the Queensland plan- 

 tations, had had three cases previously, tlie first having occurred on 

 her arrival at Makira harbour, just a week after she left Brisbane- 

 That mumps is sometimes a fjxtal disease amongst these races, there 

 is no reason to doubt. Mr, Stephens of Ugi informed me that a 

 few years since, some natives of Lord Howe Islands, whom he was 

 employing on his premises, rapidly succumbed to this disease. 



Men who were the subjects of Elejyhantiasis arabum were occasion- 

 .ally seen in the different islands we visited. Instances of " lymph- 

 scrotum " most frequently typify this disease, but now and then 

 cases of " swollen les: " occur. In the island of Faro or Fauro in 

 Bougainville Straits, the natives atti'ibute this disease to the water 

 of -oarticular streams. There is a stream on the west side of the 



