62 



A NATURALIST IN THE PACIFIC 



CHAP. 



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clothes the greater part of it, ex- 

 cept on the north and north-west, 

 where it lies within the limits of 

 the scantily vegetated " talasinga " 

 region. 



The slopes of this mountain 

 are deeply furrowed by river- valleys 

 which radiate like the spokes of a 

 wheel from its central elevated 

 mass. Down its northern slopes 

 flow the Lekutu River and its tri- 

 biitaries and the principal tribu- 

 taries of the Sarawanga River. 

 The large western affluents of the 

 Wainunu River descend ^from its 

 eastern side, whilst the Korolevu, 

 Tongalevu, and other small rivers 

 flow south into Wainunu Bay, and 

 the Ndama River drains its western 

 slopes. In all these cases, except- 

 ing that of the Ndama River, the 

 rivers have worn deep valleys into 

 the mountain-mass, valleys of de- 

 nudation that represent the work 

 of ages. That of the Lekutu is a 

 deep cut almost into the heart of 

 the mountain ; at Nandroro in this 

 valley, which lies 6 to 7 miles inland 

 and 800 feet above the sea, the hills 

 rise steeply on either side of the 

 river to an elevation of 1,100 and 

 1,200 feet and more. Some of the 

 large tributaries of the Sarawanga 

 and the Wainunu flow through 

 gorge-like valleys 200 to 300 feet in 

 depth. On the western slopes north 

 of the Ndama river, the mountain- 

 side presents an alternating series of 

 lofty spurs and deep broad valleys. 

 In fact, all around Seatura its slopes 

 are deeply furrowed through the 

 denudation and erosion of ages. 



