266 THE OBUISE OF THE 'GUBAQOA.' 



intended, I imagine, for food. Tliis marsupial has no tail 

 beyond a sort of stump ; it is of a light brown, and diffuses a 

 stench like that of the American skunk, but not quite so 

 strong, and differs from the Australian opossum in having 

 shorter and wider feet, in being smaller, and of a colour 

 much less deep, &c. The same species is found at Uji, as 

 I learnt from some live specimens which the natives of 

 that island had brought on board the ' Curagoa.' Besides 

 the dead opossum, the natives were also carrying a fruit 

 they called biwi, and Avith which they cement the planks 

 of their canoes together ; it seemed a soapy sort of fruit 

 inside, and did not appear to me very adhesive, but yet 

 it must be so, though when I pressed some of it between 

 my fingers they did not stick together ; but this sometimes 

 happens with other glutinous substances. This fruit is oval, 

 rather flattened on the sides, brown outside, speckled with 

 a darker brown, about 3 or 3.^ inches long, 2 or 2^ inches 

 in thickness, and 2 to 2.^ in width. 



I crossed a village, situated not far from the sea, where 

 some forty huts were so arranged as to form narrow streets. 

 Several of them were of a good size, and had a species of 

 verandah in front; the woodwork or sticks of which the 

 fronts of the houses were made being crossed hke basket- 

 work, was sometimes painted with curious devices. A 

 figured piece of wood in the centre of the roof, going 

 up from tlie front to where the two sides of the roof 

 met at the top, was carved and painted wntli some 

 strange figures, surmounted by a man Avitli a hat on 



