SANTA-CEUZ.— NEW HEBRIDES. 333 



Climate — Flora — Fauna. 



The climate varies considerably in the different insular groups, which are 

 scattered over a space of more than 12° of latitude (10° to 22° south latitude). 

 Hence the mean temperature varies from 3° to 4° or 5° Fahr. between the two 

 extremities of the archipelagoes. Nevertheless the movement of winds and rains is 

 everywhere the same in these waters. The southern trade wind blows regularly 

 during the summer of the northern hemisphere, from May to October, while 

 variable breezes alternate with the trades throughout the rest of the year. Heavy 

 rains, storms, and even cyclones visit the archipelagoes during the prevalence of 

 the western gales. 



Owing to the abundant moisture the vegetation is dense and the mountains 

 mostly forest-clad. For Europeans, the climate of the New Hebrides, and 

 especially of the west or more humid side, is extremely insalubrious ; the same 

 region appears to have also become less healthy for the natives themselves, who 

 are now decimated by consumption. 



Thanks to the great fertility of the soil, the flora of these archipelagoes 

 comprises a large number of forms not occurring elsewhere. Such are a species of 

 myrtle, which gives a pungent odour and grows to a height of over 40 feet, and a 

 variety of cedar, with olive-like foliage, which grows much higher and which 

 might supply masts for large vessels. Nearly all the New Hebrides trees are 

 highly resinous, and the white, transparent substance oozing from them is much 

 valued by the few European manufacturers acquainted with its properties. In the 

 New Hebrides sandalwood is mainly in demand for the export trade. 



In these archipelagoes the alimentary plants are chiefly of western origin. 

 Although the Indian vegetable world is here still represented by a number of 

 forms, the New Hebrides also belong to the New Zealand domain, as shown by 

 the dammara, the araucaria and about a hundred varieties of ferns. With few 

 exceptions, the fruit trees, such as the cocoanut, sago, bread-fruit tree and banana, 

 are the same as those found in the other oceanic lands. But of all plants the 

 most important is the yam, which constitutes the staple of food for the natives. 

 The years are reckoned by the yam harvests, and for the hands carried off to work 

 on the Queensland, Fiji, or New Caledonian plantations, the period of contract 

 service is estimated not by years but by yams. 



The indigenous fauna is extremely poor in mammals, the only primitive 

 species being rats and bats. The pig has been imported, and even quite recently 

 the natives of Tanna and Mallicolo beheld with surprise the first dogs introduced 

 from the Society Islands. The nutmeg pigeon is found also in Tanna. 



Inhabitants. 



Santa-Cruz and the New Hebrides occupy a transitional zone between the 

 Melanesian and Polynesian worlds, and their populations consequently present a 

 great variety of types according to the extent of intermixture or the juxtaposition 

 of the two races. Every island offers some contrast with its neighbours, and even 



