CHAP. 111. PICTURESQUE SCENERY AT MOKA. G9 



satisfaction with which the kiud, faithful, and venerable mi- 

 nister to whom they had been listening was welcomed and 

 greeted, as he made his way through the throng to the resi- 

 dence of his son. He had been their instructor and their 

 S3mtipathising friend in their dark days of coerced and unre- 

 quited toil ; and now, in their happier state of freedom, he was 

 deservedly recognised as still their friend, not less entitled to 

 their confidence and love in his efforts for their emancipation 

 from moral and spiritual bondage more oppressive and dis- 

 astrous than the most galling personal slavery. 



During the afternoon I strolled along the banks of the deep 

 clear river which, rising amongst the adjacent mountains, flows 

 through the mission ground. Here I amused myself with 

 gathering ferns, and admiring the picturesque and shady 

 little nooks and corners of rich and varied beauty which the 

 margin of the stream very frequently presented. Down to 

 the water's edge the ground was covered with large forest 

 trees or thick underwood, amongst which passion flower and 

 other creepers appeared growing in great luxuriance. Some 

 varieties of tree-fern were conspicuous here, especially one 

 very beautiful species, apparently the Cyathea excelsa. The 

 bright pink-leaved dracaena appeared here and there ; and 

 the green and red-leaved arum or caladium, so attractive 

 amongst our stove plants in England, was often seen growing 

 in wild and luxuriant beauty along the margin of the water. 

 In this neighbourhood I saw some gorgeous specimens of 

 Hibiscus inutahilis, with large hollyhock-shaped flowers, deep 

 rose colour in the centre, and lighter round the edges ; also a 

 number of plants of the Hedyckium flavescens, a fragrant 

 yellow-flowering plant, resembling the yucca; but as there 

 had evidently been a house near the place where these were 

 growing, they might probably be regarded as indicating a 

 spot, and by no means the only one I met mth in the 

 island, — 



F 3 



