Apaus.— Polynesia. 55 
may be remarked that neither cereal nor pulse grows to perfection on the 
islands of Polynesia. 
The botanical wealth of the Fijis is only in part known to us, and yet, 
through the labours of Mr. Seeman, this part of Polynesia is better known 
than the other groups. That distinguished botanist only describes the 
botany of the coasts, as he was unable to penetrate any distance into the 
interior of the larger islands. The vegetable productions seem to unite in 
the Fijis from all points of the Pacific, claiming relationship with Western 
Papua by the sago palm, and nutmeg tree; with New Zealand by the 
kauri; with Tahiti and Samoa by the breadfruit tree ; with Paumota by the 
screw pine; and with the Sandwich Islands and Mexico by the edible arum 
and American aloe. 
The Sago palm, which is the chief food of the people of Ceram, is cut 
down by the Fijians, ignorant of its value, to make way for their yam 
plantations. The breadfruit tree grows in large forests, and its fruit 
ripens in the same months (March and April) as the yam comes to perfec- 
tion. Its timber is made into canoes and furniture, and its bark into cloth 
in some islands ; the gum also is used for caulking canoes. 
The Fijian kauri is fast falling before European woodeutters, both at 
Kandavau and the large islands, but the wood most highly prized by the 
Polynesians is that of the Tomano. This tree, Calophyllum inophyllum, has 
a wide range—as far as Ceylon to the west, to Hawaii in the north, and the 
lagoons of the Paumotus in the east. 
It is a handsome tree, growing to a height of 60 feet, and four feet in 
diameter. The wood is close grained, and resembles mahogany, and is made 
into canoes and furniture, and is said to be free from the attacks of the 
teredo. 
From the seeds is obtained a very valuable oil, called in Fiji dilo ; in 
Tahiti, tomano ; and in India, cashumpa, which is used by the natives as a 
remedy for rheumatism. This tree and the ironwood, Casuarina equiseti- 
folia were two of the sacred trees that grew round the ancient Polynesian 
temples. The list of timber trees that are very abundant is a very long 
one, and some legend is generally attached to each of the principal ones. 
To sum up the productions of Polynesia, of which I have given a mere 
outline ; The atolls supply cocoa-nuts, cobra, and cocoa-nut fibre ; pearls, 
pearl shell, tortoise shell, and sponges ; trepang, sharks’ fins, and abundance 
of guano. The Barrier and Fringing reef islands can supply in addition to 
these products cotton, sugar, coffee, nutmeg, sago, and the choicest fruits 
in the greatest abundance ; sandal wood, excellent timber both for the 
cabinetmaker and shipbuilder, valuable oils and scents, and medicinal 
plants. 
