DEPARTURE FROM NAVUA. sil 
As a heavy south-east gale was blowing, the chief 
told us we should not be able to proceed very far, and 
he hoped that if on reaching the sea we should find it 
too boisterous, we would not mind coming back. We 
were out of tea, biscuit, and all the other necessaries a 
European requires, unable to walk about,—the heavy 
rain having rendered the neighbourhood of Navua a 
perfect swamp,—and tired of staying indoors and wait- 
ing for the weather to clear up; so we left on the 
morning of the 9th of July. The sea was rougher 
than we had expected. We had to bale constantly, 
and theretore effected a landing on the sandy beach, and 
walked to Taguru, where we had to stay two days. The 
boat, lightened, reached the place with difficulty. On 
the third day the gale and rain, which now had lasted 
a week, abated, and we pushed on once more. Calling 
at Naigani Island, we heard from Mr. Work, whom we 
found quite established in his new home, that the Kau 
karo, or itchwood, the poisonous properties of which 
had caused Mr. Eggerstrom to be ill for two months, 
grew on the banks of a small river of Viti Levu, nearly 
opposite the island. We at once made up our mind 
to fetch specimens, in order to ascertain the real name 
of the tree. We had no difficulty in finding it, and 
it proved to be Oncocarpus Vitiensis, A. Gray, or, as Fos- 
ter nearly a hundred years ago called it, Rhus atrum. 
There was a considerable village about a mile and a 
half up the river, which we could reach in our gig. 
The inhabitants looked dreadfully unhealthy; most of 
the men had elephantiasis, and many of the children 
were covered with ulcers. No doubt the site of the 
