FOOD OP THE NATIVES, i327 



help contrasting' the condition of these people with 

 that of the Australian blacks, a considerable por- 

 tion of whose time, at certain periods of the year, 

 is spent in shifting' about fi"om place to place, 

 searching for food, living' from hand to mouth, and 

 leading a hard and precarious life. But here, on 

 this httle island, the cocoa-nut tree alone would be 

 sufficient to supply many of the principal wants of 

 man. The fruit serves both for food and drink, — 

 the shell is used to carry about water in,* — the 

 fibres of the husk are converted into cordage, and 

 the leaves into matting, while the wood is fashioned 

 into spears and other usefiil articles. The cultiva- 

 tion of bananas and yams — of the latter of which, 

 and of two other edible roots, we saw large quanti- 

 ties in the huts, — costs him very little trouble, — he 

 occasionally keeps a few pigs, and when inclined, 

 can always catch plenty of fish, and occasionally a 

 turtle upon the reefs at low water. 



Before leaving the beach I presented old Wadai 

 with an axe, as a recompence for his civihty. The 

 poor man looked quite bewildered at his unexpected 

 good fortune, and for a little while was quite speech- 

 less, — not understanding the nature of a gift, or 

 being taken with a sudden fit "of generosity, he 

 afterwards waded out to the boat with some cocoa- 

 nuts to give me in return. 



* Some of these are represented in the preceding -woodcnt, — 

 the hole in the top is usually plugged with a portion of banana 

 leaf. 



Q 2 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



