84 Letter IT. 
Amongst the trees of the South-Sea Island forest, the bread- 
fruit stands pre-eminent. It is both useful and ornamental ; its 
fruit is a staple article of food with these natives, and probably 
a great encouragement to laziness on their part, as the tree does 
not require cultivation. From the stem the natives generally 
make their canoes, as the wood is good and easily cut. There 
is a great difference between the forests here and those of cold 
climates : for here you can get food from almost every second 
tree—bread-fruit, chesnuts, almonds, and the like; so that the 
natives can not, I should think, ever suffer absolute starva- 
tion. 
Thus we marched and observed, until at last we emerged 
upon the banks of a beautiful little stream, that came rippling 
down in miniature cascades until it opened out into a quiet 
deep pool at our feet. It looked exceedingly refreshing 
to hot perspiring mortals, and proved so to me, when I 
plunged into it. After I had bathed, we sat on the banks 
munching sugarcane and admiring the scenery—the thick, 
bright foliage near the stream, and the magnificent ferns along 
the earthy banks, Then we marched back, and Naublo 
brought the remains of the sugarcane, with which spoils, to- 
gether with some specimens of ferns, I reached again the deck 
of my floating home. 
Next day the inhabitants of the district of Anelcauhat 
were in a state of great excitement, and well they might, 
for a great event was about to happen. Exactly such an 
event as this,—viz., the marriage of two white individuals 
upon a South-Sea island—has been, I am sure, of very rare 
occurrence ; so that it is worthy of notice. At a certain 
hour all the rank and fashion of the place assembled at 
the church to witness the approaching ceremony, and we 
went ashore from the ship suitably rigged up. The Rev. J. D. 
Murray officiated ; and before him stood Miss Geddie (daughter 
of Dr. Geddie) and the Rev. D. McDonald—the bride and 
