Trees on Tana. 161 
their kava house; and near it you always find their villages. 
Naturally this tree sends roots down from its branches for 
their support ; but the natives cut these off, so that they may 
not interfere with the open square beneath. There is another 
magnificent tree I have noticed, which supports itself by send- 
jing out great buttresses from the side of the stem, of hard 
stringy wood. 
It is curious how many trees in a tropical country do not 
seem satisfied with the support which their legitimate roots give 
them, but must have, in addition, all sorts of outside props and 
buttresses. I can see no reason for it, unless it be that the 
gales here are more violent than in other climates, and so the 
trees require extra support. 
There are fig-trees here too, which are, I believe, peculiar to 
this island; their fruit is smaller than that which we have in 
Victoria, is round in shape and insipid in taste. The Sago 
palm, and a stnall one called the Stone palm, I have also fre- 
quently observed ; but perhaps the handsomest of all the trees 
and shrubs are the variegated draczenas and crotons. Some of 
these plants have dark glossy green leaves, spotted with bright 
yellow ; others have them streaked with red, while sometimes 
they exhibit both these colours. 
But enough about the trees; I suppose you would prefer 
' hearing something about the people. 
The longer that I live amongst them, the more, of course, 
I know of their character and ways; and I am now beginning 
to see how unjust it is to class all the natives of one island 
‘under the same category, or to brand all of them with a bad 
name for the evil actions of a few. This is very often the case 
however, with casual visitors to savage peoples. If they are 
badly received, they, making no allowance for circumstances, 
form a hasty judgment, and frequently come to wrong con- 
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