304 MALOLO. 
species of iron-wood, (Casuarina,) which is a tree of upright growth, 
thirty feet high, with a dense green top; its cones are large and 
terminal. The country, for five or six miles inland, is a range of low 
barren hills, producing small shrubs, with masses of wild sugar-cane 
and fern. 
Dr. Pickering and Mr. Brackenridge penetrated, in one of their 
excursions, to the mountains, in search of the sandalwood, to procure 
specimens. 
They landed at Myandone, the town situated on the stream from 
which we obtained our water. This stream is small, and water was 
procured with difficulty, on account of the flow of the tide to a long 
distance up the creek. The natives, however, obviated this difficulty, 
in a great measure, by building a dam of mud, which rose above 
high-water mark, and formed a kind of pool. The water in this, if 
disturbed, would have been too muddy to take, they, therefore, in- 
serted in the dam several bamboo stems, on closing which the water 
rose quietly to some height, and upon opening them again, was drawn 
off quite clear. 
A house was built here, where any of the officers or naturalists who 
might be detained after sunset might sleep in safety. 
The chief of Myandone furnished our gentlemen with guides for the 
mountains, and they set out on their excursion. For the first five miles 
they passed through barren hills, after which they proceeded up a 
valley, through which a small stream meandered, passing by planta- 
tions of bananas, yams, and taro. As they approached the base of the 
mountain, they met with groves of trees, among which were some 
species of Ficus, Bread-fruit, Inocarpus, Erythrina, and several new 
plants. 
At the base of the mountain, they visited a town scattered over 
several hills on both sides of the stream. At an mbure house their 
guides entered into a discussion with an old man, seemingly to obtain 
permission to proceed. The old man received them with hospitality, 
and cooked some yams for them. 
Crowds of natives, men, women, and children, gathered around to 
see the Papalangis, whom they had never laid eyes on before. The 
distribution of a few beads and a little tobacco, greatly delighted them. 
After the yam breakfast, the old man accompanied them, and was 
of great service in leading them in the right path, for it appeared 
that neither of the men whom they had brought as guides was at all 
acquainted with the route. At the end of two hours, they reached the 
_ top of the mountain range, which has an elevation of about two 
thousand feet; but they were unfortunate in being overtaken with rain, 
