332 



DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. 



entirely disappeared. Entering and ascending a tributary creek, we 

 left the canoe at the head of tide, beyond which point we saw no 

 more mangroves: but wading in the muddy bed of the stream, the 

 view continued hemmed in by tall tufts of Acrostklium aureum, and 

 the overhanging summits of low, submaritime trees : as Barringtonia 

 acn.tan(]ula abounding, associated with Xylocarpus, the small-leaved 

 Erijthrina ?, the Tamarindus-like Acacioid, and a gen. Semecarpoid ; 

 their branches and summits tangled by vines, as a remarkable, 

 Lomaria-like twining fern, two woody-stemmed species of Glycine?, 

 and towards the inland margin, the Entada scandens, with its giant 

 pods here and there pendent in the tree-tops : an epidendric Den- 

 drohium?, remarkable for its singularly-flattened gladiate stem, 

 seemed at home, and was met with only in this submaritime grove; 

 while in the open marsh outside, a nov. gen. Pandan.? made its 

 appearance, at a little distance, mistaken for tufts of a gigantic, 

 short-stemmed Cyperus. After reaching the fast ground, we left 

 the bed of the stream, and proceeded through a level country that 

 had been long cleared and cultivated, the path at the end of some 

 three miles leading to a trifling patch of woods ; we remained here a 

 short time, but meeting with little novelty, and seeing nothing inviting 

 beyond, we finally complied with the wishes of our guides, who were 

 anxious to return. — On the 20th, Mr. Rich and myself set out on an 

 excursion back of Rewa, threading our way amid an endless maze of 

 taro-ponds and scattered dwellings. There being no prospect of get- 

 ting beyond them, and coming upon the North branch of the estuary, 

 we took a canoe for a mile further, and landed on the opposite bank ; 

 where we found ourselves in another endless maze of taro-ponds 

 entirely similar to the first; we, therefore, returned all the way by 

 water, and arrived at Rewa about noon. In the afternoon, our party 

 proceeded down the estuary, and with all the boats, returned to the 

 Peacock. 



On the 23d, the Peacock returned through the coral-reef, and 

 left the coast of Viti-levu for Kantavu; a large island in sight, 

 " twenty-five miles" long, having at one end a conspicuous mountain- 

 peak. The wind continued very light; but on the 24th, we were near 

 enough to distinguish trees with the glass. The 25th being entirely 

 calm, our projected visit was abandoned. Dr. Fox, with a party from 

 the Vincennes, subsequently visited this mountainous and fertile 



