AUCUTTA 179 



Leaving this unprofitable spot, we proceeded, mak- 

 ing numerous deep-sea soundings, to Aucutta, a fine 

 large populous island standing at the southern end of 

 an atoll which also rises into small islets at two 

 points farther north. The island is thickly covered 

 with coconut palms, beneath which the thatched coral- 

 stone houses of the inhabitants are picturesquely 

 scattered among lime-bushes and pomegranates, on 

 which fine fruit was hanging. I was surprised to 

 notice thickets of the deadly datura growing near 

 some of the houses, but when I asked a venerable 

 white-bearded islander how, why, and when such a 

 useless and noxious plant was introduced, he piously 

 answered that he supposed it was sent by Providence 

 along with all the other productions of the island, and 

 declined to discuss the matter any further. Evidently 

 the poor man was not addicted to metaphysics. If it 

 had been the nearly-related tobacco-plant, the good 

 old man's simple faith would have been justified ; but 

 strange to say the people of these islands are most 

 unaccountably indifferent to the virtues of tobacco, 

 their life, perhaps, being already quiet enough with- 

 out the help of any artificial sedatives. But, indeed, 

 one might speculate profusely if not profoundly on 

 these matters, for there are people in the world who 

 would have been more shocked at seeing tobacco 

 than at seeing datura growing on an island so 

 fair. 



