228 
SOUTH SEA 
those that are commonly called butterflies of the golden 
kind, were exceedingly large and beautiful, and beyond 
description in their richness of colours— while the leaves 
of various plants w r ere covered by caterpillars of great 
beauty, some of them being nearly as large as one’s 
finger; numerous creeping insects of the beetle kind 
here sparkled in the sun’s rays, exposing their metallic- 
looking coverings of various hues— large wasps, which 
built their swallow -like nests in great numbers upon 
the branches of trees, cautioned you not to approach too 
near to their well-watched and protected habitations, for 
{ 
on any sudden sound or disturbance, a thousand well- 
armed sentinels, with poisoned spears and wings of 
swiftest speed, rushed forth and inflicted such wounds 
* 
upon the intruders as would cause the most brave to 
fly. Some of our wood- choppers found this to their 
cost, for, on going on shore one day to fell some trees, 
they began to amuse themselves with throwing stones 
at their nests, which were situated in considerable num- 
bers on the branches of one large tree. They had not 
enjoyed their destructive amusement for more than a few 
minutes when they found themselves surrounded by 
great numbers of large wasps, which flew about their 
heads with lightning-like velocity, striking against their 
faces with great force, attempting to sting. For once 
our jack-tars instantly saw their danger, and we all 
scampered at our greatest speed down a moderately 
steep hill, which fortunately increased our rate consi- 
derably, or I do not know what the end would have 
been. Although it was amusing enough to see about a 
