6 4 
the steep mountain-sides, without which their ascent would have 
been most difficult. A remarkable fact was that we saw no grass 
whatever, except a little reedy grass near the rivers during our whole 
trip. 
Of the economic flora, by far the most important was sago 
(Sagus Rumphii). We found these useful storehouses of nourishing 
food growing as far north as we penetrated, and up to an elevation of 
3,500 feet. It had previously been considered that sago only grew 
along the coast and in the alluvial mud of riverbanks near the sea- 
level. This constitutes the staple food of all the inland natives we 
met, except the inhabitants of the Sambregi villages, who live princi- 
pally on sweet potatoes, the elevation (6000 feet) being too great for 
sago. Wild breadfruit trees are fairly numerous. The fruit, unlike 
the Samoan breadfruit, is full of large seeds nearly the size of wal- 
nuts. These, when roasted, are palatable and make a good sub- 
stitute for potatoes. The natives when hungry eat the pith of a 
small palm that grows plentifully over a large area of the country 
traversed by us. In time of scarcity our police and carriers consumed 
a good deal of this. To our palates it had a watery and woody taste 
that was far from agreeable; in fact, when hungry I tried to eat it, 
but in each instance it made me sick. I collected the seeds of several 
indigenous fruits, which, while not palatable, might have been im- 
proved by cultivation, but these were lost with other things. 
; Cultivated in the native gardens we found sweet potatoes, taro, 
yams, sugarcane, bananas, betel-nuts and ginger, the last-named cul- 
tivated as a medicine. Maize is unknown. No coconut trees were 
seen on the whole trip until we reached the lower waters of the Kikor 
river, nor are there any mango trees or tapioca. The natives grow a 
green vegetable, the leaves of which they boil in bamboos. It makes 
a very good substitute for cabbage and appears to contain a lot of 
vegetable oil. 
Tobacco is cultivated in every native garden, which might lead 
one to suppose it was indigenous ; the name, however, tends to show 
that it is an introduced plant. It is universally called “Saku ” by the 
bushmeh, which is evidently derived from “Kuku,'’ the coastal name. 
In one of the gardens on the headwaters of the Kikor I found a Kava 
plane (Macro-piper methysticum) although I saw no evidence of the 
manufacture of the beverage. 
Fauna. 
The wild pig, judging by the amount of ground that is rooted up, 
is plentiful everywhere. It is the chief source of meat-supply for the 
natives, and is continually being hunted with dogs, the killing wea- 
pons being bow and arrow and spear. The only animals domesticated 
are the pig and the dog. The wallaby is very scarce, owing to the 
absence of grass. Cassowaries are fairly plentiful, their back plumes 
forming a favourite head-dress. Flying foxes are very numerous. 
Their flesh is much relished by the bushmen. Tree-rats were occa- 
sionally seen, and the streams abound in fish of excellent quality. 
Two or three were shot with a rifle, but as we had neither fishing lines 
