¥YLORA VITIENSIS. 307 
The Yam principally cultivated is the Dioscorea alata, Linn., which has a four-sided climbing stem with- 
out prickles. The natives distinguish a number of varieties, all of which are known by the collective name 
of “Uvi.” Some have large, some small roots, of either a white or more or less purplish tinge ; and upon 
these differences, as well as their shape and time of maturity, the distinctions are founded. These varieties 
are called Dannini, Keu, Kasokaso, or Kasoni, Voli, Sedre Lokaloka, Moala, Uvi ni Gau, Lava, Namula, 
. - oye . > } 7 « ’ 
Rausi, Balebale, ete. At Navua, in Viti Levu, Chief Kuruduadua showed us a jot of Yams six feet long 
and nine inches in diameter, perfectly mealy, and every part good eating; and specimens, eight feet long, and 
weighing one hundred pounds, are by no means rare in the group. Skilful growers maintain that in order 
to produce large and abundant roots the settings ought to be put into hard and unprepared soil, Accord- 
ing to their notion the Yam ought to meet with resistance, or, as they sometimes express themselves, it must 
get angry ere it will put forth its whole strength. I even heard of a bet won by a woman who pursued 
this simple plan, and who fully made good her word, that she would produce a root large enough to feed 
twenty people ; whilst the man who bet with her could only raise one that would not have fed one-third of 
that number, though he took great pains to pulverize and prepare the soil tor the reception of the setting. 
The general signal for planting is the flowering of the Drala (Erythrina Indica, Linn.). As soon as its 
blossoms begin to appear, which happens about July and the beginning of August, all hands busy themselves 
about it. The land having already been cleared during the previous months, hillocks, about two feet high 
and four or five feet apart, are thrown ups,these hillocks are known by the name of § Buke,’ whence the 
highest mountain in Kadavu, for the first time ascended on the 6th of September, 1860, by Mr. Pritchard 
and myself, and resembling them in shape, takes its name of Buke Levu, or large Yam-hillock. There aS 
no spades or any other iron implement for digging; all is done with staves made of mangrove-wood, and the 
bare hands. Pieces of old Yams are set on the top of these hillocks, and within a short space of time ee 
begin to sprout out. In less than a month they require reeds for climbing, after which little else is tee 
than keeping the ground free from weeds. About February the first Yams begin to ee and in the 
heathen districts offerings of them are made to the priests. In March and April the principa ee 
in, and is stored in sheds thatched with Cocoa-nut leaves. As the season advances ne eee 3 9 eae 
sheds require at least a monthly overhauling; the roots exhibiting any kind of decay have to be remove 
: i inati Y ‘e eaten baked, boiled, or steamed, and the natives 
to prevent their contaminating the healthy ones. ams are ea ced, ’ 
sak ariuiite great quantities of them. Whole cargoes have occasionally been taken with profit to New 
South Wales and New Zealand, and whaling and trading vessels never touch at Viti without laying in a 
ood supply. , eer ae 
. There is another species, the Kawai (D. aculeata, Linn.), ane Bee ae pete aes een ne 
‘ aad . r of this creeper is round and full of prickles, bu = 
so high as those for the Yam. The stem of th noe Bo eee Bie OPE thet 
= at ast- 21e8. ripens abou une; on the é 
modated with reeds as that of the Jast-mentioned species. | ae 7 T lockadein 
, , ‘cord to the natives it never flowers or fruits, an 
month all the leaves were dead, According 5 ies been ae 
; i * bei le to disprove the statement. It is propagated by pl: gt 
vain over many a field in hopes of being ab ee URGES aah eee eke 
, ich, like of a brownish colour outside, an a] 
Beyer bn ss oa tae) Gass a Paes “like the Sak of tl e Birch-tree, as Wilkes expresses it. The root 
‘ithi WI cooked, the skin peels off like the bark of th > Mt oe Th 
eT Paeae Key oe od Ic i fi aly potato, though of superior whiteness. The 
i ‘inAc and when well cooked looks like a fine mealy potato, thoug 1 
a8 Very nace ous, Sc Ss rica; there is a slight degree of sweetness about it 
caste: necdlla"ty srind theb.of the Aaweachasof aia aa ate be dheahGneed ae of the finest esculent 
1 j ali , € ¢ a . + - . 
which is very agreeable to the palate. Altoget oD Riaetioe ia yee parts of the tropics still without it. 
roots in the world, and I strongly Sees ae cu Beata Kalle; trail ial ernaetal doskaous ober stant 
BS enor ce os The Tivol, D enaalaid, Lam.) ‘has a prickly stem like that of the 
and trees of nearly every wood. egal STA oe ae eel ay ‘lindrical, and as thick as a man’s arm. 
cultivated Kawai, and climbs very high; its roots ar these aie with a stick, roast, and eat them on 
NS BSE GE I, HH SONORA SHS a ee ele D jatiaa Linn.) somewhat resembles the Tivoli 
pes seen ee sere ith i¢ “but ite stems and branches are round and unarmed, and its 
in look, and is often Foe eae iter previous to boiling. The dish prepared from them has the 
roots, being acrid, require to Be sane ‘ My : abies that it can only be eaten with spoons, which are 
zo Anne toes, and is made so é years a) 
Se gets ihe baker leaves of the Spoon-tree or Tatakia (Acacia laurifolia, Willd.), or any 
either furnis é ; , | 
her substantial leaf that happens to be at hand. ; ivated, according to Mr. Storck, and the 
othe times cultivate 
es taphylla, Linn.) 1s sometix oS cut baer ery 
katolu (D. pentapnyla, : , 1 which the natives te 
The Kaile to z le to get specimens of the wild Yam y Ives: 
ing. I have not been able to oor 2 ifferent from the Tivoli, and 
tuber is Bote UNE. d in the ‘ Fijian Dictionary’ (p. 823 and 324) to be di en te ee tee ate 
“Tikau,”” but it 1s state ain te af ) instead of the weneric name o V1. an 
oealey e dialects of the group ins vene Phe Ri RATT 
Hee ees SN i satis it an-additional species? The following is a key to the Vitian sp 
same as D. pentaphylia ! 
Caule inermi— 
a tahote oe =; ren = soem 
Tereti; i: -; > + - ie 2 
.» D. alata. 
D., sativa. 
