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117
A BOTANICAL TOUR AMONG THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.
Br WILLIAM E. GUILFOYLE.
[We are indebted to the kindness of our correspondent, Dr. F. von Mueller,
for a copy of the following very interesting narrative. Ed.]
I.
On the twenty-fourth day of May last we left Sydney in H.M.S. Challenger,
Commodore Lambert, C.B., for a cruise among the islands of the South
Pacific. During the whole of the trip we experienced calm and dehghtful
weather, with the exception that at the Samoas we found it excessively hot.
Our first anchorage was in the dehghtful harbour of Pango-Paugo, in the
island of Tutuila, Samoas. Nothing could be more delightfid or beautiful
than this place. The landlocked harbour has all the appearance of a lake
the charms of which are heightened by lofty precipitous mountains, densely
clothed with the most luxuriant vegetation. Soon after we had anchored I
went ashore with the Commodore and several of the officers (whose kindness
to me during the cruise I shall never forget), but, as it was getting late, we
contented ourselves by walking through several provision -grounds, which were
enclosed with walls, fom- or five feet in height, built of pieces of scoria and
stone of various kinds. In many of the islands the provision-grounds, or
gardens, often extend over ten or twelve acres ; they contain cocoa-nut,
bananas, plantains, yams, taro, and everything useful as food. In Tutuila I
was struck witli the richness of the vegetation, and with the great depth of
volcanic soil. The graceful Coeoa-ni;t Palm {Cocos nucifera) is hei-e very
abundant in the villages, in fact, it is plentiful in all the islands, and it is wi.ll
known that where this beautiful plant is to be found, it betokens the presence
of native habitations. I left the si dp early the next morning, with the full
determination, knowing that our stay would be short, of going as far inland as
possible. A young ofiicer accompanied me, and taking with us fom* natives,
we commenced to ascend the mountain stee]Ds, and after a difficult ascent
through thickets of Carica Papai/a (Papau Apple), Citrus Limonum, and
Plantains, occasionally interspersed with Aleurites triloba, Cocos, and some
interesting Araliaceous plants, PAa^eoZiw albiis, and several species oilpomoea,
matted with, and growing over, the decaying vegetation and blocks of scoria ;
we reached a cultivated patch of Taro {Arum esculentum), about 700 feet
above the level of the sea. Here we sat to rest under a Breadfruit-tree {Ar-
tocarpus incisa), the grateful shade of which was much needed. I noticed
even on the tops of those precipitous mountams, which are 1500 feet above
the level of the sea, several fine specimens of the Cocoa-nut. Along the
valleys, and upon some of the low ridges, two species of Sida were often con-
spicuous objects. An ^sehynanthus and a species of Niphobohis were to be
found upon the stems of the Calophyllum, Inocarpus, and on many of the
larger trees, in such thick masses as to hide them from view. An Indigqfera,
together with a Gossypium, and several varieties of Saccharuni, would some-
VOL. Vll. [APRIL 1, 1869.] K
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