Volume 14 Australasia - dana ward's homepage

—278 AUSTRALASIA.with timber, whence its Sj)anish name of Palos, afterwards cTianged to Palaos, andby English mariners corrupted to Pelcw.Although very poor in animal forms, the Pclcws have neverthelesssome typesnot elsewhere found, such as the pmmafhia, a sj^ecies of bird, and a grey rat.122.Pelew Islands.Scale 1 : 900,000,E380 Feet, andupwal ds.T>oth the crocodile and the dugong, formerly numerous on the coast, haveoecomeextremely rare, if thsy have not already disappeared altogether. The firstvertebra of the dugong is considered the most precious object that a chief canbestow on a subject, being a distinctive mark of an order of nobility. When ahappy mortal is judged worthy of this honour, his fingers are bound tightly