Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 19.djvu/439

Rh POLYNESIA 419 size, and especially where they are subject to floods, there are generally wide openings into the reef, and stretches of deep water forming natural harbours sufficient for the accommodation of even large vessels. There are a few land-locked harbours, but most are thus formed by breaks in the reef. In a few spots active volcanoes are still found. These are in the neighbourhood of New Britain and New Ireland, in the Solomon, New Hebrides, and Tonga archipelagoes. In most of the islands there have been no recent erup tions ; but now and again the inhabitants of islands where volcanic action has apparently long ceased have been startled by a new outbreak. Over the whole region earth quakes are of frequent occurrence. Most of the craters in the islands of Samoa have immense trees growing in them, and there is only one crater in the entire group which shows signs of even a comparatively recent erup tion, or concerning which there is a tradition among the people of one. Yet in 1867, after an almost continuous succession of earthquakes during a whole night, there was a submarine eruption between two of the islands. This lasted only a few days. A few months afterwards the writer was on board H.M.S. &quot;Falcon&quot; when soundings were taken on the spot. A cone was found the summit of which was 90 fathoms deep, while all around the sea was 120 fathoms deep. Thus the outpourings of this sub marine volcano during only a few days raised a mound in the bed of the ocean 180 feet in height. The soil in the volcanic islands is generally very fertile. The climate is hot and moist in most of them ; conse quently the vegetation is wonderfully rich. The islands are densely clothed with the most luxuriant verdure from the sea-beach to the summits of the mountains. While in a few islands, especially the comparatively barren ones (barren is only a comparative term as applied to any of the volcanic islands), there is sometimes grand and bold scenery, in most of them the jagged and precipitous rocks are so covered up and rounded off with the rich vegetation that they lose much of their grandeur. The atmosphere is so laden with moisture that ferns, club-mosses, and even small shrubs grow upon the faces of the steepest rocks. Mainly on this account the scenery can rarely be said to be grand ; but nearly all these islands are truly beautiful. There is a freshness about the vegetation all the year round which is rarely seen in other portions of the world. The cocoa-nut palm groves, which are usually abundant on the low lands near the sea, always give a charm to the islands as they are approached. In addition to several species of palms, beautiful ferns, dracaenas, crotons, and other elegant foliage plants abound. Pines are found on some of the western islands. For flowers none of them will compare with the hedgerows and meadows of England. There are, it is true, many most beautiful and sweet-scented flowers, but they are not usually found in great profusion. Fruits are abundant. Some of the indigenous kinds are good, and many of the best productions of other tropi cal countries have been introduced and flourish. Oranges are very plentiful in many islands ; also pine- apples, guavas, custard apples, and bananas. The mango has been introduced into some islands, and flourishes well. Most of these fruits have been introduced by missionaries. One of the fruits most abundantly used, both in a ripe state and cooked when unripe as a vegetable, is the Chinese banana, Miisa Cavtndishii. The first plant of this carried to the islands was in a case of plants given by the duke of Devonshire to the missionary John Williams when he returned from England to the Pacific shortly before he was killed on Erromanga. During the long voyage all the plants in the case died except this banana. When it reached Samoa it was carefully cultivated by one of the missionaries and a stock of it was propagated. From the single plant all the Chinese bananas in Poly nesia have sprung, and, that particular kind being greatly prized both by natives and foreign settlers, it is now grown largely wherever missionaries or traders have gone, and must produce annually hundreds of tons of nutritious food. The natives live chiefly upon vegetable food. In most of the volcanic islands the taro (Colocasia esculenta) is the most important food-producer. Next to this comes the yam (Dioscorea sativci). Probably next in importance to this are the plantains and bananas, then the bread-fruit (Artocarpiis incisa) and arrowroot (Tacca pinnatijida). The bread-fruit is more or less plentiful in most of the volcanic islands, and during one season of the year the natives very largely subsist upon it. It is not, however, by any means so nutritious as the taro or the yam. This vegetable is often spoken of in Britain as if it were a rich fruit, but one would as soon eat a raw potato as a raw bread-fruit. It has been over-estimated by many writers who have visited the Pacific. The present writer has noticed that the Samoans suffered in condition, that sick ness among children was very common and the rate of mortality high during the bread-fruit season. Although the raw cocoa-nut is not eaten to any considerable extent by the natives of volcanic islands, this must not be omitted in an enumeration of the principal articles of their food supply, for it enters into the composition of most of their made dishes in the form of expressed juice or oil ; the soft half-grown kernel is used as a kind of dessert, and the liquid from it, when the kernel is only half developed, is one of their principal beverages. The Aea, or Kava, a narcotic drink largely used, is made from the root of a pepper (Piper methysticum}. In some islands the cocoa-nut is the chief article of commerce. The fully-grown kernel is cut into slices, dried in the sun, and sold as &quot; cobra,&quot; from which much of the palm oil of commerce is expressed. On many islands cotton is largely grown, and on a few, especially in the Hawaiian archipelago, sugar cultivation has made consider able progress. Many other vegetable products might be utilized if there were a demand for them. The candle -uut (Aleurites triloba) is abundant everywhere near the coast. Coffee has not been grown to any considerable extent. Wild ginger and wild nutmegs are abundant on some of the islands. In some places indigo has been introduced, and has spread so much as to become a nuisance. All the islands have numerous valuable fibre-producing plants be longing to the Urticex and Malvacese. But the probability is that, on these hot, moist, and fertile islands, cocoa-nuts, cotton, or sugar will always be the most profitable crops to cultivate for exportation. The indigenous fauna of Polynesia is poor in mammals but rich in birds. Mammals are represented by rats and bats, the latter including the flying foxes (Pteropus). Some say pigs are indigenous, but they were doubtless introduced by early navigators. Horses and cattle have been introduced. They degenerate very rapidly, unless they are continually improved by newly-imported stock. Sheep and goats are introduced into some islands, but sheep do not usually thrive. Dogs are plentiful, being kept by most of the natives, w r ho are naturally fond of domestic animals; but they degenerate greatly. Pigeons and doves, especially the fruit-eating pigeons (Cwpophaga) and doves of the genus Ptilonopus, are abundant. The Carpophaga furnish a very important article of food in some of the islands. Some of the species of Ptilnnopitx are exceedingly beautiful. Megapodes are found in a few of the western islands; the kagu (Rhinochetus jubatus) lm&amp;gt;