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Show 344 MR. G. F. MATHEW O N N E W [June 29, as their natural enemies, though it is a well-known fact that this state of feeling has to a great extent been created by the white men themselves, who have committed the gravest excesses, and often deliberate murders, while engaged in obtaining recruits for the labour vessels. Until this abominable traffic is abolished it would be unsafe to land at any of the larger islands, except under the escort of a strong and well-armed party. The natives are extremely revengeful, and recollect and treasure up an injury. Their notion of justice is blood for blood, a head for a head, so that in several instances in which white men have been murdered the innocent have suffered for the guilty. The first place we called at was Ugi, one of tbe smallest and easternmost islands of the group. Here, fortunately, the natives were all friendly, and an English trader (Mr. Stephens) had resided there for several years, being employed as an agent buying and collecting " copra " for some Sydney firm. There is also a small depot for coal at this island, and our men-of-war occasionally call, and no labour traffic is permitted, so that the natives at this island were beginning to trust white men. Ugi is about twenty miles in circumference, for the most part hilly, and covered with dense forest. In the immediate vicinity of tbe villages there are small clearings where yams, taro (Caladium esculentum), and a little sugar is cultivated. Cocoa-nut palms grow all over the island, but especially near the beach, where, in some places, their waving crests form a graceful fringe. Bread-fruit trees are also plentiful near the villages. W e anchored just off Mr. Stephens's hut, at the back of which there was about a couple of acres of ground which had been cleared a year before, but which, at the time of our visit, was overgrown with a dense mass of weeds. Here Butterflies were numerous, especially Danais archippus and a species of Precis allied to P. ida, Hypolimnas bolina, H. alimena, &c. A very interesting case of mimicry occurred here. A dark-brown Euplcea with broad white outer margins (E. brenchleyi, Butl.), and Danais insolata, Butl., with markings almost identical, were fairly plentiful ; but, to add to the confusion of things, a Hypolimnas, which on the wing might have been mistaken for either, was flying with them ! Which mimicked which it was difficult to say, or the reason of the mimicry, a3 all three genera are avoided by birds both in the larva and perfect states. W e remained at Ugi for three days, one of which was devoted to an expedition across the island to a large village on the other side. W e breakfasted early and landed at 7 o'clock-a party of five of us, some being armed. On the beach we found a couple of natives, whom we had engaged tbe previous evening, waiting to show us the way. After leaving Mr. Stephens's hut the trail led through the dense forest, and was so narrow that we were seldom able to walk more than one abreast. Everything at this early hour was reeking with moisture, and in some places the trees were so thick overhead that the path below was enshrouded in gloom. At first no Butterflies were seen, but as the sun gained strength the heavy dew |
