Here and there a small plantation of paper mulberry (_Broussonetia_), the bark of which supplies material for native cloth, or a patch of arrowroot, or perhaps a few tall sugar-canes or tufts of Indian corn, complete the common produce of the native gardens, and combine to produce an effect of rich and varied foliage. But I must tell you about our picnics. As I before said, they are always water-parties; so we muster several boats and canoes, and start as early as we possibly can to try and profit by the delicious cool of the morning. Our first expedition was to the neighbouring isle of Moturiki, which is Thakombau’s own private property, specially reserved from Europeans, so the people see few white faces. There was, however, no staring or mobbing, and we set them down as a very polite race. The moment we landed they brought us fresh cocoa-nuts to drink, and took us to a large native house with wide heavy thatch,—and very grateful was its cool shade after several hours in the glaring sun. Fine mats were spread for us at one end of the house, which is slightly raised for use of “the quality”—an especially fine one, of a peculiar make called _tambu kaisi_ (forbidden to commoners), being placed for the white chief; and on this, custom demands that he should sit alone, as it would be contrary to all native manners that even a chief’s wife should sit on his mat. Not that wives or women-folk are looked upon in Fiji as inferior animals: quite the contrary; their position is very good, and their influence acknowledged.