ABSTRACT
SHORTLY after our visit to the Ichipau of U and his brother monarch of Chokach, we met Henry N anapei on one of his visits to the Colony, who, on learning our needs, promptly agreed to place at our disposal the island of N alap, just off the mouth of the Ronkiti River, on the south-west coast. Accordingly, after laying in various stores, and carefully stowing boxes, baggage, and photographic apparatus, we borrowed a big canoe and two natives of Not to sail her, and slipped down the coast past the great crag of Chokach, the hill ranges of Paliker, the valley of the Palang River, and the round hill-tops of Marau and Tomara. The lagoon in many places is filled with stacks of living coral shooting up to within four feet of the surface. Shoreward the thick line of mangroves marks the region of the salt marshes girdling Ponape like a great green ribbon. This, as already mentioned, is seamed by myriad narrow lanes or waterways just wide enough for a single canoe to pass. When Ponape is fully civilised there will be need to elect a special Minister of the waterways for the effectual clearing and widening of these precarious channels. For the canals are hardly navigable, and, worse still, from time to time, a vigorous gale of wind brings down some great forest tree across the passage, blocking the way to all craft until some one (..omes with an axe or crosscut saw and removes it.
