r a time, whereas the sago will keep as long as we require it." Here
was another addition to our store of provisions, for which we had truly
cause to be thankful.

Next morning we set to work to cut off the leaves and leaf-stalks, and
we then took off a strip of bark from the upper part of the trunk. We
now had the pithy matter exposed, which in the upper part is of snowy
whiteness, and of the consistency of a hardish pear, with woody fibres
running through it, a quarter of an inch from each other. We had seen,
the pith removed by means of a club, with which it is pounded while
still in the trunk. Our next work, accordingly, was to form a couple of
clubs for the purpose. It was a difficult matter, however, to cut a
piece of hard wood suitable for our object. After hunting about for
some time, we could find nothing to suit us. At last it occurred to me
that we might load the end of a stout piece of bamboo, which might, at
all events, do better than nothing. We accordingly cut some pieces, and
going to the shore, fixed in the bottom of each a lump of coral rock,
which Macco managed to secure in a neat and at the same time thorough
manner. With these we commenced operations, and though the process was
slower than it might otherwise have been, we found that we could manage
to beat out a considerable quantity of sago pith.

While Oliver and I were proceeding with this work, Macco who was far
more ingenious than we were, commenced the operation of the washing
machine. This he formed of the large sheathing bases of the leaves, in
the shape of a trough. The object is to strain the sago pith. With the
fibrous covering from the leaf-stalks of the cocoa-nuts he soon twisted
a net-like strainer. The trough, I should say, is deep in the centre
and very shallow at the end; thus the starch which is dissolved sinks
down to the bottom of the trough, while the water runs away from the
upper part. Macco made also some baskets out of the sheathing bases of
the leaves, in which we might carry the sago.

We now set out with our materials to our spring. There was not as much
water as we should have desired, but still it seemed to come bubbling up
in sufficient quantity for our purpose, without fear of exhausting the
supply. Macco, having formed a number of trestles of pieces of bamboo
sticks, rested the trough between the forks, the straining place being
placed on higher trestles than the strainer in the centre, so that the