Two species of arum or taro are produced on some of the islands.
Considerable attention is paid to the Tacca pinnatifolia, of which the
roots are scraped with a rough madreporic stone, and the rasped
material is spread out on a mat stretched across a canoe, where it is
filtered by pouring sea water over it; and by this means all the
feculent matter it contains is carried off. After the water has been
allowed to stand for some time the fecula is entirely precipitated ;
and subjecting it to repeated washings it becomes perfectly pure and
unmixed. The root of a species of Costus, which grows only in the
high islands, yields a beautiful yellow dye. In the Bonabee and
other islands the betel pepper is produced in considerable quantity.
The agricultural operations are mostly performed by the men, it is
only occasionally that the women lend a helping hand. They do not
rear many domestic animals. On most of the islands they have a few
heads of cattle, some hogs and .a number of goats and fowls. On
Ualan island a kind of communism prevails ; all the agricultural pro-
ductions of the community are stored away in a shed, and are divided
out by the chief to the different families in equal proportion.
The Ipalaoos are expert swimmers and the most skilful fishermen.
