YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

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of the
WILLIAM C. EGLESTON FUND

Drawn ty D. MacdonalcL .

Vincent BrodksJith

RATU VAKARURU, A CHIEF
OF VIT I LEVU

VITI

AN

ACCOUNT OE A GOVEENMENT MISSION

YITIAN OR FIJIAN ISLANDS

IN THE YEARS 1860-61.

BY

BERTHOLD SEEMANN, Ph.D., F.L.S., F.E.G.S.,
AUTHOR OF THE NAItttATIVE AND THE BOTANY OB" H.M.3. HERALD,
(POPTJLAE HISTORY OP PALMS,* ETC. ETC.

TOitij Ellussttattoros anD a JHap.

MACMILLAN & CO.,
AND 23, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON.
1862.
The right o; tramlution is reserved by the Author.

JOHN EDWABD TATLOE, PRINTEB,
LITTLE QUEEN STEEET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELD3.

SIR RODERICK IMPEY MURCHISON,
D.C.L., LL.D., F.E.S.,
DIBECTOB OF THE GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY,
ETC., ETC., ETC.,
WHOSE PEE-EMINENCE IN SCIENCE HAS ALWAYS
BEEN COUPLED WITH A GENEEOUS ENCOUEAGEMENT OF THE
LATSOUES OF OTHEES,
STfjiss OTotfc fe JSrtucatrti
WITH FEELINGS OF HIGH BEGAED AND ESTEEM
BY
THE AUTHOE.

PKEFACE.

In 1859 Mr. W. T. Pritchard, H.B.M. Consul in Fiji,
son of the Rev. George Pritchard, formerly of Tahiti,
arrived in England with a document purporting to be
the cession of Fiji — or rather Viti — to the Queen of
Great Britain. The cession had been made by Cakobau
(= Thakombau), the principal chief of Bau and king
of the whole group, and with the consent of the lead
ing chiefs. The importance of accepting the proffered
sovereignty was insisted upon by parties capable of
taking a comprehensive view of the question. The Le
gislative Assembly of New South Wales, on the motion
of Mr. M'Arthur, voted an address to the Queen in sup
port of this proposal. Captain Towns, a patriotic citizen
of Sydney, fully impressed, like many of his country
men, with the importance of acquiring the islands, ge
nerously offered a cheque for the whole Fijian debt, in
order to remove at least one of the possible obstacles
in the way of the cession. Nor is it any secret that the
occupation of the islands has been recommended by
Captains Fremantle, Denham, Erskine, and Loring, and
Admirals Washington* and Sir Edward Belcher; in
* See Appendix.

Vlll PREFACE.
fact, by all naval men who knew anything about the
subject. Men high in office were equally favourably in
clined towards the cession. However, before coming to
any definite decision, the Government determined to
obtain more ample information than was at hand, and
early in 1860 I was asked to join a " Mission to Viti "
dispatched for that purpose.
Whilst in Fiji, I was induced to write a .series of
letters on the country, its people, and productions, to
the ' Athenseum,' which that journal did me the honour
to publish, and Avhich, whole or in part, found their
way into several other home and colonial papers, were
translated into German and French, and altogether ob
tained a circulation for which their original place of
publication alone can account. On my return to Lon
don I was urged to make additions to this series, and I
acceded to this wish by bringing the subject before the
Royal Geographical Society, and writing papers for the
' Gardeners' Chronicle ' and Galton's well-known ' Va
cation Tourists and Notes of Travel.' But a good deal
of matter remained still unpublished, which, together
with the pith of all I have previously made known, will
be found in the following pages.
In order that the public may have the means of form
ing a correct judgment on the Fijian question, I have
reprinted in the Appendix Colonel Smythe's Official
Report, at variance as it is with all that has been
written on the islands. My impression of Fiji and its
inhabitants was most favourable, and I am convinced
that, under judicious management, the country would

PREFACE. ix
become a flourishing colony, — an opinion shared by
almost all who have visited the group, as was again
proved at a crowded meeting at the Geographical So
ciety when the subject was discussed.
Desirous of collecting as many productions of the
country as possible, I neglected to investigate several
subjects which fell not within my assigned province. It
was only after the publication of Colonel Smythe's ' Re
port,' that I became aware of the full importance of my
neglect. For instance, it would have been very important
to know how many thousand acres of land had passed
out of the hands of the natives. As a great many islands
and vast tracts of country have already been purchased
by British subjects, statistics on these points would pro
bably have materially influenced the decision of Her
Majesty's Government with respect to the acceptance of
the cession.
Amongst other things I brought home a comprehen
sive collection of plants, which, together with those
already in this country, chiefly accumulated by Govern
ment expeditions, furnish ample materials for a Flora
of Fiji, a Flora Vitiensis. I expended a good deal of
my own money in order to make these collections as
complete as possible, and was in hopes that the Govern
ment would see fit to assist me in publishing such a
work, especially as my report on the resources and ve
getable productions of the islands had been presented
to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her
Majesty, and the nature and possible value of the pro
jected publication must have become evident. His

PREFACE.

Grace the Duke of Newcastle, ever ready to advance
science, fully sharing these hopes, made an application
to the Treasury to that effect, but was " very sorry to
inform me that his application had been unsuccessful."
Thinking what had been collected with so much ex
pense, under great difficulties, and in a country only
partially reclaimed from cannibalism, was also worth
making known, I resolved to incur the risk of publish
ing the work at my own cost. It will consist of 400
pages of letter-press (quarto), and 100 coloured plates,
all representing objects hitherto unknown to science,
and drawn by the skilful pencil of Mr. Fitch. The
work will take about three years to bring out, and its
publication will commence immediately.
All the native names are spelt according to the sys
tem of orthography laid down in Hazelwood's ' Fijian
Dictionary ' (London : Triibner and Co.), and wherever
any deviation should be discovered, it may be regarded
as a mistake of mine, unless particularly noticed. No
thing but endless confusion will be the result if every
nation is allowed to write Fijian names according to its
own orthography. For the illustrations of my present
work I am indebted to Mrs. Smythe, Dr. Macdonald,
and Captain Denham, to whom I beg to tender my best
thanks, as well as to those friends who, since my de
parture from Fiji, have kept me supplied with the
latest intelligence from that group. Berthold Seemann.
London, September 30, 1862.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTEE I.
Page
Departure from England. — Arrival at Sydney. — Voyage to Fiji. —
The 'John Wesley.' — The Pitoairners at Norfolk Island. — First
Glimpse of Fiji. — Lakeba. — The Tonguese. — Visit to a Mission
Station. — First Botanical Excursion. — Hints to Collectors. — Native
Church. — Bark-cloth Manufacture. — Tomb of a Chief. — Missionary
Life. — Departure from Lakeba ....... 1
CHAPTEE II.
Island of Taviuni. — The King of Cakaudrove. — Elephantiasis. —
Kind Offer of Mr. Waterhouse and Captain Wilson. — Somosomo,
its Advantages and Disadvantages. — Queen Eleanor. — Ascent of
Summit of Taviuni. — A Eoyal Escort. — Sylvan Scene. — Arrival at
the Top. — Singular Swamp of Vegetable Turtle Fat. — Dinner. —
Timidity of the Natives. — Chief Golea's Eeturn from a Military
Expedition.— Polygamy. — The Eotuma-Men. — Wairiki. — Arrival
of the ' Paul Jones '. . .  19

CHAPTEE III.
Fiji as a Cotton-growing Country. — Cotton not Indigenous but Na
turalized. — Native Names. — Number of Species. — Average Pro
duce of the Wild Cotton. — Excellence of Fijian Cotton acknow
ledged at Manchester. — Effoits of British Consul and Missionaries
to extend its Cultivation. — The First Thousand Pounds of Cotton
sent Home. — Establishment of a Plantation at Somosomo, Wakaya,
and Nukumoto. — Prospects of Cotton-growing in Fiji . . 48

Xli * CONTENTS.

CHAPTEE IV.
Page
Departure from Somosomo.— Island of Wakaya.— The Balolo.— Ar
rival at Levuka.— H.B.M. Consul.— The Late Mr. Williams.—
Lado and its Origin.— Site for the New Capital.— The King of
Fiji. — Bau. — Causes of its Supremacy. — Viwa . . . .58

CHAPTEE V.
The Wai Levu or Great Eiver. — Canal Dug by Natives. — Matai-
suva. — Institution for Training Native Teachers. — Sacred Groves,
Trees, and Stones. — Mosquitoes. — Island of Naigani. — Mr. Egger-
strom's Kindness.— Feuds at Nadroga. — Nukubalawu. — Taguru. —
Navua Eiver 

CHAPTEE VI.
Stay at Navua. — Chief Kuruduadua's Household. — " Harry the Jew.''
— A Prince as he was Born. — Massacre Prevented. — Kuruduadua's
Character. — Statement of Mr. Heekes Eespecting the Namuka
Outrage.— Town and Bures of Navua. — Tatooing. — Eeturn to Lado. 97

CHAPTEE VII.
Arrival of Colonel Smythe from New Zealand. — The ' Pegasus ' and
' Paul Jones.'— Visit to Bau.— Quarrelsome Disposition of the Chief
of the Fishermen. — Cession of Fiji to England. — First Official
Interview with the King .  120

CHAPTEE VIII.
Excursions to Koroivau and Namara.— Departure from Bau.— Passage
through the Great Eiver of Viti Levu.— Buretu.— Apostate Chris
tians.— Rewa.— Arrival at Tavuki, Kadavu.— Whale Ships— At
tempt to ascend Buke Levu.— The Isthmus of Kadavu — Ga Loa
or Black Duck Bay.— Departure for Navua . . 133

CONTENTS. xiii

CHAPTEE IX.

Departure from Kadavu.— Arrival at Navua.— A Court of Justice.-
Starting for the Interior.— The Navua Eiver.— Its Fine Scenery.—
Eapids.— A Canoe upset.— Town of Nagadi.— Hospitable Eecep-
tion. — Soromato. — Kidnapping. — Family Prayers. — Heathen
Temple.— A Large Snake to be Cooked.— March across the Country.
— Vuniwaivutuku.— A Difficult Eoad— A Purse Lost.— No Thieves.
— Arrival at Namosi.— Danford's Establishment.— His Usefulness
as a Pioneer ..... .... 146

CHAPTEE X.
Popular Ideas Eespecting the Interior of Viti Levu. — Malachite and
Antimony. — Ascent of Voma Peak. — Visit to a Heathen Temple.
— " Spirit Fowls." — Official Meeting with Kuruduadua and his
Subjects. — A Eebellion to be Suppressed. — Presentation of Food.
— "The Oldest Inhabitants." — A Court-Fool and his Tricks. — Mr.
Waterhouse Preaching. — Departure of Colonel Smythe and Messrs.
Pritchard and Waterhouse, for Nadroga  160

CHAPTEE XI.
Fijian Cannibalism. — The Great Cauldron. — Naulumatua and his Ap
petite for Human Flesh. — Bokola. — Vegetables Eaten with Cannibal
Food. — The Ominous Taro. — Approximate Number of Bodies eaten
at Namosi. — Ovens for Baking Dead Men. — Suspension of the
Bones. — Not all Fijians Cannibals. — Efforts of the Liberal Party to
Suppress Anthropophagism. — Aided by Europeans. — Eeal Signifi
cance of Eating Man only Partly Understood. — Concessions to Hu
manity. — Abolition of Cannibalism throughout Kuruduadua's Do
minions ... ......... 173

CHAPTEE XII.
Stay at Namosi Prolonged.— The Governor's Attention. — "Crown
Jewels." — The Clerk of the Weather. — Sorcerers. — Fijian Family
Life.— Story-Tellers Popular —A Fijian Tale  186

XIV CONTENTS.

CHAPTEE XIII.
Page
Departure from Namosi. — Vuniwairutuku. — The " Veli." — Mode of
Tatooing the Mouth.— Passing down the Navua Eiver. — Nagadi
cleared out by its Vasu. — Our Canoe Capsized. — Eeturn to the
' Paul Jones.' — Kuruduadua's Character. — Leaving Navua. — Bega.
—Mr. Storck's Illness.— Eeturn to Kadavu. — Ascent of Buke
Levu. — Eevra. — Immigrants from New Zealand. — Mr. Moore's
Powerful Sermon.— Arrival at Lado. — Office Drudgery . . .202

CHAPTEE XIV.
Voyage around Vanua Levu. — Departure from Lado. — East Coast of
Viti Levu. — Nananu Island. — The Fijian Mount Olympus. — Bua. —
Naicobocobo. — Nukubati. — Naduri. — Interview with the Chief. —
Discontent of his Subjects. — Beche-de-mer Trade. — Mua i Udu and
its Superstitions. — Na Ceva Bay. — Arrival at Waikava. — Visit to
my Cotton Plantation. — Meeting at Waikava. — -Departure . . 222

CHAPTEE XV.
History of the Tongamen in Fiji. — Their Physical Superiority over
the Fijians. — Their Arrogance. — Captain Croker's Defeat. — Early
Intercourse between Tonga and Fiji. — Increase of Tonguese Immi- |
gration. — Chief Maafu. — King George of Tonga visits Fiji. — Con
quest of Kaba and Eabe. — Arrival of British Consul. — Cession of
Fiji. — Maafu's Attempted Conquest. — Eitova and Bete. — Maafu's
Ambition Curbed. — Peace Eestored. — Eitova Installed inhis Estates.
— Tonguese Intrigues Eenewed. — Bete's Death. — Commodore Sey
mour's Visit. — Termination of the Wars between Fijians and
Tongans ... . . ... 236

CHAPTEE XVI.
General Remarks on the Aspect, Climate, Soil, and Vegetation of Fiji.
—Colonial Produce.— Staple Food.— Edible Boots.— Kitchen Vege
tables.— Edible Fruits.— National Beverages.— Kava 274

CONTENTS. XV
CHAPTEE XVII. Page
Vegetable Poisons. — Medicinal Plants. — Scents and Perfumes. — Ma
terials for Clothing. — Mats and Baskets. — Fibres used for Cordage.
— Timber. — Palms. — Ornamental Plants. — Miscellaneous . . 332
CHAPTEE XVIII.
Eemarks on the Fauna of Fiji. — Mammals. — Birds. — Fishes. — Eep-
tiles. — Mollusks. — Crustacea. — Insects. — Lower Animals . . 381
CHAPTEE XIX.
Fijian Eeligion. — Degei, the Supreme God. — Inferior Deities. — Wor
ship of Ancestors. — Idolized Objects. — Temples. — Creation and
Ultimate Destruction of the World. — A Great Flood. — Immor
tality of the Soul. — Conception of Future Abode.— Props of
Superstition .... . . 389
CHAPTEE XX.
Historical Eemarks on Fiji. — Discovery of the Islands. — Sandal-wood
Traders. — Early White Settlers. — Missionaries. — Foreigners at
present Eesiding in the Group. — Departure from Fiji in the ' Stag-
hound.' — Terrific Storm off Lord Howe's Island. — Arrival in Syd
ney. — Eeturn to England. — Conclusion ...... 404

APPENDIX.

I.— Eeport of Admiral Washington, E.N  419
II.— Eeport of Colonel Smythe, E.A., to Colonial Office . . .421
HI.— Systematic List of all the Fijian Plants at present known . 431

YITI:

ACCOUNT OF A GOVERNMENT MISSION TO THE
TITIAN OR EIJIAN ISLANDS.
CHAPTER I.
DEPAETUEE FEOM ENGLAND.  AEBIVAL AT SYDNEY. — VOYAGE TO FIJI. 
THE ' JOHN WESLEY.' — THE PITCAIENEES AT NOBFOLK ISLAND.  FIEST
GLIMPSE OF FIJI.  LAKEBA. — THE TONGUESE. — VISIT TO A MISSION
STATION.  FIEST BOTANICAL EXCUESION. — HINTS TO COLLECTOES. — NA
TIVE CHURCH. — BARK-CLOTH MANUFACTUEE. — TOMB OF A CHIEF. — MIS-
SIONAEY LIFE. — DEPAETUEE FEOM LAKEBA.
Having left Southampton on the 12th of February, 1860,
by the overland mail, and having touched at Mauritius,
King George's Sound, and Melbourne, I arrived at Syd
ney on the 16th of April, where I was to join Colonel
Smythe, R.A., — who had gone out by the previous mail,
— and proceed with him in her Majesty's ship ' Cordelia,'
it was supposed, to Fiji. The first news heard was, that
a war had broken out in New Zealand, in consequence
of which all available naval force had been dispatched
to the scene of action. This altered our plans consider
ably. Colonel Smythe, thinking that the outbreak of
native discontent would be only of short duration, and

2 A MISSION TO VITI.
that after its termination he should still be able to ob
tain a Government vessel for Fiji, resolved to proceed
by the mail steamer to New Zealand. He came on
board the ' Benares ' to communicate this resolution to
me, but I, having made an attempt to find him on
shore, was absent, and as his steamer left soon after the
English mail had been transferred, I did not meet with
him until three months afterwards.
Sir William Denison, to whom I had letters from the
home Government, advised me either to go to New
Zealand and wait there for an opportunity, or else di
rect to Fiji, in the missionary vessel ' John Wesley,'
about to sail that day. Wishing to economize my time
as much as possible, I preferred the latter. In com
municating with the Rev. John Eggleston, General Se
cretary of the Wesleyan Mission, that gentleman kindly
postponed the departure of their vessel a few days, in
order to afford me time for making the necessary pre
parations for future explorations. He supplied me be
sides with letters of introduction to residents in the
Fijian islands, books, and a list of articles used as barter,
all of which proved highly acceptable. In reply to Sir
William Denison's asking for a passage for me and my
assistant, Mr. Jacob Storck, Mr. Eggleston cheerfully
granted a free passage to both of us, at the same time
reminding the Governor-General that the Wesleyans as
a body felt under obligations to the Government for so
frequently allowing their vessels to assist their mis
sionaries in the Pacific Ocean, rendering them timely
aid, and supplying them with medicines, and bringing
them home when ill. With the assistance of Mr. Charles

eellow-voyagees. 3
Moore, Director of the Botanic Gardens at Sydney, I
was enabled to complete all my arrangements without
loss of time. When embarking, I had accumulated a
whole cart-load of luggage, containing none save the
most necessary things, and surveyed by me with a heavy
heart when thinking of the difficulty of transporting
them from island to island. None save those who have
experienced it, can have any conception of travelling in
countries where no money is current, and all is paid for
in kind. How easy is moving about when one can
carry a whole year's travelling expenses in the waistcoat
pocket ! But think of people never doing a thing for
you unless you have counted out, or measured off, the
requisite number or amount of your stock in trade.
All being ready and the wind fair, 1 left Sydney Har
bour on Friday, April 20, 1860, on board the ' John
Wesley,' Captain Birkenshaw. There were, in all, six
passengers, — Captain Wilson, from Sydney, about to look
after his cocoa-nut oil establishment at Somosomo ;
Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, a missionary and his wife, for
Fiji ; Mr. Storck and myself, and a Fijian native teacher,
who had come to Sydney with the view of proceeding
to England, but who, after reaching New South Wales,
had become so home-sick, that he was obliged to return
to his native country. Though having been only a few
thousand miles, he Avould be regarded as a mighty tra
veller on his return, and doubtless looked upon himself
as such. For, as the Italian would wish " to see Naples,
and die," or the Spaniard declares that —
" El que no ha vista Sevilla
No ha vista maravilla " — B 2

4 A MISSION TO VITI.
so the South-Sea Islanders would say, " Let me behold
Sydney, and go home again."
No one should speak ill of the bridge that carries him
over, or look a gift-horse in the mouth ; but I have been
so frequently asked about the ' John Wesley,' that I
may be exculpated when saying a few words about the
vessel as she appeared to me. The ' John Wesley' was
launched in 1846, having been built by Messrs. White
and Sons, of Cowes, and being paid for by charitable
contributions. I have read high eulogiums on her, but
anybody who has sailed in her will not be inclined
to endorse them. It has never been my misfortune
to be on board a vessel behaving worse than she did,
She is about thirty feet too short, and never easy, let
the wind be ever so favourable and the sea as smooth
as a pond. In a slight gale the pitching is awful, and
the rolling terrific. We were often watching and won
dering what would be her next move after all these
had been going on for awhile, when perhaps she would
shake her rudder so violently that one almost feared it
must come out. In consequence of her constant un
easiness, the wear and tear in ropes and spars is con
siderable, and the annual expenditure must be much
greater than might be expected from a vessel of her
size. Nearly every morning there was something gone,
and we used to chaff the captain about the superior be
haviour of his craft ; but he, like a true sailor, would
defend her through thick and thin. In rough weather
she had, besides, the bad quality of leaking; and, as
some of the cocoa-nut oil carried in her on a former
occasion had oozed out of the tanks and casks and

THE 'JOHN WESLEY.' 5
become rancid, the stench was quite overpowering.
It requires a peculiar constitution not to become sea
sick on board, and this is perhaps the most serious in
convenience that the missionaries and their families
suffer when going backwards and forwards in her to the
Colonies, or from island to island. When we left Syd
ney Harbour, I observed several of our men in unfurl
ing sails, sea-sick, a sight 1 never before beheld ; and
Mr. and Mrs. Harrison were ill during nearly the whole
passage. Nor is she, with all these drawbacks, a fast or
a good sailer. We were twenty-three days from Sydney
to Fiji, a distance of 1,735 miles, and I believe that may
be considered a fair average passage. The crew was an
extremely mongrel set. There were men of all colours,
countries, and religions : black Africans, copper-coloured
Chilians, and white Englishmen; Heathens, Mahome
tans, Roman Catholics, and Protestants. I expressed
my surprise that in a vessel belonging to a religious
society there should be so mixed a ship's company ; but
the Captain thought it rather an advantage than other
wise, offering, as it did, a field for missionary labours
during the voyage. Indeed, when not suffering from
sea-sickness, Mr. Harrison made some attempts in that
direction. We endeavoured to make Norfolk Island, but could
not fetch it within about one hundred miles. I should
have liked to look at that charming spot, which, no
longer a convict station, as in days of yore, has lately
been given by the Government to the Pitcairners, — those
much-petted descendants of ' Bounty' mutineers and Ta-
hitian women, — because their own little island began

6 A MISSION TO VITI.
to be too small for the growing community. The Pit-
cairners landed on the 8th of June, 1856, from the
' Morayshire,' a vessel belonging to Mr. Dunbar, of Lon
don, commanded by Mr. Joseph Mathers, and under
the agency of Acting-Lieutenant G. W. Gregorie, of
her Majesty's ship 'Juno.' They numbered in all 194
souls, one of whom died soon after landing ; the rest
comprising 40 men, 47 women, 54 boys, and 52 girls.
Almost an entire week was employed in disembarking
all the seventy years' gathering of chattels, including
almost every moveable article, even to the " gun " and
" anvil " of the ' Bounty.' On landing they were
greeted individually by the commissariat officer and
Captain Denham, of her Majesty's ship ' Herald,' who
happened to be there, and then conducted to their com
fortably-prepared quarters, until they should be able to
make their own selection from the commodious dwell
ings erected for them. Dr. Macdonald instructed the
islanders essentially in the resources of the ample dis
pensary at their use, whilst the artificers of the ' Herald'
imparted to them the uses of a variety of tools and
implements, comprising the wind and water mills; in
deed, everything was done to make them comfortable.
The first provident step for future provision was taken
by planting their favourite sweet-potato, and, pending
harvest time, which they gave six months to come about,
the ' Herald ' left the newly-transferred community pro
vided with 45,000 lbs. of biscuit, flour, maize, and rice,
with groceries in proportion, and abundance of milk at
their hands ; whilst their live stock consisted of 1300
sheep, 430 cattle, 22 horses, 10 swine in sties, 16 do-

THE PITCA1EN ISLANDERS. 7
mestic fowls, and a quantity of wild pigs and fowls.
Even 16,000 lbs. of hay and 5000 of straw were left
them ; and, lest their first crop should be late or fall
short, a list of additional supplies was sent to the Go
vernor-General.* According to all accounts the Pit-
cairners do not display themselves to advantage in their
new home, and most visitors are anything but pleased
with them. As might have been expected, the nume
rous presents given and sent to them have had a bad
effect, making them accomplished beggars, who state
their case in such a way as will most readily induce the
hearer to give them some present or influence others
to do so. They are besides said to be an indolent set,
who, rather than fetch fuel from the woods, will burn
the floors, doors, and window-frames of the fine buildings
erected by the convicts, and generously placed by Go
vernment at their disposal. If report be true, Sir Wil
liam Denison, on his visit to the island, gave them a
severe and well-deserved lecture on this head. Several
of them are said to have already returned to Pitcairn
Island, where they seem to have felt more comfortable,
though cramped for space, and a few are said to have
embarked in whaling operations. Let us hope that the
whole community, about which so much truth and fic
tion has been written, may gradually be led to habits of
industry, and learn to rely more upon its own resources
than the charitable contributions of others.
On the 10th of May we got the trade wind, and on
Saturday the 12th, about eight o'clock in the morning,
caught the first glimpse of Fiji. We had left Sydney
* See Captain Denham in ' Hydrographic Notice,' n. 5.

A MISSION TO VITI.

on the 20th of April, and had thus been twenty-three
days on the passage, four of which we had strong gales
and were compelled to heave to. We bantered the
Captain a good deal about the long passage, and as
cribed it all to his having left on a Friday, at the same
time accumulating instances where departures on that
unlucky day had been followed by as disastrous conse
quences as when thirteen sit down to table. But he
thought it high time that such vestiges of superstition
should be rooted up, and said there was no more in
them than in the Flying Dutchman. On the following
day we were off Lakeba (Lakemba). It being Sunday,
Captain Birkenshaw would not give offence by sending
a boat on shore on the Sabbath. I suggested that we
might all go to church as soon as landed, but he main
tained that it was as much as his place was worth to
entertain such an idea ; so we had the mortification
of stopping another day on board, and sail backwards
and forwards between the islands of Lakeba and Olorua.
I enjoyed much the fine sight that thus was offered.
The sky was clear and bright, and a number of little
islands and islets were rising from the blue sea, the
waves breaking on their rocky shores, or forming curly
crests on the long reefs that encircle many of them.
They were all more or less elevated, and covered with
vegetation, here with patches of grass or brake and
other hard-leaved ferns, there with brushwood or larger
trees; the presence of countless screw-pines and iron-
wood (Casuarina) trees imparting to them their peculiar
Polynesian character. Well may it be said, that the
graceful waving iron-wood bears on its very face the

LANDING AT LAKEBA. 9
proof of its being at home in a country and in situations
continually agitated by the trade winds. Any other
tree would become stunted and unsightly under such
circumstances, whilst the iron-wood is rendered only
more graceful by them.
The next morning we endeavoured to effect a landing,
no easy task, as the sea was running rather high, and we
had to search amidst a heavy surf for a channel through
the reef encircling Lakeba, and on which Colonel
Smythe's vessel, the ' Pegasus,' struck, when paying a
visit a few months afterwards. I have often admired the
grandeur of the South Sea reef, when the water breaks
with all its force on that mighty fabric of coral and
volcanic rock ; and wondered why such a grand sight
has not as yet been immortalized by some great painter
in search of a fitting subject for his brush. It is cer
tainly overpowering to sit down before Niagara, and
watch the mighty masses of water steadily pouring into
a gigantic basin. Impossible, one thinks, that such tuns
and tuns can be discharged without the supply becom
ing exhausted. Nevertheless there is no abatement.
As the sun rises it shines upon the foaming mass, and
its last rays kiss the same spectacle. Like eternity, it is
endless ; and our thoughts, taken captive as we gaze and
gaze on the massive volumes, are wandering towards
those realms whence no traveller has returned. The
sight of a great South Sea reef is something equally grand,
but produces a rather different effect. Besides being
influenced by wind and tides, the surf assumes almost
every moment a different aspect. Now it is little more
than a long line of silent ripples, now it is lashed into

10 A MISSION TO VITI.
wild spray to great height, speaking in hollow roars, and
showing a variety of tints which the pen must ever de
spair of depicting. So far from becommg absorbed in
thought at such a sight, as at the monotonous grandeur
of Niagara, one longs to stir, to push on, to become ac
tive like the never-resting element.
Though we got a good wetting, and might have been
swamped had it not been for the skilful steering of our
mate, we landed in safety. As soon as the boat was
near shore fifty or sixty natives plunged into the water
to carry us on their backs to the beach, when we shook
hands with Mr. Fletcher, one of the Wesleyan mission
aries stationed here. The natives were nearly all fine
strapping fellows, some of them quite six feet high, and
all Fijian, with the exception of a couple of Tonguese
or Tonga men, inhabitants of a neighbouring group of
islands. One of the latter was Charles, the son of the
Tonguese chief, Maafu, a mighty man in Polynesian
annals, and the source of much trouble, both in Tonga
and Fiji. When most people read of " natives " they
imagine them to be types of unsightliness, if not down
right ugliness ; of many races, not Caucasian, that may
in some measure be true, but whoever goes to the
South Seas will have reason to change his opinion en
tirely. Some of these islanders are really very hand
some, both in figure and face ; and all entitled to pro
nounce an opinion on the subject have agreed that there
are few spots in the world where one sees so many hand
some people together as in Tonga. I have never been
111 Circassia, and can therefore not speak from personal
experience ; but, if what one reads be correct, Tonga may

THE TONGUESE. H
fairly be classed with the Tyrol and Circassia, for its
male population. I do not include the females, because,
according to our taste, the women of Tonga, like those
of the Tyrol, are too masculine and robust to please our
conceptions of feminine beauty. When I looked at these
Tonguese, with their fine athletic body, symmetrical,
handsome faces, and rich dark hair, I could not refrain
from thinking what caricatures civilization has made us.
The gait of such a man is something to wonder at, and
sculptors would find him a fine subject for study. Here
they might obtain models almost approaching their
notions of ideal perfection, instead of copying, as they
now too often are compelled, the body of a life-guards
man, the head of a footman, and the hands and feet of
some of higher-bred types.
Charles Maafu, I was informed, had been sent to
Lakeba by his father, as a punishment for several larks
the young rascal had been up to. I don't wonder
there should have been a great deal of temptation in
his way, for, besides being the son of a powerful chief, a
lineal descendant of one of the royal houses of Tonga
(Finau), he was about eighteen years of age and ex
tremely handsome. He wore only a few yards of cotton
cloth around his loins, and an ornament made of mother
of pearl. King George, of Tonga, had proposed to have
his own son and Charles educated at Sydney. The
offer was unfortunately declined by Maafu, and the young
man had thus learnt nothing except what he had been
able to pick up in the missionary schools of the islands.
Through a fine grove of cocoa-nut palms and bread
fruit trees, Mr. Fletcher kindly conducted us to his

12 A MISSION TO VITI.
house, a commodious building, thatched with leaves,
surrounded by a fence and a broad boarded verandah,
the front of the house looking into a nice little flower-
garden, the back into the courtyard. The ladies gave
us a hearty welcome, no doubt being glad to look once
more upon white faces and hear accounts from home.
We had brought, besides provisions and stores for the
next year, batches of letters and newspapers ; and those
who have been in out-of-the-way places, and obtained
after long intervals news from home, will be able to
enter into the joy that prevailed. After being cramped
on board a vessel for so many weeks, and tossed and
rocked about night and day, it was a rare pleasure to us
to sit down once more in a comfortable house on shore;
and comfortable the house certainly was. Though the
thermometer ranged more than 80° Fahrenheit, the thick
thatch kept off the scorching rays, and there was a fresh
current of trade-wind blowing through the rooms. It
was a pleasing sight to see everything so scrupulously
neat and clean, the beds and curtains as white as snow,
and everywhere the greatest order prevailing. There
were all the elements of future civilization, models ready
for imitation. The yard was well stocked with ducks
and fowls, pigs and goats, the garden replete with flowers,
roses in full bloom, but alas ! with little scent, cotton
shrubs twelve feet high, and bearing leaves, flowers, and
fruit, in all stages of development. These missionary
stations are fulfilling all the objects of convents in their
best days. When all around was barbarism, strife, and
ignorance, they afforded a safe refuge to the weary tra
veller, — as they still do in the East, — and cultivated

HINTS TO COLLECTORS. 13
science and religion at a time when scarcely any one
thought of them. When you have reached a convent in
the East, or a mission-station in the South Sea, you seem
to be nearer home. You feel that you are amongst
people whose sympathies incline into the same direction
as your own, the mode of living also beginning to tell
upon your animal spirits, and you fly to the library,
limited though it may be, to have an hour with the
great minds of civilization.
Our stay at Lakeba being restricted to a few hours, I
made all possible haste to collect specimens of the vege
tation. Quite a troop of boys followed, carrying baskets
which they made in an incredibly short space of time,
out of the leaves of the cocoa-nut palm. Determined
to collect everything we could lay hands on, we accumu
lated about fifty different species, forming quite a load
for our young attendants. The true secret of making
comprehensive collections, whether of objects of any
kind or details of information, is to secure them if pos
sible the first time on coming in contact with them.
One has it always in his power to reject what is worth
less. To go on the principle that you may come to a
place where you can get them better, is an unsound one
to adopt, and one that often leads to mortification.
Not only do the eye and ear get accustomed to the
objects or facts of search, and the hand neglects to
secure them, because they no longer strike us as new,
but it often happens that they are extremely local, and
are never met with again. When I take up my abode
in a district, for the purpose of exploring it botanically
for instance, I begin by gathering the plants that grow

14 A MISSION TO VITI.
around my abode, instead of rushing at once to distant
parts, where no doubt fine treasures may be expected.
The first day I shall probably not get any plants save
the most common weeds, and most likely not venture
out of sight of head-quarters. But after I have collected
the objects with which under any circumstances I must
become familiar, and would most likely fancy I had in
my collection, because they were so common, I am able
on the second and third day to venture a good deal
further, and when at last I make more distant excursions,
I am at least certain that in bringing home anything, I
am not carrying coals to Newcastle or owls to Athens.
The boys were quite indefatigable in assisting me to
collect, and telling me the different local names of the
plants. A great number of these names I was already
acquainted with, having learnt them from the Fijian
dictionary, and it did not take many weeks before I
was familiar with all the vernacular nomenclature of
the most generally diffused organized beings. This feat
the natives could never comprehend. They thought it
strange that at a time when my whole knowledge of
Fijian amounted to little more than yes or no, and a
few sentences absolutely forced upon me, I should be
able to pronounce the names of almost anything they
held up to my admiring gaze. The Lakeban boys also
took us to a ravine, where some years ago Dr. Harvey,
of Trinity College, Dublin, had collected a fine fern
(Dipteris Horsfieldii, J. Smith), which has magnificent
fan-shaped leaves, when growing in favourable situa
tions, from eight to ten feet high, and four feet across.
The plant is found in all parts of Fiji, New Caledonia,

BARK-CLOTH MANUFACTURE. 15
and various other islands, and has never been intro
duced into our gardens, where it would be a great orna
ment, nor did any of my specimens survive being taken
out of their native soil.
Mr. Fletcher showed us over the town, famous as the
first spot in Fiji where Christianity was triumphant and
a printing-press established. The church, constructed
in native fashion, is a fine substantial building, capable
of holding about two hundred and fifty people. On the
open place before it was spread out one of the largest
pieces of native bark-cloth I have ever seen, being about
one hundred feet long and twenty feet wide. This was
the only cloth worn before the recent introduction of
cotton fabrics. Considering that it was manufactured
without the aid of any machinery, simply by peeling the
bark of the paper-mulberry, when the tree is scarcely
thicker than a little finger, and then soaking and beat
ing the different pieces in such a way that they expand
and all join together in one large mass, the piece was
well deserving to be examined. But perhaps the most
curious fact is that not only did the Fijians, as indeed
most Polynesians, know how to make such cloth, but
they also printed it in many different colours and pat
terns, probably exercising the art of printing ages be
fore Guttenberg, Coster, or whoever else may lay claim
to its invention in Europe, were dreamt of. Was it of
endemic growth, or did the Fijians derive it in some
way from China, where it seems to have been practised
from time immemorial'?
Not far from the church was the tomb of a departed
chief, a series of slabs placed perpendicularly and forming

16 A MISSION TO VITI.
a square filled up by mould, over which a kind of shed
was erected. A dense grove of iron-wood trees, so much
reminding us, by their sombre aspect, of our pines, form
an appropriate accompaniment to the place. The wind
playing in the branches, caused a wailing melancholy
sound, fully impressing me with the idea that even the
savages who planted these trees must have had some
srjarks of poetry in their composition. It is a strange
ethnological fact, that most nations surround the tombs
of those dear to them with trees belonging to the pine
tribe, or at least trees partaking, as the iron-wood does,
of their physiognomy. The Greeks and Turks think
the cypress a befitting expression of their grief; the
Chinese, the beautiful Cwpressus funebris ; and the Ger
mans and English, the arbor-vitae and yew. All attempts
to convince people that a graveyard ought to have as
cheerful a look as such a drear lonely spot can ever be
expected to assume have in the long-run proved a failure.
Ivy-clad church walls, mossy tombstones, and sombre-
looking yews, are in better keeping with it than gay
flower-beds or bright tinsel.
The mission-station at Lakeba is close to a great
swamp, and cannot be very healthy. Many more salubri
ous spots might doubtless »be found, but the missionary,
in order to do the greatest amount of good, should live
amongst his flock, and avoid every kind of isolation,
He should mix with them as freely as he possibly can,
and, on the principle that example is better than precept,
exhibit as much of his daily family life as is compatible
with necessary privacy. From that point of view, the
place has been well chosen ; but it is certainly a

MISSIONARY LIFE. 17
deal to expect from an ill-paid missionary, to expatriate
himself, and take up his abode in such localities as these.
I felt the greatness of the sacrifice expected, on seeing
here the widow of a poor fellow wlio had died only a
short time before our arrival. Though the climate of
Fiji cannot be termed unhealthy, the Wesleyans have lost
a good number of their labourers in this field. In some
measure this calamity may be accounted for by their
having selected men physically unfit to embark in such
an enterprise. Excessive zeal should not be the only
qualification. To expect from the Great Giver and Pre
server of life, that it would please Him to grant a body
constitutionally unqualified for the trying climate of the
tropics perfect health and long life, would be a miracle,
outside religious circles regarded as little short of im
piety. Nor from an economical point of view would it
seem wise to go to the expense of sending out men,
whose lives, on their being transferred to the tropics,
would in all human probability not be worth five years'
purchase. On departing, our kind friends loaded us with fresh
vegetables, yams, taro, and plantains, branches of Chi
nese bananas, heaps of cocoa-nuts, lemons, eggs, and
bottles full of milk, — highly acceptable presents after
nearly a month at sea. Mrs. Harrison, who had been
sea-sick almost the whole voyage, seemed quite to re
cover at the very sight of them, and the pleasure they
caused on board much reminded me of the foraging
parties we used to have amongst the Eskimos, Kam-
tchadales, and American Indians, in days gone by, when,
sick and tired of salt beef and pork, we would willingly c

18 A MISSION TO VITI.
part with any article of barter we happened to have
about us, in order to obtain fresh provisions.
It was a fortunate forethought on the part of our
Lakeban friends to provide us in this way, for our
voyage to the next station, Wairiki, situated on the
north-western shores of Taviuni, was to be rather a long
one, a misfortune which we did not fail to attribute to
our starting on a Friday, though the captain again pro
tested. We soon made Vuna Point, the southern ex
tremity of Taviuni, but there were so baffled by variable
winds and dead calms, that it was deemed prudent to
stand off and on, to keep clear of the reefs, which ren
der the navigation of this, as well as most parts of the
Fijian group a matter of some caution. It was not until
Tuesday, the 22nd of May, more than a week after our
departure from Lakeba, that we entered the Strait of
Somosomo, and cast anchor off Wairiki, native town
and mission-station. In a general map of the world ¦
the Viti group looks an insignificant speck, and one
might fancy that a boat would quickly pass from is
land to island. But how one is deceived ! The narrow
channels widen into broad seas, in which the largest
vessels, under proper guidance, have ample sea-room;
the little islands expand into small continents, inha
bited by untold thousands of human beings, covered
with mountains often four thousand feet high, and
traversed by rivers that may be followed for days with
out reaching their source.X

19

CHAPTER II.
ISLAND OF TAVIUNI.  THE KING OF CAKAUDEOVE. — ELEPHANTIASIS.—
KIND OFFEE OF ME. "WATEEHOUSE AND CAPTAIN "WILSON. — SOMOSOMO,
ITS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES.  QUEEN ELEANOE. — ASCENT OF
SUMMIT OF TAVIUNI.  A EOTAL ESCOET. — SYLVAN SCENE. — AEEIVAL AT
THE TOP.  SINGULAE SWAMP OF VEGETABLE TUETLE FAT.  DINNEE. 
TIMIDITY OF THE NATIVES.  CHIEF GOLEA's EETUEN FEOM A MILI-
TAEY EXPEDITION.  POLYGAMY.  THE EOTUMA-MEN.  "WAIEIKI.  AEEI-
'¦VAL OF THE 'PAUL JONES.'
The island off which we were now anchored is properly
called Taviuni, erroneously Vuna by Wilkes and the
latest Admiralty charts. It is the third island in size
of the Vitian group, being about twenty-four miles long
and nine broad, running from south-west to north-east,
and being traversed by a chain of mountains about
two thousand feet high, the tops of which are nearly
always enveloped in clouds. Stately cocoa-nut palms
gird the beach, whilst the mountain-sides are covered
by dense forests full of fine timber, and abounding
in wild pigeons and the Kula, a species of paroquet
(Coriphilus solitarius, Latham), valued on account of
its scarlet feathers, by the Tonguese, and still more
by the Samoans, for ornamenting mats. Numerous
streams and mountain-torrents, fed principally by a lake
at the summit, descend in every direction and greatly
c a

20 A MISSION TO VITI.
add to the beauty of the scenery. The northern shores
especially, forming in conjunction with the opposite
island of Vanua Levu the Straits of Somosomo, teem
with vegetation, and present a picture of extreme
fertility. The trees and bushes are very thick, and
everywhere overgrown by white, blue, and pink con
volvulus and other creepers, often entwined in graceful
festoons. Here and there the eye descries cleared
patches of cultivation, or low brushwood, overtopped
by the feathery crowns of magnificent tree-ferns ; vil
lages nestling among them. The air is laden with mois
ture, and there is scarcely a day without a shower of
rain. The north-western side of the island being more
over, from its geographical position, deprived of the
direct action of the trade wind, the temperature feels
warm when in other parts of the group it is compara
tively cool. In consequence of this, few whites have
taken up their residence in Taviuni, and the mission
aries were about removing to Waikava, on Vanua Levu,
nearly opposite Wairiki, wliere their houses would have
the benefit of the trade wind and the sea breezes. Not
mere fancy made them leave Wairiki. Their health
was giving way, and their poor children suffered severely
from a disease of the eyes. Besides, Taviuni is now
thinly inhabited in comparison to formerly. The towns
of Vuna, Somosomo, Weilangi, Wainikeli, and Bouma
have only a small population. From Wilkes's descrip
tion, for instance, I expected to find Somosomo, in 1840,
the capital of the island as well as the kingdom of
Cakaudrove, a large place, instead of a mere collection
of ten houses, with neither heathen temple, Christian

THE KING OF CAKAUDROVE. 21
church, nor respectable strangers' house. The King of
Cakaudrove, whose official title is Tui Cakau, had re
moved his court from Somosomo to Wairiki, and left
the government of Somosomo to his younger brother,
Golea. \
/Tui Cakau is a miserable-looking man, without any
chief-like attributes. He is below the middle height,
— in the eyes of Fijians, who entertain a great con
tempt for little men, a serious blemish ; suffering, be
sides, from elephantiasis and cutaneous diseases, his
whole appearance is not prepossessing. Elephanti
asis, incidentally mentioned, is one of the diseases
to which Fijians are subject, and a fearful sight it
certainly is, when the feet assume dimensions and
shapes that make them more like those of elephants
than human beings. The disease, however, is gene
rally speaking, very local, and seems to be particu
larly prevalent in low, damp valleys. I remember going
up a small river opposite the island of Naigani, where
almost every inhabitant was afflicted by this calamity.
Again, I have seen large bodies of natives, without no
ticing a single case. I have not heard of any white
settlers having suffered from elephantiasis in Fiji, though
it is well known that the whites in Samoa, Tahiti, or
other Polynesian groups, are not free from this visita
tion. No one knowing the cause of the disease, there
are of course many hypotheses respecting it. Every
white man has his own, and one pretty generally dif
fused is, that it is brought on by drinking cocoa-nut milk.
Yet there was a European who, acting on this belief,
and scrupulously avoiding the tempting beverage, never-,

22 A MISSION TO VITI.
theless became a victim, and had instantly to leave for
colder climes, the only known remedy for checking its
progress. \
Mr. Joseph Waterhouse, the chairman of the Fijian
district of Wesleyan Mission, kindly asked me to take
up my residence at his house during my stay in Taviuni ;
but, as both himself and Mr. Carey, his coadjutor, were
about to proceed to the annual meeting of their brethren
in Bau, I declined the offer, and accepted instead that
of Captain Wilson, my fellow-voyager from Australia.
Mr. William Coxon, the captain's nephew, and manager
of the cocoa-nut oil establishment which Captain Wil
son and M. Jaubert, of Sydney, had a few years ago
planted at Somosomo, came in his boat to fetch us,
bringing with him several Rotuma natives, who had
been employed in the establishment, and were willing
to work their passage in the ' John Wesley ' to Sydney,
thence to watch for a vessel to their island home.
The distance from Wairiki to Somosomo is only six
miles, and a fine breeze soon brought us there. The
water off the latter place is shallow, leaving a large flat
of rocks at ebb-tide. Captain Wilson warned me not
to expect any but the roughest accommodation, as no
proper dwelling-house had as yet been erected. I was
quite contented with what I found ; two sheds, one con
taining a hydraulic press for making oil, a large house
for drying the cocoa-nuts, which also served for dry
ing my plants, and a small dwelling-house, all built in
native fashion, and thatched with the leaves of the
sugar-cane. A grove of stately cocoa-nut palms diffused
an agreeable shade over the place, and trees laden with

SOMOSOMO. 23
bread-fruit, lemons, and oranges were dotted about.
Almost immediately behind the house rose a small
hill of rich vegetable mould, covered with beautiful
tree-ferns, over which different kinds of convolvulus
— blue, white and purple — were hanging in natural
garlands. Following the gravelly beach for about a
hundred yards on either side of the premises, one would
come to a mountain stream, splashing, foaming, and
murmuring in its rocky bed, and offering capital accom
modation for bathing.* The ground, for some miles
distant gently rising, passes abruptly into steeper moun
tains. There was little cleared land, though the soil
is fertile, and there being few paths the woods were diffi
cult to penetrate.
Fortunately a person need not be on the look-out for
wild beasts,— there are none to molest him. Snakes,
about four feet long, and of a light-brown colour, fre
quenting trees, especially cocoa-nut palms, to feed upon
the insects attracted by the flowers, are the only animals
that now and then startle him. Perhaps another source of
annoyance in this earthly paradise, are the myriads of
flies that follow one in the woods, and keep him con
stantly employed ; but as a set-off against this must be
put the good behaviour of the mosquitoes, which are
neither very numerous nor keep late hours, but leave
at dusk, and do not appear again till after breakfast.
Somosomo has, besides, the reputation of producing dy
sentery, which the natives, in the belief that it was un-
* Here a spiny fresh- water shell I discovered abounds, called, in honour
of Mr. Consul Pritchard, Neritina Pritchardii, Bohr., by one of our
rising conchologists.

24 A MISSION TO VITI.
known before the visits of white men, term " the white
man's disease." However, none of us were attacked by
it during our stay, though we were constantly exposed
to sun and rain, and ultimately out of biscuit, which
served us for bread. The natives also believe dysentery
catching, and hence will carefully avoid contact with a
person suffering from that infliction. They will never
sit down on a seat or lie down on a mat one of these
invalids has occupied, and moreover often compel the
poor sufferers to retire into the depths of the forests until
they shall have recovered. Curiously enough, those Poly
nesian islands free from dysentery, as, for instance, the
Samoan group, are visited by fever, and those free from
fever, as Fiji and others, are liable to dysentery.* ".[^'
/Chief Golea was absent on a fighting expedition to
Vanua Levu, but his wife Eleanor was at home, and
paid us a visit on our arrival, accompanied by two young
women, also wives of Golea. Eleanor is the niece of
Cakobau (= Thakombau), King of Fiji and Chief of
Bau. She is much higher in rank than her husband,
who is only a younger son of a king under the suze
rainty of her uncle. Bau has always understood how to
* The early stages of dysentery are easily cheeked by eating basinfuls
of the native arrowroot (Tacca jjinnatifida and sativa) so plentiful about
Fiji, especially on the sandy beaches, and by avoiding bananas and plan
tains, which I quite agree with Bumphius and Forster in considering as
helping to bring on this disease. The arrowroot should be made so thick
that a spoon will stand upright in it, and taken with a little nutmeg, and
if possible white sugar. I found no arrowroot to be so effective as that of
the South Sea, and when, after my return from Fiji, I had a serious
attack of dysentery in London, and was unable to get my favourite remedy,
no shop having it genuine, I had an illness of several months, which nearly
proved fatal.

FONDNESS OF NATIVES FOR BOOKS. 25
guard against the centrifugal tendency of Fiji and pre
serve its political superiority ; and giving Bauan women
of rank to petty chiefs has been one of the means em
ployed. A queen thus married would still hold the
same position she did before marriage, and her sons
would, as " vasus" have great privileges at Bau, and be
identified with her prosperity. Eleanor was a tall, fine-
looking woman, of much lighter colour than the gene
rality of her countrywomen, a cheerful countenance,
and possessed of dignity and self-possession. Consider
ing the scantiness of her dress, this is saying very
much in her praise. Though her husband and most of
his other wives were still heathens, she was a Christian,
and I believe a sincere one, judging from the almost
frantic manner in which she endeavoured to obtain a
Fijian Bible seen in my possession. She exhausted
every argument to get it, and her joy was indescribable
when her wishes were acceded to. It was much in
creased by the volume being the Viwa edition, which
is preferred to the London, not only because it is a
larger book and printed in the islands, but also be
cause in the recent London edition some changes have
been introduced of which the natives do not approve.
The Fijians are fond of books, especially large ones,
even if written in languages not understood by them.
Some of the whites maintain that this is simply be
cause they use them as cartridge paper, but I do not
believe this to be generally the case. I had several
good offers for Endlicher's ' Genera Plantarum,' and
other large well-bound volumes, though never any for
the bales of botanical drying-paper I carried about with

26 A MISSION TO VITI.
me. Eleanor, notwithstanding her high rank, did not
seem to exempt herself from any of the duties devolving
upon Fijian women. I often saw her go fishing on the
reef, and being up to her waist in water. One night,
when all was silent, and we were sitting in the house
reading and writing, we heard her call loudly for help,
and on rushing down to the beach, we found that she
and two other women had caught a large turtle in their
net, and were holding on to the splashing animal with
all their might, until assistance could be obtainedX
On the 30th of May, we ascended for the first time
the summit of Somosomo ; Captain Wilson, Mr. Coxon,
and several men kindly sent from the mission at Wairiki,
accompanied us, carrying baskets, for making collec
tions. The Queen of Somosomo, hearing of our inten
tion, joined the expedition with her whole court. At
daybreak we found her train waiting for us, on the
banks of a river, all fully equipped for the occasion.
A few strokes of the pen will describe their dress. The
Queen wore two yards of white calico around her loins,
fern-leaves around her head, the purple blossom of the
Chinese rose in a hole pierced through one of her ears,
and a bracelet made of a shell. No other garment
graced her stately person, and yet she looked truly ma
jestic. Her attendants dispensed with the calico alto
gether, and were simply attired in portions of banana
and cocoa-nut leaves fresh from the bush, which was so
far convenient to them as they were ordered to push
ahead, make a road, and shake the dew and rain from
the branches obstructing the way. In our European
clothes, we stood no chance in keeping up with them.

A SYLVAN SCENE. 27
They were always a long distance ahead, waiting for
our coming up, and enjoying themselves in opening
cocoa-nuts, and smoking cigarettes, made with dry ba
nana leaves instead of paper. \
The ascent, was rather steep, and Mr. Storck had the
misfortune to hurt himself rather seriously from falling
down a considerable precipice, just when in the act of
gathering some botanical specimens. The road was very
bad, the forest being so thick that no glimpse of the
sun could fall upon a soil saturated with excessive mois
ture. Large trees and abundant underwood of small
palms and tree-ferns produced a solemn gloom, and
made us long for a look at the sky. Wild pigeons of
a brown colour, and in very good condition for eating,
there abounded, and a number were brought down by
our guns. As we were pushing on, collecting all that
came in our way, and now jumping over rivulets, now
climbing over rocks, we suddenly arrived at an open
space, exhibiting a beautiful view of the whole Straits
of Somosomo. The eye passing over a dense belt of
forest, espied the islands of Rabi, Kioa, and Vanua Levu,
the reefs showing very plainly by the surf breaking upon
them, whitish fleeting clouds occasionally passing be
tween us and this fine panorama. \
The women had kindled a fire, and thought it a good
place to take refreshment. The Queen was seated on
the top of a rock, the maids of honour grouped
around her. It was a pretty sight. The dark beauties,
the really artistic effect of their ornamental leaves
and flowers, the easy grace of their movements, made
them look like so many nymphs that one reads of in

28 A MISSION TO VITI.
classic story, but never seems to meet with nowadays:
As we were taking our luncheon, the Queen asked nu
merous questions about our system of monogamy. For
her part, she could never bring herself really to esteem
a man contented with one wife, and she was glad her
husband was a polygamist. Of course we tried to con
vince her of our way of looking upon the subject, but,
having fairly refuted our assumption that women do not
like to see their husband's affection distributed over a
whole harem, she almost got the best of the argument\ /
, After another hour's scramble we reached the summitp-
and found it to all appearance a large extinct crater
filled with water, and on the north-eastern part covered
with a vegetable mass, so much resembling in colour
and appearance the green fat of the turtle, as to have
given rise to the popular belief that the fat of all the
turtles eaten in Fiji is transported hither by superna
tural agency, which is the reason why on the morning
after a turtle-feast the natives always feel very hungry.
This jelly-like mass is several feet thick, and entirely
composed of some microscopic cryptogams, which, from
specimens I submitted to the Rev. M. J. Berkeley,
a weighty authority in these matters, proved to be
Hoomospora transversalis of Brebisson, and the repre
sentative of quite a newr genus, named Hoomonema
fluitans, Berkl. A tall species of sedge was growing
among them, and gave some degree of consistency to
the singular body. We were not aware until it was too
late that these strange productions were only floating
on the top of the lake and forming a kind of crust, or
else we should not have ventured upon it. On the con-

DINNER AT A LAKE. 29
trary, we took it to be part of a swamp, that might
safely be crossed, though not without difficulty, for we
were always up to our knees, often to our hips, in this
jelly. All this caused a great deal of merriment. A
little hunchback, who carried a basket swinging on a
stick, looked most ludicrous in his endeavours to keep
pace with us. Now and then, when one or the other
was trying to save himself from sinking into inextricable
positions, he had to crawl like a reptile, and the others
were not slow to laugh at his expense. The first symp
toms of danger were several large fissures which oc
curred in the crust we were wading through. The
water in them was perfectly clear, and a line of many
yards let down reached no bottom. These fissures be
came more and more numerous as we advanced, until
the vegetable mass abruptly terminated in a lake of
limpid water full of eels. The border wras rather more
solid than the mass left behind, and all sat down to
rest, from the great exertion it had required to drag
ourselves for more than a mile and a half through one
of the worst swamps I ever crossed. As it was getting
quite a fashionable hour for dinner, and our appetite
was becoming more keen every minute, we determined
not to postpone it any longer; cold yams, taros, and
fowls, washed down with a bottle of Australian wine
mixed with water from the lake, constituted our meal.
The sides of the lake were covered with scarlet myr
tles and a fine feathery palm (Kentia exorrhiza, Herm.
Wendl.) closely allied to those of New Zealand and Nor
folk Island, but different. There were, besides, many
other plants, too numerous to be enumerated here, that

30 A MISSION TO VITI.
yielded a rich harvest. ;I should have liked to tarry
much longer than I did, but the natives became de
sirous of returning, and as the sun was gradually de
clining, there was no retaining them. Our company
dwindled down to a few faithful attendants, and even
these were speedily reduced to one, Ambrose, a native
teacher, and a man deservedly valued by the mission
aries. Having to be in the forest late in the evening
is to the Fijians something terrible. They see ghosts
and evil-intentioned spirits start up in every direction,
and to escape falling victims to their anger, they yell
and shout at the top of their voice, like children when
left in the dark at night. We regained Somosomo,
dreadfully tired and covered all over with mud, but well
satisfied with our day's excursion, and it was not long
before we were in bed, under two blankets, which in
June and July are never found too warm in Fiji.\
/ On the 31st of May, Golea, the chief of Somosomo,
returned from his fighting expedition. It was a fine
scene ; six war-canoes with their large triangular sails
skimming before the wind, the warriors on board, dan
cing, shouting, singing, and sounding the conch-shell.
Eleanor, accompanied by the whole seraglio of the chief,
hastened to the beach, in order to welcome their lord
and master by clapping of hands, dancing, and sing
ing. There being no men at home, the little hunchback
of Golea's establishment came breathless to our place,
begging Mr. Coxon to pull the trigger of a pop-gun
which was to be fired the moment his highness stepped
on shore, but which no one had the courage to touch.
Golea, soon after landing, paid us a visit. He was a

EASY VICTORY. 31
fine man, about twenty years of age, and more than six
feet high, with intelligent features, and as melodious a
voice as I ever heard. Like most of his fighting-men,
his face was blacked with charcoal obtained from the
Qumu-tree (Acacia Bichei, A. Gray). Over his luxuriant
head of hair he wore the sola, made of a very fine piece
of white native cloth, and looking somewhat like a
turban. Around his loins he wore a narrow strip of
bark-cloth, done up in the T-bandage fashion. Arms
and legs were decorated with bands made of the bleached
leaves of the Voivoi, a species of screw-pine ; whilst a
boar's tooth, nearly circular, was suspended around his
neck. Golea, flushed with victory, gave us a rather
circumstantial account of his recent exploits, the first
I believe he had ever been engaged in on his own ac
count, and, being a young man, he made the most of
them. His object had been to punish some district of
Vanua Levu for having, three years ago, killed his bro
ther. He had taken nine towns, which he assured us
had been a great achievement. Soon afterwards we
heard another version of the affair, according to which
the inhabitants, not appreciating the idea of being
clubbed, had adopted the maxim of running away in
order to live to fight another day. This fully accounted
for only two killed, one an old woman, the other a child ;
and malice, as venomous in Fiji as elsewhere, added that
even these two had only been knocked down and would
probably recover. We may rejoice that no more serious
calamities attended Golea's expeditions, which may be
said to have closed a long line of murders. Golea's
father, Tui Kilakila, in February 1854, was murdered,

32 A MISSION TO VITI.
by the hands of, or, as some assert, at the instigation of,
his own son, who then succeeded him to the throne of
Cakaudrove. A second brother, to avenge his father's
foul murder, committed fratricide, and was in his turn
assassinated by the people whom Golea had just re
turned from punishing. c r ~\ JU
Golea, on my asking him when he would follojmig
eldest brother in embracing Christianity, rephjHthat
his religion was fighting, and that he did n£as yet
think of becoming a disciple of the new fait^PWlPw'
his great objections seemed to be its allowing him only
one wife, whilst now he had an extensive harem, to
which he continually made new additions. The Wes
leyans have invariably refused to admit as members of
their society, any professed native Christians who vM
not give up polygamy. Of course, among Protest!
any sect is at perfect liberty to adhere to whatever j
and regulations it may think fit to impose upon
and no words should be lost upon the discussion
by laymen. But when taking a common-sense view of
the case, whether polygamists on becoming Christians
should put all save one wife away, it assumes a differ
ent aspect, which the Bishop of Natal has done good
service in ventilating. To say that discarded wives of
ti polygamist may find husbands argues nothing ; so may
fallen women of our own country. According to the lex
loci, the wives enjoy a legitimate existence before the
general adoption of Christianity. By declaring them il
legitimate, a serious wrong is inflicted upon them. And
why do evil that good may come ? These women, sud
denly deprived of the consciousness that they are legiti-

POLYGAMY. 33
mate and respectable, and, without their fault, becom
ing illegitimate and outcasts, are driven from a home
to which they are bound by many ties. Had less ob
jection been offered to polygamy, far greater progress
-might have been made in christianizing Polynesia
and many other parts of the world, where a man is esti
mated in a great measure by the number of his wives,
and it becomes a serious thing to ask him to lower
himself in public estimation by putting away all his
wives save one. Had or were the broad principle
admitted, that a man might remain a polygamist
on becoming Christian, but not add to his number,
many would have been induced to join the Christian
community who, under present circumstances, hung back
as long as they possibly could. The whole question
Soften presented itself; and, in the earlier stages
hristianity, the Church distinctly proclaimed the
isity of admitting polygamists. Of course, as all
bmftles born of the newly-converted would at once be
come Christians, and only be allowed to have one
wife, polygamy would die out altogether in one gene
ration. I am persuaded that this is the right view
to take of the subject, whatever some theologians may
argue to the contrary. When at Bau, the subject of suc
cession to the throne was discussed, and the missionaries
were for seeing it descend upon Cakobau's youngest
son, because he was the son of his Christian wife, a boy
of very tender age ; and to fix the stigma of bastardy
upon his eldest son, the child of the highest woman of
his household, and to whom the king was not married
by Christian ritual, yet legitimately united according to
D

34 A MISSION TO VITI.
Fijian customs. Were the case tried before any com
petent tribunal, no doubt it would be given in favour of
the eldest sen, — a fine manly fellow, who would well de
serve the honour he was to be deprived of.
Golea asked for grog, — -which the natives term " Ya-
qona ni papalagi," or foreign Kava, — but was told that
there was none in the house. He then begged to be
supplied with a cup of tea, which was cheerfully given.
Some of the Fijians are gradually acquiring a taste for
intoxicating drinks, as most other Polynesians have done,
and there is not a more painful task than to be obliged
to refuse supplying them. However, I do not think
that the dark-coloured races of Polynesia, including
amongst others the Fijians and New Caledonians, have
that intense longing for spirits characteristic of the
Hawaiians, Samoans, Tonguese, and other light-coloured
races, who are great slaves to it, notwithstanding all
that is done to check a habit which helps so mate
rially to decimate them. Yet, whether this difference
is merely owing to the fact that the former have not
had such unrestricted intercourse with tne whites as
the latter, or whether sobriety is to them a virtue as
easy to exercise as it is to the Spaniards and Italians in
comparison to the Teutonic nations, the future alone j
will show. The lower class of whites are setting them a
bad example, and one has often reason to blush for his
own race. Whilst I was in the islands the first grog
shops were opened at Levuka, and several others have
since been established in Bau, and other parts of the
group. What has always surprised me is, that con
sidering the Fijian to be a tropical climate, most of

ROTUMA MEN. 35
these great drunkards enjoy such a long life. They
boast— whether it be true I had no means of testing—
that they are often intoxicated two months at a time.
One of the oldest white settlers always bought a large
cask of spirits whenever he had the chance, and, as he
did not know when he should have another, he took the
daily precaution to fill up the cask with as much water
.as he had drunk spirits. P1~M •
/On the 1st of June, one of the Rotuma men, work-
ing in the establishment, died. His countrymen seemed
to feel his loss very much, as he had been a petty
chief among them, and they proceeded to bury him
in their own fashion. The body was wrapped up in
cloth, and a mound raised about two feet above the
ground, large stones being placed all around, and the
inside filled up with gravel from the beach.\|^Rotuma
is a small island three hundred miles north of this
group,., and belonging to the Fijian Consulate. Some
years ago, the Wesleyans endeavoured to establish a
permanent mission there, but, although succeeding in
making a few converts, they were forced to abandon
the field. _ The ruling chief, described as a fine young
fellow, having made a voyage to Sydney, where he
was well received, — even, if report be true, at Govern
ment House, — had been persuaded by some whites and
a New Zealander, who gained influence over him, that
if he wished to preserve the independence of his coun
try he must not admit missionaries, as they proved in
variably the harbingers of national annihilation. 'The
Wesleyans therefore received intimation to withdraw
their Tongan teachers, and the few native converts re-
D 2

36 A MISSION TO VITI.
turned to their former religion, the principal features
of which seem to be a belief in a Supreme Being, and
the worship of ancestors. The French have been more
successful in the neighbouring island of Fotuna, where
the Roman Catholic priests established a flourishing
mission. \
' /The Rotuma men can nearly all speak a little En
glish ; they are a good-looking people, with as light a
skin as the Tonguese, rich black, often curly, hah, worn
very long, and regular, frequently Jewish, features. The
latter peculiarity has been remarked by all who have
visited Rotuma, and amongst the men working on the
Somosomo estate there was one who bore the nickname
of " Moses," in consequence of his undeniable resem
blance to an unadulterated Hebrew. They circumcise,
tattoo around the loins, and perforate the left ear, into
which they put a gay flower, or the rolled up leaf of
the Dracaena terminalis. ' The Rotuma men are a hard
working set, and, if Fiji should become a European
colony, their island will be likely to supply a good
number of useful hands. 1 have seen them pull an oar
all day long under a broiling tropical sun, or work away
at the mill and oil-presses, without ever losing then
good temper or complaining, True, in Somosomo they
were well fed, and had as much as they liked to eat of
yam, pork, or fish. Hardly a day elapsed without a pig
being clubbed for their especial benefit. One of them
invariably attended to the cooking, not only for the men
but also for us. He gloried in the name of Koytoo, and
was the youngest and best-looking of the lot, with rich
curly hah-, and a figure as symmetrically formed as a

OUR COMMISSARIAT DEPARTMENT. 37
sculptor could desire to copy. Two yards of blue striped
calico was his simple garb. When I first took up my
abode under Captain Wilson's hospitable roof, Koytoo
could- not even be termed a plain cook. He excelled
in boiling and roasting yam, and in frying pork in the
European fashion, but beyond that his acquirements did
not extend. It was I who gave him the benefit of the
culinary experience gained during my long travels, by ini
tiating him into the mysteries of making coffee, tea, pan
cakes (without eggs), fritters, chicken and turtle soup.
For a yard of calico the Queen would sell us six fowls in
the bush; but here we found how true was the old pro-
: verb, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." As
' will be explained in another place, the Fijian fowls are
far from being domesticated; they are to all intents and
; purposes wild. Now and then they show themselves
near the dwellings, to pick up the offal, but as soon as
any one makes an attempt to catch them they are off,
and the only expedient to get them is by shooting. In
the tropics, to eat day after day pork and yam,, the
usual food of Fiji, is not very tempting, and we there
fore endeavoured to introduce some diversity into our
mode of living, by obtaining as many fowls as we could.
Often and often did Messrs. Storck and Coxon leave
their, I cannot say soft, couch at dawn to have a crack
iat them ; but the birds were so cunning that no sooner
^id they creep near the place whence the crowing pro
ceeded, than they were silent or had decamped. Eggs
were but seldom seen. The Fijians consider it babyish
,to eat them, and cannot be induced to look for them.
The turtle-flesh was always sent to us as a present, either.

38 A MISSION TO VITI.
from the chief or his head wife, and after I had in
structed Koytoo into the mysteries of concocting it into
soup, with which neither he nor the Fijians were pre
viously acquainted, the chief would never fail to appeal'
at the very moment the soup was put on our table. In
fact there were always boys of his loitering about the
kitchen, eagerly watching the moment that it was
ready, and then running as fast as they could to inform
their chief of the important event!
Koytoo was an expert climber, and thought nothing
of ascending a tree to collect some specimens of flower
or fruit for me. We often made excursions together,
and I have frequently admired the way in which he
would walk up the smooth trunk of a tall cocoa-nut
palm, in order to knock down a few fruits for refreshing
ourselves. Without closely embracing the tree, as we
are wont to do in climbing, he actually walked up, his
feet and hands just touching the trunk, and his body
being far off. He was scarcely seated on the leaves
forming the feathery crown of the palm, when down
came a number of nuts, all of which he had carefully
tapped with his fingers to ascertain by the sound
whether they had arrived at that stage of maturity
which I preferred for drinking ; for there is a great
difference in the taste of the cocoa-nut as it advances
towards maturity, and for every one of these stages
the natives have a distinct term. What is yet still
more remarkable, they at once know the stage by
merely tapping at the nut with their fingers. As the
transition from one stage to another, from insipid to
sweet, and very slightly acid, is brought about in a day

KOROVONO AND ITS FORESTS. 39
or so, it requires a well-trained ear to detect the diffe
rence, and, though trying very hard, I never could mas
ter it. No sooner were the nuts clown than Koytoo stood
again on terra firma, cutting a stick about three feet
long and one inch thick, which he placed obliquely in
the ground, and used for shelling the nuts. Thus di
vested of their thick outer fibrous covering, the hard
shell of one nut was used as a hammer for knocking a
hole in the other, and so nicely was this done, that the
hole was hardly larger than a shilling, and scarcely a
drop of the milk was spilt. We used to empty a great
number of nuts in this state without ever experiencing
any bad effects. We who wear clothes ought to have
a steady hand, for should any of the milk be spilt, it
will, on running over the few remaining fibres of the
husk, become astringent, and produce an indelible stain
in linen and cotton, having exactly the appearance of
iron-mould. / On the 4th of June, I paid a visit to Korovono, on
Vanua Levu, Mrs. Waterhouse obligingly lending me
the mission boat and crew to take me across the Straits
of Somosomo. My object was to examine the Kowrie
pines and wild nutmegs of that place. We left Somo
somo early in the morning, and reached our destination
at three o'clock in the afternoon. Jetro, an old Manila
man, who had come to Fiji years ago, and spoke Spanish
with some difficulty, met us on the beach, and conducted
us to a fine grove of Kowrie pines (Dammara Vitiensis,
Seem.) shortly to fall a prey to the axe. European
sawyers had already cut down a number of the best
trees, yet some good specimens were still standing, and

40

A MISSION TO VITI.

I took exact measurements of them. They were from
eighty to a hundred feet high, and, four feet above the
base ; the largest was eighteen feet in chxumference!
The Fijian Kowrie, or Dakua, as the natives term it,
does not form entire forests by itself, like some of our
pines, but grows intermingled with other trees, in Koro-
vono with myrtles and wild nutmegs. These nutmegs
are also stately trees, with fine oblong leaves ; and then
produce, though it will never be able to enter into com
petition with the cultivated nutmeg of the East Indies,
is sufficiently aromatic to be employed for home
consumption. One of the men climbed up the highest
Kowrie pines by means of a creeper, that hung like a
rope from the uppermost branches, and he threw down
a good supply of fruit, and also a snake five feet long,
which had taken up its abode there.
On returning to the beach we kindled a fire to make
a cup of tea, and the natives brought us plenty of
cocoa-nuts and bananas. Our camp was pitched under
a couple of magnificent Dilo trees (Calophyllum im-
phyllum, Linn.) the thick, glossy, green foliage of which
was set off to advantage by the numerous white blos
soms with which the tree was crowded. The branches,
densely covered with ferns and orchids, were quite over
hanging the water; indeed all the beaches of the
Strait of Somosomo are characterized by this pecu
liarity. The vegetation, instead of receding from the
sea, as in most parts of the group, is quite bent over
the briny fluid. We had intended to stop for the night
at Korovono, but at dusk the mosquitoes began to be
very troublesome, and, as we had omitted to bring cur-

DIFFICULTIES OF ASCERTAINING THE TRUTH.* 41
tains for our protection, sleep would have been out
of the question. A council of war being held, it was
thought preferable, notwithstanding the wind being
dead against us, to beat out of the bay and pull the
rest of the way. Leaving without further delay, we
passed, about midnight, Kioa, or Owen Island, as it is
sometimes called, from having become the property of
Mr. Owen, an enterprising Australian gentleman, who
endeavoured to form a settlement on it. Mr. Owen
was for some time a member of the Victorian Legisla
ture, at Melbourne, where he was often alluded to as
" Member for Fiji." Though taking advantage of every
slight breeze, we had to be at sea all night and did not
reach Somosomo until six o'clock the next morning,
and were heartily glad when Koytoo, the Rotuma cook,
brought the breakfast, as usual consisting of yams, pork,
and coffee. ,
On the 5th of June, a small island schooner came in
belonging to a half-caste, and manned by a crew of the
same mixed origin. They brought all the news of the
group, and complained bitterly of the missionaries in
juring their trade by inducing the natives to contribute
cocoa-nut oil towards the support of the Wesleyan So
ciety, an article Avhich formerly passed direct into the
hands of the small traders. When a native became
Christian, he was made to give every three months eight
gallons of oil, or thirty-two a year, equal to £4 sterling.
Notice was given a few days before the oil was due ;
and when a trader visited a place he found none but
empty casks, — the church had swallowed it all up.
This statement, like many others heard in the islands,

42 * A MISSION TO VITI.
Ah
I found only partially true ; indeed, I have never been
in a country where it is more difficult to arrive at real
facts than Fiji. To say nothing about those who make
it a point to diffuse absolute untruths, nearly everybody
seems to rejoice in overstating a case or giving a most
partial version of it ; and it requires no slight discrimi
nation to keep on good terms with those with whom
one wishes to stand well, so fearfully rampant is the
gossip. The most outrageous stories were unblushingly
circulated about the different consuls and missionaries;
and sometimes I felt hot and cold, while having to be
an unwilling listener to scandal of this description,
People in civilized countries do not know how much they
owe to the laws that protect them, at least against the
grossest libels. Talk of village scandal, it is nothing to
it. Of course, in a society of whites so limited, this
state of affairs might be expected, but a new feature in
the history of gossip is that all the tittle-tattle of the
other groups of the Pacific w7as dealt out as so many
delicious morsels in Fiji. The doings of known per
sonages in Tahiti, Samoa, and Tonga were discussed
with avidity. Fancy, we in Europe troubling ourselves
with the small talk of places more than a thousand
miles distant.
'Before the arrival of the British consul, several of
these small island schooners carried on a profitable traf
fic in human beings. They used to go to the large
islands, and purchase young women, for whom from five
to ten dollars in barter were usually given. These women
were sold again to whites in other parts of the group,
often for fifty dollars each. Several women were pointed

WAIRIKI. 43
out to me as having been bought in this way to be
come housekeepers of European settlers, and, as their
new lords and masters clothed, fed, and treated them
better than their Fijian, they had cheerfully stayed with
them. Mr. Pritchard's presence has in a great measure
put a stop to these and to several other iniquities, or at
all events prevented their being carried on in open day
light; but until the home government shall think' fit
to lighten the consul's duties, by placing a fast-sailing
schooner at his disposal, and allow him some abler as
sistance than he has hitherto obtained from his clerks,
similar shortcomings must be expected. ,
On the 12th of June I went for a few days to Wairiki.
The premises occupied by the mission of that place are
very commodious ; there are two large dwelling-houses,
built about two hundred yards apart, one occupied by Mr.
Waterhouse, the other by Mr. Carey. On the second
day of my stay there, those two gentlemen returned
from Bau, bringing a message from Mr. Pritchard, the
British consul, to the effect that Colonel Smythe had
as yet not arrived, and that a little schooner should be
sent for me, in case I did not reach Ovalau by the 12 th
instant. Mr. Carey showed me his collection of native
curiosities, including a fine set of clubs, spears, bows,
and arrows. I also saw here for the first time a fan
made of the leaf of a beautiful palm, a tree which had
proved quite new to science, and which in honour of
Mr. Pritchard, and as a grateful acknowledgment of
the invaluable assistance he rendered to me, the name
of Pritchardia pacifica has been given by Mr. Wend-
land and myself, — the specific name being justified by

44 A MISSION TO VITI.
its growing in various groups of the Pacific, and Mr.
Pritchard's untiring efforts to preserve the peace of that
region. Fans made of this palm are used exclusively
by the chiefs, and forbidden to be carried by the com
mon people. Should Fiji ever choose a national em
blem, the claims of this palm to be regarded as such,
should not be overlooked.
Mrs. Waterhouse made me a present of an Orange
Cowry, or Bulikula as the natives term it (Cyprcea
aurantium, Martyn), the first I had seen there. This
shell has hitherto been found exclusively in Fiji, where
it is confined to the islands and shores of North-west
Viti Levu ; it is worn as an ornament around the
neck by natives of rank. Not many years ago, a couple
of these cowries would fetch as much as £50 in Eu
rope, but at present a pair without the least flaw, and
of the deepest tint the shell is known to assume, may he
bought in London for £6. Hugh Cuming, Esq., the
possessor of the largest conchological collection ever
brought together, is my authority. This statement
will doubtless be received with surprise by the Fijian
traders, who ask a much higher price on the spot, and
still fancy great profits might be realized, in the Euro
pean markets. It should however be remembered, that
though the Orange Cowry is extremely local in its geo
graphical range, and will consequently always be a rare
shell, specimens have found their way to every public
museum and every private cabinet of importance long
ere this, and the principal demand having thus been
met, the price has necessarily declined. \
The road from Wairiki to Somosomo leads for seve-

A KITE.  THE 'PAUL JONES.' 45
ral miles along a fine sandy beach, underneath a bower
of stately trees, and then branches off inland. I passed
magnificent groves of ' Tahitian chestnuts (Inocarpus
edulis, Forst.), growing on the banks of rivulets and
diffusing a delightful shade and coolness, whilst their
grooved trunk and knobby root, always rising above the
ground, are conspicuous objects. Although it was now
the dry season, nevertheless I was completely drenched
by several showers. Indeed there were few fine days
during the whole time I was staying in Taviuni, and I
may as well add that 1860 was as unusually wet in
Fiji as that year proved in Europe and other countries.
The land between Wairiki and Somosomo does not
appear to be very rich, the soil being rather stony ; the
extreme luxuriance of the vegetation must therefore
principally be ascribed to the great quantity of rain
that falls almost throughout the year.\
/One day, Messrs. Storck and Coxon made a large kite,
to the great amusement and entertainment of the Fi
jians, who, chief and all, turned out to see it. They
called it a " manumanu " (bird), and had never beheld
such a thing before ; our Rotuma men, however, said
they knew it, and in their island often made it of
lvi (Inocarpus) leaves. Great was the joy when the
"postilions" reached their destination, and, as there was
a fine breeze, the trick was always successful. So much
were they gratified that they came for several days in
succession to beg that the kite might be brought out,
till at last the toy got such a bore that the makers were
obliged to destroy it.
In accordance with my request, Mr. Consul Pritchard

46 A MISSION TO VITI.
sent, on the 19th of June, the 'Paul Jones,' a schooner
of nine tons,— built in the islands by Mr. Jones, an Eng
lishman formerly residing at Levuka,— and entirely of
native woods, Dilo (Calophyllum inophyllum, Linn.) and
Vaivai (Serianthes Vitiensis, A. Gray), with masts of Fi
jian Kowrie-pine. The crew were all half-castes, mostly
sons of Englishmen who had taken up their residence
in Fiji. They could speak English more or less flu
ently, having had some instruction at the different
missionary schools. The late Mr. Hunt, one of the
most distinguished champions of Christianity in these
parts, seemed to have taken considerable interest in
their education, and they always spoke in the highest
terms of him. It was amusing to hear some of their
EnglishV'In Fijian, B, N, and G, are combinations of
two distinct consonants, sounding like Mb, Nd, and
Ng. Joe, our cook, a very good-natured fellow, had the
greatest difficulty in steering clear of these letters. In
spite of all our pains, he would insist in telling us that
the " yams were quite ndone," and that "mbreakfast was
ready." / The captain of the ' Paul Jones ' brought a letter
from the consul informing me that Colonel Smythe had
not yet arrived, and advising me to hasten my depar
ture from Somosomo if I wished to take advantage of an
excursion he had arranged to the dominions of Kuru-
duadua, a powerful heathen chief, hitherto, inaccessible
to all missionary influence, and residing on the large
island of Viti Levu. My mind was at once made up. In
a few hours, all my baggage was packed, and embarked.
During my stay at Somosomo, many of my things had

FIJIAN HONESTY. 47
been left in an open shed, and in boxes that could not
be locked every time they had to be opened ; yet I did
not lose a single article, though the hatchets, knives,
and cotton prints must have been invaluable in the eyes
of the natives. On the whole, the Fijians confirm Cap
tain Cook's opinion, according to which the light-
coloured Polynesians have thievish propensities, the
dark-coloured not. The Tannese, a dark-coloured race,
he must either have looked upon as an exception to his
rule, or else they must not have been in those days the
set of expert thieves they are at present.
The extreme fertility of the soil about Somosomo in
duced me to establish there an experimental cotton plan
tation ; and before fairly embarking on board the ' Paul
Jones ' for Ovalau, I must insert a short chapter on
cotton, which those who think it a subject no amount
of literary skill can make attractive, may skip without
losing the thread of the general narrative.

48

CHAPTER III.
FIJI AS A COTTON-GROWING COUNTRY.  COTTON NOT INDIGENOUS BUT NA
TURALIZED.  NATIVE NAMES.  NUMBER OF SPECIES. — AVERAGE PRODUCE
OF THE WILD COTTON.  EXCELLENCE OF FIJIAN COTTON ACKNOWLEDGED
AT MANCHESTER.— EFFORTS OF BRITISH CONSUL AND MISSIONARIES TO
EXTEND ITS CULTIVATION.  THE FIRST THOUSAND POUNDS OF COTTON
SENT HOME.  ESTABLISHMENT OF A PLANTATION AT SOMOSOMO, WAKAYA
AND NUKUMOTO.  PROSPECTS OF COTTON-GROWING IN FIJI.
Cotton was one of the subjects to which attention was
principally directed by my instructions ; and I have en
deavoured to collect every information which might
prove useful in forming a correct estimate of the Fijis
as a cotton-growing country. If I understand the na
ture and requirements of cotton aright, the Fijis seem
to be as if made for it. In the whole group there is
scarcely a rod of ground that might not be cultivated, or
has not at one time or other produced a crop of some
kind, the soil being of an average amount of fertility,
and in some parts rich in the extreme. Cotton re
quires a gently undulated surface, slopes of hills rather
than flat land. The whole country, the deltas of the
great rivers excepted, is a succession of hills and dales,
covered on the weather-side with a luxuriant herbage
or dense forest ; on the lee-side with grass and isolated
screw-pines, more immediately available for planting.

A FIRST-RATE COTTON-GROWING COUNTRY. 49
Cotton wants sea-air. What country would answer this
requirement better than a group of more than two hun
dred islands surrounded by the ocean as a convenient
highway to even small boats and canoes, since the un
checked force of the winds and waves is broken by
the natural breakwater presented by the reefs which
nearly encircle the whole 1 Cotton requires, further,
to be fanned by gentle breezes when growing, and a
comparatively low temperature; there is scarcely ever a
calm, either the north-east or the south-east trade-wind
blowing over the islands keeps up a constant current,
and the thermometer for months vacillates between 62°
and 80° Fahrenheit, and never rises to the height at
tained in some parts of tropical Asia, Africa, or Ame
rica. In fine, every condition required to favour the
growth of this important production seems to be pro
vided, and it is hardly possible to add anything more in
order to impress those best qualified to judge with a bet
ter idea of Fiji as a first-rate cotton-growing country.
/ Cotton is not indigenous in any part of the group.
Independent of its introduction being alluded to in va
rious works as having taken place in the early part of
this century, there is no proper vernacular name for it.
In all such cases, the Fijian language borrows that of
an indigenous plant resembling the introduced one as
closely as possible ; thus the Cassava root received the
name of " Yabia ni papalagi " (i, e. foreign arrowroot),
the bird's-eye pepper that of "Boro ni papalagi" (i.e.
foreign nightshade), and the pine-apple that of "Ba-
lawa ni papalagi" (i.e. foreign screw-pine). By the
same rule, cotton became known as " Vauvau ni papalagi" E

50 A MISSION TO VITI.
(i. e. foreign Vauvau), from its close resemblance to the
Bele, or Vauvau (Hibiscus \Abelmoschus~\ Manihot, Linn.),
a cultivated species, the leaves of which are eaten as a
potherb. It is true that when foreigners speak about
"Vauvau" the natives of the coast know cotton is meant,
but in districts where cotton has not yet penetrated, as
for instance at Namosi, Viti Levu, one is sure to get the
edible Hibiscus, if Vauvau, without adding "ni papalagi"
(foreign), be asked for.*
Yet, notwithstanding cotton being undoubtedly an
introduced plant, and although until lately no attention
whatever was paid to its cultivation, it has spread over
all the littoral parts of Fiji, and become in some locali
ties perfectly naturalized. Six different kinds have come
to my knowledge, all of which are shrubby, and pro
duce flower and fruit throughout the whole year, though
the greater number of pods arrive at maturity during
the dry season, from June to September. There are
two kinds of kidney-cotton, one (Gossypium Peruvianum,
Cav.) having naked, the other (Gossypium sp. nov.?)
mossy seeds. A third kind ( Gossypium Barbadense, Linn.)
has disconnected naked seeds ; a fourth ( Gossypium ar
bor eum, Linn.) has disconnected seeds covered with a
greenish moss and long staple ; a fifth is probably an
inferior variety of the preceding one, and only differs
from it in the length of the staple ; and a sixth (Gossy
pium religiosum, Linn.), being the Nankin cotton, valua
ble only in certain foreign markets. The four first-men-
* In Tahiti Gossypium Barbadense is known as " Vavau," a name evi
dently identical with, the Fijian " Vauvau." Nankin cotton (G. religiosum)
was found wild in Tahiti by Forster.

YIELD OF WILD COTTON. 51
tioned kinds, especially Gossypium Peruvianum and Gos
sypium arboreum, are the most frequent in the group ;
the fifth seems confined to Laselase, some miles from
Namosi ; and the sixth (Nankin) has been met with on
Kadavu by Mr. Pritchard, and on the Rakiraki coast
by Colonel Smythe.
There is scarcely any difference in the look of the
four first-mentioned kinds which a person not botani-
cally trained could readily detect. Left to themselves,
and never subjected to the pruning knife, these cotton
shrubs become as high as a tall man can reach, and each
shrub spreads over a surface of about fourteen feet
square. I have had no opportunity of counting the
number of pods produced throughout the year by a
single specimen, but that found in July was on the
average seven hundred per plant. Twenty pods of
cleaned cotton weighed 1 oz. ; thus each plant would
yield 2 lbs. 3 oz. Allowing fourteen feet square for
each plant, an acre would hold 222 plants, yielding at
the rate of 2 lbs. 3 oz. per individual plant, 485 lbs.
10 oz. Even fixing the price of sorts, worth more than
Is. at Manchester, as low as 6d. per pound on the spot,
an acre would realize £12. 2s. 9fd When it is borne
in mind that Fijian cotton brings forth ripe fruit with
out intermission throughout the year, but that this cal
culation is based solely upon the number of pods found
at one time only, and that the pods were gathered from
plants upon which no attention whatever had been be
stowed, the result will be still more striking; double,
even treble the above quantity may safely be calculated
upon as their annual crop. When it is further remem-
E 2

52 A MISSION TO VITI.
bered that Fijian cotton is not an annual, as "it is in the
United States, and all other countries, when killed by
frost or too low a temperature, and that the plants will
continue to yield for several years without requiring any
other attention than keeping them free from weedy
creepers and pruning them periodically, the encourage
ment held out to cultivators will be pronounced very
great. Until the excellence of Fijian cotton had been ac
knowledged at Manchester, and the mercantile value of
the different sorts been ascertained to be Id. to 1\d.,
8d., 9d., lid., and even 12d. to 12%d. per pound respec
tively, no attempt had been made to cultivate the plant.
It was almost entirely left to itself, and perhaps only
here and there disseminated by the natives, in order to
furnish materials for wicks. But when in November,
1859, Mr. Pritchard returned from England to Fiji, with
the valuation printed in the Manchester ' Cotton Supply
Reporter,' for March, 1859, he induced the most influen
tial chiefs to give orders for planting it ; and the Wes
leyan missionaries, without any exception, zealously
aided in these endeavours by recommending the culti
vation, both personally and through the agency of their
native teachers. Thus, cotton has been thickly spread
over all the Christianized districts, and imparts to them
a characteristic feature, occasionally very striking in
places having a mixed religious population. In Navua,
for instance, that part of the town inhabited by Chris
tians is full of cotton, whilst that inhabited by the
heathens destitute of it.
To guard against misconceptions, it must be stated that

EXTENSION OF COTTON CULTIVATION. 53
cotton has as yet been cultivated by the natives in their
peculiar style. Those who would look in the islands for
broad square acres covered with any given produce will
be seriously disappointed. The Fijian cultivator has such
an abundance of good land at his command, and holds
such stringent notions about the fallows to be observed,
that he selects patches here and there only, which after
an annual or biennial occupation, are deserted for others
cleared for the purpose. When cotton was recom
mended to him, he followed his old cherished system,
and the isolated patches now beheld are the result.
These patches are of various sizes, but I have not seen
any containing more than fifty plants. In Namara, and
other districts subject to Bau, isolated specimens, often
as many as twenty, are met with on the margins of
every taro, banana, and yam plantation. On the island
occupied by Bau, the Fijian capital, Mr. Storck, my
assistant, counted four hundred shrubs, growing in the
streets and squares. The number of plants thus dis
persed all over Fiji must be considerable, though no
body could venture to give any approximate estimate of
them ; and their aggregate produce, if attentively col
lected, would doubtless amount to a quantity scarcely
expected from such sources. Mr.. Pritchard, in order
to open the trade, pledged himself, before leaving Eng
land, to his Manchester friends, to forward 1000 lbs. of
cleaned cotton within twelve months' time, and he ex
perienced no difficulty in obtaining from Kadavu, Na-
droga, and Bau an amount exceeding that promised
before the time fixed for its dispatch, — the first ever
sent home. Now that a demand has been established,

54 A MISSION TO VITI.
there will be a marked increase in the crops, when the
numerous young plants added to the old stock at Mr.
Pritchard's investigation begin to produce their harvest.
On leaving England in February, 1860, the Man
chester Cotton Supply Association, through their able
secretary, Mr. Haywood, furnished me with a large
quantity of New Orleans and Sea Island cotton-seeds,
together with printed instructions for their cultivation.
Distributing a fair share of the seeds and papers amongst
white settlers, who, I felt persuaded, would make use
of them, I myself was enabled to establish a small cotton
plantation on the Somosomo estate of Captain Wilson,
and M. Joubert, of Sydney, in the island of Taviuni.
None of the seeds of the Sea Island sort possessed any
germinating power ; but those of the New Orleans cot
ton were very good, and readily grew. Sown on the
9th of June, they began to yield ripe pods within three
months, and I was thus enabled to take home a crop
from the very seed I brought out, though my absence
from England only amounted to thirteen months alto
gether. This may truly be termed growing cotton by
steam. When I paid a second visit to Somosomo, on
the 18th of October, my plants were from four to seven
feet high, full of ripe pods and flowers, which in the
morning were of a pale yellow, but towards evening
turned pink. Koytoo, the Rotuma native, whom I had
desired to look after the plantation, said that the field
only required weeding once; after that the cotton-plants
grew so rapidly that they kept down the weeds, and he
had no further trouble.
Simultaneously, Dr. Brower,. United States Vice-Con-

SUCCESS OF AN EXPERIMENTAL PLANTATION. 55
sul, had succeeded in raising New Orleans cotton on his
estate, in the island of Wakaya7.twelve pods of which"
weighed an ounce ; whilst the seeds distributed by me
amongst various people had evidently not fallen on
barren soil. Of course, my plantation could only be a
small one, but nevertheless it proved so far beneficial
that it convinced those white settlers who had lately
repaired to the group what quick returns cotton would
yield, and some of them resolutely set about establish
ing plantations. The mail brought the news that some
of them had as many as fifteen acres planted. Mr.
Storck, my assistant, who went from Sydney with me
to Fijis, made up his mind to remain behind when I
came away, in order to devote his energies to cotton-
growing. Mr. Pritchard supplying him with land, he
commenced a plantation at Nukumoto, on the island
of Viti Levu ; and if the experiment should prove re
munerative, more land will speedily be brought under
cultivation. The fact that cotton will grow, and will grow well)
being established, the success of this and similar attempts
will chiefly depend upon the supply of manual labour.
Those best acquainted with the condition of the group,
and the character of its people, confidently look forward
to a steady supply of it. In Rewa, Ovalau, and other dis
tricts longest frequented by whites, the natives go round
asking for employment. This is quite an innovation,
and shows that the Fijian is becoming gradually accus
tomed to labour for fixed wages ; and, when the chiefs
shall have either voluntarily relinquished or been com
pelled to give up their claim to all the property ac-

56 A MISSION TO VITI.
cumulated by the lower classes, a favourable result will
be the immediate consequence, and a fresh impulse be
imparted to all branches of industry. Let the common
people once be assured that nobody can legally take
their fair earnings away from them, and that the little
comforts with which they have managed to surround
themselves may be openly displayed without the dan
ger of being coveted by the chiefs and their favourites,
and they will doubtless be eager to engage in any work
that does not require any great mechanical skill or
violent exertion, and at the same time will yield them
reasonable returns.*
* Whilst these sheets were passing through the press, the Fijian contri
bution to the Great Exhibition of 1862 has arrived, whieh Mr. Consul
Pritchard, in a letter to me, dated Levuka, Fiji, March 12th, 1862, accom
panies with explanations, of which the following have an important bearing
upon the cotton question : — " The box No. 1 contains eight samples of
cotton. Of these samples, No. 1 is New Orleans cotton, from the planta
tion you established at Somosomo, which since your departure has been
sadly neglected ; the trees are half withered and overgrown with bush,
and I fear the quality has much deteriorated. No. 2 is kidney cotton,
grown- by Mr. Storck on his plantation at Nukumoto (Eewa Eiver). It
was planted in July and gathered in December last. No; 3 is kidney cot
ton, native-grown at Eewa. No. 4 is native-grown, from Burebasaga (Rewa,
Eiver). No. 5 is Sea Island cotton, grown on Nukulau, the little island
in the Eewa roads, and planted by an Englishman, Mr. Smytherman, in
January, and collected in August, 1861." I should here add, that Mr.
M'Clintoek, nephew of Sir Leopold M'Clintock, sowed some Sea Island
cotton at Eewa ; in twenty-four hours it was up, with the first two leaves
quite open ; in two months and twelve days it was in full blossom, 'and
is now almost ready to gather, not having been planted three months!
" No. 7 is from Mr.-Eggerstrom's plantation at Nagara, and was gathered
four months after planting. No. 8 is native-grown."
Sea Island cotton delights in sandy soil impregnated with saline par
ticles, and localities wafted by sea-breezes, such as Eewa and Nukulau are.
"With the high prices now commanded by this kind, and the prospect of
continuance of civil wars in the United States, speculators would find it
highly remunerative to hire or purchase land about Eewa, or localities simi
larly situated, for the cultivation of Sea Island cotton.

EXCELLENCE OF FIJIAN COTTON. 57
It is well known, both from public journals and the
'Correspondence relating to the Fiji Islands,' presented by
command of her Majesty to both Houses of Parliament,
May, 1862, that from samples submitted by Mr. Pritch
ard, the Executive Committee of the Manchester Cotton
Supply Association resolved, " That these samples are of
qualities most desirable for British manufacture; that
such a range of excellent cotton is scarcely now received
from any cotton-growing country ; and that the supply
obtained from the United States does not realize nearly
so high an average value as this Fijian cotton." It
must be borne in mind, that these and similar opinions
were arrived at in 1859, long before my visit to the is
lands and the publication of the favourable report I
made.* Doubtless the same Committee would now be
prepared to pronounce a still higher opinion, if that were
possible. The Fijian samples sent to the Great Exhibi
tion of 1862 would furnish capital material for renewed
examination, and amongst them would be found some
of Sea Island cotton, the sort which, having the largest
staple and fetching the highest price, was hitherto ex
clusively grown in perfection on the coast of South
Carolina, Georgia, and a small part of Florida. Fiji
has now supplied every sort of cotton, from the cheapest
to the very best, and capitalists would do well in direct
ing their attention to it.\
* My report was sent by the Colonial Office to Manchester, and first
published in No. 71 of the ' Cotton Supply Eeporter,' of August 1st, 1861.

58

CHAPTER IV.
DEPAETUEE FEOM SOMOSOMO.  ISLAND OF WAEIAYA.  THE BALOLO. — ABBI-
VAL AT LEVUKA.  H.B.M. CONSUL.  THE LATE ME. WILLIAMS. — LADO
AND ITS OEIGIN.  SITE FOE THE NEW CAPITAL.  THE KINO OF FIJI. — •
BAU.  CAUSES OF ITS SUPEEMACT.  VIWA.
/The ' Paul Jones' had been seven days on her voyage
from Port Kinnaird to Somosomo, having had to beat up,
but in going back she had a fair though not a very
strong wind. We left Somosomo in the afternoon of the
20th of June, and called at Wairiki to wish good-bye to
the missionaries, and return them several articles they
had kindly lent us. The first night we anchored in a
small bay on the southern coast of Vanua Levu, and
went on shore the next morning to botanize. The town,
built near a great swamp, consists of about forty houses.
We had scarcely shown our white faces in the first
house when all the little children set up a perfect
scream, and nothing their parents said or did could pa
cify them. If they had seen the " old gentleman " him
self in propria1 persond, they could not have been more
frightened. The piercing screams brought children of
all the other houses out, till the whole formed one
great yelling chorus, so terribly grating on our ears that
we made all possible haste to escape into the woods. Our

WAKAYA. 59
excursion produced several plants not previously noticed,
and also resulted in the discovery of an entirely new
genus of Bhamnacece, which I have called, in honour of
Colonel Smythe, R.A., Smythea pacifica* \
Steering in a south-westerly direction, we sighted the
island of Koro, or Goro as some charts erroneously term
it, where an immense number of yams are grown, and
the souls of all the pigs killed in the group are supposed
to go. A little further on we passed Wakaya, a small
island belonging to Dr. Brower, and the site of a settle
ment chiefly composed of half-castes, who, besides at
tending to the sheep and cattle, look after the planta
tions of sugar, coffee, and cotton the enterprising Doc
tor has established. The most remarkable fact con
nected with Wakaya is its being one of the places
where the Balolo, a curious annelidan, makes its periodi
cal appearance. Of the very existence of this singular
animal naturalists knew nothing, until a few years ago
Dr. Gray, of the British Museum, described it under
the name of Palolo viridis, adopting its Samoan and
Tonguese vernacular name for the genus ; and Dr. Mac-
donald wrote on its anatomy. The time when the Ba
lolo comes in may be termed the Fijian whitebait
season. It is watched for with the greatest anxiety,
and predicted with unerring certainty from the phases
of the moon. The first of these worm-like creatures
floating on the surface of the ocean are seen in October,
* A coloured plate and a full description of this singular genus, closely
allied to Ventilago, with which it agrees in habit to a remarkable degree,
but differing by having a veritable dehiscent capsule, instead of a drupe,
has been published in ' Bonplandia,' vol. x. p. 69, tab. 9. Additional par
ticulars will be found in my ' Flora Vitiensis.'

60 A MISSION TO VITI.
hence termed Vula i Balolo lailai, i.e. the little Balolo
month. Myriads appear about the latter end of No
vember, generally on the 25 th, which from that fact is
known as the Vula i Balolo levu, or great Balolo month ;
and the natives of the coast are particularly busy in
catching and forwarding the delicacy of the season to
friends residing in places deprived of it, — presents all
the more appreciated as a whole year must elapse be
fore the same boon can again be conferred.
In a letter dated Levuka, Fiji, December 6th, 1861,
and addressed to her friends, an English lady gives the
following account : — " In November we all went for a
few days to Wakaya, about ten miles east-north-east
from Ovalau, in order to see the Balolos, which rise out
of the reefs just before daylight, first in small numbers,
but about sunrise in such masses that the sea looks
more solid than liquid. As they were to appear on the
morning of the 25th, we retired to rest at an early hour
the night before, and rose with the moon, about one
o'clock in the morning. An hour's pull in the whale
boat brought us to the very spot they were to come.
We found several natives already collected there in
boats and canoes, all anxiously looking out who should
get the first. This they discovered by sitting with then
hands in the water as the canoe was gently paddled about.
Presently there was great shouting, — nets were put out,
the excitement commenced. At first our nets did very
well, but soon the Balolos became too numerous for
them to be of any use, and they were caught by the
hand and thrown into the baskets with which the boats
were filled. We placed a white handkerchief about

THE BALOLO. 61
four inches below the surface of the water, but the
little creatures were so thick above it that it was quite
invisible. At first I could not make up my mind to
touch them, but seeing every one else doing so, I sum
moned up all my courage, plunged in my hands, and
grasped a goodish number, of which, however, I got rid
as quickly as possible. The little slimy things twist
round the hand in half a second. They are, of course,
perfectly harmless, swim very fast, and the longer ones
have, sometimes five or six coils in the body. When at
the thickest they are all entangled one in another,
which gives a very curious appearance, as they are of
various colours, green, red, brown, and sometimes white.
As the sun gains power they dissolve, and about eight
or nine o'clock you scarcely find one. It is always in
November they come in such masses, just after the last
quartering of the moon, and they rise with the tide.
As soon as the natives have gathered all they can, they
make fires and ovens to cook them. Small quantities of
Balolos are tied up in bread-fruit leaves, and have to
lie in the oven from twelve to eighteen hours. When
all is cooked, the natives expect a heavy shower of rain,
as they say to put out the fires of their ovens. Should
there be no rain, a bad yam season is predicted."
Several of the white residents eat Balolo, and a
strong-minded English lady assured me it was quite a
relish ; however, everybody knows the old proverb, " De
gustibus," etc., and if in the Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, or
New Hebrides group — in all of which the Balolo is
found — a dish of this description should be served up,
strangers must exercise their own discretion whether

62

A MISSION TO VITI.

The Balolo (Palolo viridis, E. Gray).— Fig. 1. The entire animal, na
tural size ; 2. Portion of the body slightly magnified ; 3. Magnified figure
of the head, with its three frontal tentacula and eyes ; the position of the
retracted jaws is shown in the central dark space behind the tentacula ;
4. Posterior extremity of the Balolo, dorsal aspect ; figures 3 and 4 copied
from Macdonald's paper in ' Linnean Transactions,' xxii.

THE BALOLO. 63
these little, creeping, crawling things, with their cylin
drical, jointed body, are a delicacy to be recommended
or a nuisance to be avoided.
The most singular portion of the natural history of
the Balolo is the regularity of its periodical appearance.
About Hanover I have often observed devout Roman
Catholics going on the morning of St. John's day to
neighbouring sandhills, gathering on the roots of herbs
a certain insect (Coccus Polonica) looking like drops of
blood, and thought by them to be created on purpose
to keep alive the remembrance of the foul murder of
St. John the Baptist, and only to be met with on the
morning of the day set apart for him by the Church. I
believe the life of this insect is very ephemeral, but by
no means restricted to the 24th of June. But there is
an Australian bird (Psittacus undulatus) which is known
to lay its eggs always on the 17th and 19th of Decem
ber, and forms another instance of certain actions in the
life of an animal being performed, with unerring cer
tainty, on particular days. \
On the 22nd, at four p.m., we entered the harbour of
Levuka, the principal port of the island of Ovalau.
Captain Wilson, who had left Somosomo a few days be
fore me, was standing at the beach, and conducted me
to the office of the British Consulate, where I found
Mr. William Pritchard, by whom the cession of Fiji to
England has been brought about, and to whom I deli
vered a letter from Earl Russell. Mr. Pritchard is the
son of the Rev. George Pritchard, formerly British Con
sul at Tahiti, at the time when the French, against the
wish and will of the natives, assumed the protectorate

64 A MISSION TO VITI.
of that group, treated Queen Pomare with unusual
harshness, and the British representative in a manner
that nearly brought about a war between France and
England. Born in Tahiti, and thoroughly acquainted
with the Samoan and most other Polynesian groups, Mr.
Pritchard enjoys the peculiar advantage of being per
fectly familiar with all native modes of thought. During
my stay in Fiji I had frequent opportunities to see how
successfully he was able to deal with these islanders,
whenever any difficulty arose.
We called together on Mr. Binner, who has for years
filled the office of training-master to the Wesleyan
mission at Levuka, and also manages the commercial
affairs of this religious society in Fiji. We thence went
to Dr. Brower, the American Vice-Consul, who received
me with great kindness, and whenever I visited Levuka
I always took up my quarters under his hospitable roof.
Mr. Williams, the American Consul, had died a few
days before my arrival. I should have liked to have
seen him, in order to form an independent estimate of
a man about whom so many contradictory statements
were afloat. He did not live on good terms with the
missionaries, and controversies were carried on between
them in the Australian and American newspapers,
which, as is usual in such cases, proved advantageous
to neither party. Mr. Williams bought considerable
tracts of land, and it was maintained that the purchase
was not in all instances a fair one, and that the na
tives had only from fear of American men-of-war given
their assent to these transactions. It is impossible to
say whether in all cases the sellers were satisfied with

LADO, 65
the bargain ; yet I remember, quite in the interior of
Viti Levu, Chief Kuruduadua publicly declaring at an
official meeting that his brother had sold land to Mr.
Williams, and that he, regarding the purchase as valid,
had no wish to dispute it. This was a great deal from
a man like Kuruduadua, who had a violent dislike to
Americans, as some of them had burnt Navua, his sea
side residence, a few years previously. Towards the
natives Mr. Williams appears to have been very kind,
and would not refuse them anything. I heard of a
bet which a chief made, that he would obtain a water
proof coat just sent out to Mr. Williams, merely by
iasking for it, and which was won by him who trusted
in Mr. Williams's generosity. The whole of the land
on which the mission-station at Mataisuva is built, an
extensive piece of ground, was presented by Mr. Wil
liams to the Wesleyan body at the very time when
isome of their members were engaged in the hottest po
lemical struggle with him.
Dispatching my collections made in the eastern parts
of the group by a vessel about to sail for Sydney, I
started with Mr. Pritchard, in the consular gig, for Lado
ilewa, a little rocky islet on the western side of the
island of Ovalau, which we reached about sunset, after
[i sail of about an hour and a half, and which Mr.
fPritchard kindly invited me to look upon as my home
iluring my stay in the islands.
'¦ Let me tell the history of this rock : — Once upon a
fime, a god and goddess, who rejoiced in the name of
jLado (= Lando) were directed to block up the Motu-
Jiki passage leading into Port Kinnaird and the Bau

66 A MISSION TO VITI.
waters, in order to stop the rolling surf from disturbing
the nightly repose of the great Fijian deities. They
resolutely set about it; but having, in common with
other spiritual beings, a decided objection to daylight,
they threw the two enormous rocks collected for that
purpose in the middle of Port Kinnaird as soon as
they began to " smell the morn ;" or, according to an
other version, their noble selves became changed into
rocks, as were the villagers in the Bohemian legend of
Hans Heiling, — now bearing the names of Lado alewa,
the female Laclo ; and Lado tagane, the male Lado.
The latter version seems to be the most rational, — if
reason has anything to do with such things, — for
once transformed into stone the two spirits were
unable to stir again, whilst, if they had merely thrown j
down their burden, they might have been made to
resume their labours, like Sisyphus of old. However,
be that as it may, the fact is, that we were now on the
rock identified with the name of the goddess — the
larger of the two; and I trust that whatever intentions
the Fijian Olympus may formerly have entertained re
specting the two Lados in general, and the one we had
landed on in particular, they will reconsider the ques
tion since the British colours wave on the summit of
this islet. The rocky slopes have been transformed
into terraces of flowers, and a neat European-built cot
tage, with broad verandah, and a roof thatched with
sugar-cane leaves, contained the archives of the British
Consulate. Tire natives looked upon this house as a
perfect marvel of art ; the windows, papered rooms, and
above all, the staircase, — the first ever made in Fiji,

POET KINNAIED. 67
— proved a source of never-failing curiosity and admi
ration. Miss Pritchard made tea in the English fashion,
which I thoroughly enjoyed, after being so long com
pelled to take it from the hands of rude natives. A
room was given up to me, and every comfort Fiji af
forded was bestowed upon me. To sleep once more in
a well-constructed, clean bed, under a good mosquito
cm-tain, is a luxury that only those who have been
obliged to forego for some time can fully appreciate.
It was high time that I arrived at such quarters, as I
began to experience symptoms of dysentery, — a disease
which has proved fatal to many new-comers from Eu
rope. However, a judicious supply of Fijian arrowroot,
and a few glasses of port-wine, soon restored me to per
fect health. Mr. Storck, who had been suffering from
his fall and those ulcerations to which most people
going to the tropics for the first time are subject, also
began to get better after being a few days at Lado,
so that both of us had reason to be extremely thankful
for the hospitality conferred.
There being no collective name for the waters situ
ated between Moturiki and Ovalau, and sheltered by the
Yanuca (= Yanutha) islands, Mr. Pritchard, in honour
of the Honourable Arthur Kinnaird, who takes a deep
interest in Fiji, termed them Port Kinnaird, and endea
voured to form a settlement on the south-western parts
of Ovalau. When I first visited this settlement there
were about twenty-five wliites, some of whom had
cleared a little land ; but most of them seemed to be
long to that class of immigrants who arrive almost
F 2

68 A MISSION TO VITI.
penniless, and are disappointed on not becoming trans
formed into capitalists on landing. I endeavoured to
urge them to begin planting their land with such tro
pical products as the climate favours, and told them of
my little cotton plantation at Somosomo. All hoped
to make their fortune when Port Kinnaird should be
come the capital of Fiji, and their land rise in value.
The question of where the capital of Fiji is going
to be on the country becoming a European colony,
is a much debated one in the islands. The unfitness
of Bau, the native capital, for all commercial purposes,
being generally acknowledged, four places have laid
claim to that distinction, — Levuka, Ga Loa, Port Kin
naird, and Suva. Levuka has always been a favour
ite resort of the white population, and has a central
position, and a tolerably good though not large harbour,
but there is no room for a town. Rocks rise from almost
the water's edge, allowing space for only one or two rows
of houses, the heat in which is suffocating ; and unless a
series of works is commenced similar to those which
render Valetta a city of terraces, there is no hope of
making Levuka more than a trading village. When I
finally left it, in November, 1860, there were only few
weather-boarded houses, belonging to the consuls and
missionaries, — all the rest of the dwellings were large
huts built by the natives.^ The finest house was that
of Mr. Binner, beautifully situated on the top of a hill,
and commanding a grand view of the reef and its curl
ing surf. Closely adjoining Levuka — as London does
Westminster, New York Brooklyn, or Hamburg Altona
—is Totoga, a fortified place with thick walls and

SITE FOR THE NEW CAPITAL. 69
gateways, where the Roman Catholic missionaries and
several French reside. True, this place might be in
corporated with Levuka, but it is surrounded by swamps,
the drainage of which would be a matter of difficulty to
a young community.
Ga Loa, or Black Dusk Bay, on the southern side
of Kadavu, is the next place that recommends itself to
consideration. Should a strain communication be esta
blished from Brisbane, Australia, to Central America,
and vid Fiji, Ga Loa would recommend itself as a fit
place for steamers to call at ; and I have advocated its
claims both in the ' Athenaeum ' and before the Royal
Geographical Society of London, and shall speak of it
again when describing our movements at Kadavu. But
I do not think it well suited for the capital of Fiji.
Kadavu, on which it is situated, is one of the southern
most islands, and separated by a sea of more than
sixty miles from Viti Levu, the principal island, and by
more than one hundred and fifty miles from the centre
of Vanua Levu and Taviuni. Small canoes or open boats
could not venture thither except in fair weather,
and its isolation would always be against its becoming
the true metropolis.
Port Kinnaird offers great advantages, indepen
dent of its central position. It is a very fine port, per
fectly landlocked ; and if a portion of Moturiki could be
devoted to a site for a town, it would speedily rise in
importance, — for Moturiki is probably the finest little
island in the group. The entrance to Port Kinnaird
is popularly regarded as difficult and impracticable,
but a consultation of Captain Denham's survey proves

70 A MISSION TO VITI.
ingress and egress to be easy. Port Kinnaird would
doubtless become the future capital if its advantages
were not totally eclipsed by Suva in Viti Levu. So
convinced has every one capable of forming an opinion
become that Suva will be the capital, that the land
around the harbour has enormously risen of late ; £20
an acre was asked in November, 1860; and £10 I saw
actually refused for land jl few years previously not
worth more than a few pence at the utmost. Not a
single house had then been built. The general con
viction that Suva must become the capital seems to
have been the sole cause of this sudden rise. If one
were to write a puff for a land speculator, one would
hardly string together a greater number of favour
able conditions. There is a good harbour, with mud
bottom, deep water right alongside of the shore, shel
tered by a reef, and having a wide passage for the
largest vessels to beat out. When once inside the pas
sage there is clear sea-room, no outlying shoals or
reefs. Suva commands the most extensive agricultural
district in Fiji, through which run fine rivers (the Navua
and Wai Levu or Rewa) navigable for boats for many
miles inland. Suva has besides outside reef communi
cation completely around Viti Levu, with the exception
of a few miles on the southern shore and the westward,
and continuing to the northward to Vanua Levu, and
along the entire southern shore of that island. The
convenience of inside reef communication is demon
strated in the case of parties employed in sawing. Logs
are purchased at a distance of forty miles from the pits,
and floated up by natives at a trifling cost. Were there

COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE. 71
no reefs, this would be an impossibility. Suva Point
is a gently undulated country, free from swamps, and
about three miles wide or thereabout at the base. It
has on one side Suva Bay, on the other Laucala (=Lau-
thala) Bay ; the latter first surveyed by Sir Edward
Belcher,* and offering many conveniences. The point
itself is open to the prevailing winds ; it is thinly tim
bered with bread-fruit, cocoa-nut, dawa, and other trees
of no great growth, and thus requires but little clearing.
A few days after my arrival at Lado, we were grati
fied by a visit from Mr. Caesar Godeffroy, of Hamburg,
who had been several years in the South Sea es
tablishing a direct trade with Germany, and planting
agencies in the most important groups. Messrs. Go
deffroy and Co. are the first great house who have
entered this comparatively new field of commercial en
terprise, and there is every reason to believe their ope
rations successful. There is a great market in the
South Seas, but only those who have an intimate ac
quaintance with the articles required should ever be
tempted to enter it. Even the comparatively few things
I took out for barter taught me the value of inquiring
most minutely into the exact nature of the articles here
current. Knives with white handles were rejected or
but slightly esteemed, though their blades were even
better than those having black ones, and so with every
thing else.
Judging from the crowds of boats and canoes daily
arriving at Lado — for every one here has either the one
* Eewa Eoads are called in the Admiralty Chart Nukulau Harbour; the
special chart published embraces the surveys of Sir E. Belcher.

72 A MISSION TO VITI.
or the other — the sudden disappearance of this Con
sular establishment would be felt as a serious incon
venience. v; The British Consul is now the sole authority
that keeps order in Fiji — the natives having voluntarily
made over to him the entire jurisdiction of the group,
and found it preferable in their quarrels with the whites
to abide by his judgment, rather than break their own
heads and those of the white settlers by an appeal to
the club. It was easy for them to arrive at this conclu
sion ; meanwhile, the person who thus found himself
called upon to adjust the differences of a native popu
lation about twice that of New Zealand, and a thick
sprinkling of white immigrants, some of whom hold
queer ideas of poetical justice, had no idle time of it ;
and if Mr. Pritchard 7had not acquired a thorough mas
tery over the Polynesian mind by means of his intimate
acquaintance with all their customs, usages, and tradi
tions, of which he skilfully avails himself, there would
be endless fights and dissensions, to the great detriment
of the native population and the interests of commerce.
I have repeatedly listened to the proceedings in court,
and been struck with the logical acuteness of the natives.
Their mind seems indeed of a much superior cast to
that of most savages ; and their discussions are as much
above those of the Maoris reported in the New Zealand
newspapers, as the talk of men is to the prattle of chil
dren.
\ /On the 28th of June, Cakobau (or Thakombau, as his
name may be written according to English orthography),
King of Fiji, and supreme Chief of Bau, paid a visit to
Lado, and I was formally introduced to him. His Ma-

KLNG CAKOBAU. 73
jesty has been described repeatedly as a man of almost
gigantic dimensions. But he is only of fair proportions,
and does not measure more than six feet in height. I
can speak very positively on these points, having
often seen him with nothing more than a few yards
of native cloth on, as well as in a blue naval uniform.
When dressed in uniform, people would scarcely believe
that he could be the same man whose powerful build
excited their attention. When one day in his company
I got quite close to him, in order to take his measure
without his becoming aware of the attempt. But his
quick eye had detected the studies of comparative ana
tomy in which I was engaged, and very good-naturedly
he offered to stand close to me, when it was found that
he was more than two inches shorter than I am, without
his shoes and socks, whilst I measure exactly six feet
two inches, so that he is after all only six feet high.
It is not difficult to reconcile the statements relating
to his gigantic stature with what I have ascertained.
People not accustomed to move much amongst natives
almost in an absolute state of nudity, are generally de
ceived about the size of the person they see before
them. Moreover, the King, previous to his conversion
to Christianity, wore a large head of hair, all frizzled and
curled in such a way as to stand literally on end, and
covered with a piece of white native cloth, — a device
which must have greatly added to his height, and in
duced foreigners to believe him much taller than he
really is. He has of late years suffered a little from
elephantiasis, but generally enjoys very good health.
None of the portraits that have been published do jus-

74 A MISSION TO VITI.
tice to him, and he feels rather annoyed that Europeans
should think him as ugly as those representations make
him. His face expresses great shrewdness and good-
humour ; his bearing is very dignified on public occa
sions ; and it was gratifying to see him at church be
having in a manner that no reasonable man could find
the slightest fault with.
The Queen of Fiji, to whom Cakobau has been mar
ried according to Christian rites ever since he aban
doned heathenism, is a rather stout, quiet woman, about
five feet two inches in height. I have only seen her
once dressed, and that at the time of our first official
interview about the cession. She then wore a neat
bonnet, latest Parisian fashion, a coloured silk dress,
and a black mantilla trimmed with lace. I need
scarcely add that the use of crinoline was not unknown
even in this remote quarter of the globe. The Queen,
at the interview alluded to, was rather bashful, owing
to a wish expressed by the Consul that she should sit
at her husband's side, instead of, as the rules of the
country demanded, behind him. However, she com
ported herself very well indeed, but I daresay was very
glad to get her clothes off as soon as the official inter
view was over.
Cakobau calls himself " Tui Viti," or King of Fiji,
and has a perfect right to it. True Fiji is divided into
a number of petty states, yet all of them acknowledge
vassalage to Bau by paying either a direct tribute to it,
or being tributary to states so circumstanced. It is
highly probable, however, that at one time all Fijians
were under one head, and formed perhaps a more com-

75
pact nation than they do at present. Of course, I am
aware the title " Tui Viti " has been revived only lately ;
owing, it is stated, to a letter which General Miller,
formerly H. B. M. Consul-General at the Hawaiian, or
Sandwich Islands, addressed to " Tui Viti," and which
Cakobau, as the most powerful chief of the leading
state, thought it right to open. But the title "Tui
Viti" occurs in many ancient legends current in
various groups of Polynesia, and could scarcely have
originated with such close neighbours, who would
rather be apt to detract than to magnify the power of a
foreign nation already far above them in the exercise
of various useful arts and manufactures. Old traditions
further state the Fijians to have been an unwarlike
people, until they had established a more intimate and
frequent intercourse with the light-coloured races of
the eastern groups, when sanguinary intratribal quarrels
became almost their normal condition. These traditions
would be favourable to the existence of a powerful mo
narchy in Fiji, such as legendary evidence represents it
as being at one time, and also its ultimate extinction
and remoulding by the growing power of petty chiefs,
skilful in new practices of war acquired whilst abroad.
The hypothesis advanced derives additional strength from
the fact of all Fijians, though scattered over a group of
more than two hundred different islands, speaking one.
language, having a powerfully developed sense of nation
ality, and feeling as one people. No ancient Roman
could have pronounced the words " Civis Bomanus sum "
with greater pride or dignity than a modern Fijian calls
himself a " Eai Viti," a Fijian. We can scarcely con-

76 A MISSION TO VITI.
ceive these general sentiments to have taken hold of
the popular mind with such force, if the people had
always been divided into petty states as at present.
Away from the capital and Cakobau, some of the Fijian
kinglets talk very boastfully of their total independence,
and wish you to believe the suzerainty of Bau merely
applies to certain inferior chieftains ; whilst the social
supremacy is seldom disputed, and the court dialect is
understood by all the chiefs, even those living in the
remotest parts of the group, and it has therefore very
properly been adopted by the Wesleyan missionaries in
their translation of the Bible. Each of these states or
principalities has its ambassador at Bau (MataM Bau),
who, however, does not constantly reside in the capital,
but only when there is any business to transact, which
may occasionally last for weeks or months. On arriving
at Bau, he takes up his abode at the house of the Bauan
" minister," if he may be called so, charged with the
affairs of the district from which he comes as ambas
sador, and he is by his host introduced to the King of
Fiji. When Bau has any business to transact abroad,
the ambassador selected is invariably the minister of
the affairs of the district to which he is sent, and his
place at the capital is temporarily filled by a relative.
The office of these diplomatic agents is hereditary in
certain families, and they are appointed by the ruling
chiefs. Title and office are quite as much valued as
they are in Europe by ourselves, — human nature being
human nature all the world over.
On the 28 th of July, Mr. Pritchard and myself set
out in the consular gig for Navua, Viti Levu, to pay our

BAU. 77
visit to Chief Kuruduadua. There being rather a strong
south-easterly breeze, we arrived two hours after dark
at Bau, thoroughly wet from salt water, and heartily
glad to take shelter under the hospitable roof of Mr.Collis,
a gentleman connected with the mission. Until 1854,
Bau, which is the name of the metropolis, as well as
the ruling state, was opposed to the missionaries, and
the ovens in which the bodies of human victims were
baked scarcely ever got cold. Since then, however, a
great change has taken place. The King and all his
court have embraced Christianity ; of the heathen tem
ples, which, by their pyramidal form, gave such a pecu
liar local colouring to old pictures of the place, only
the foundations remain ; the sacred groves in the neigh
bourhood are cut down ; and in the great square where
formerly cannibal feasts took place, a large church has
been erected. Not without emotion did I land on this
blood-stained soil, where probably greater iniquities
were perpetrated than ever disgraced any other spot on
earth. It was about eight o'clock in the evening ; and
instead of the Avild noise that greeted former visitors,
family prayer was heard from nearly every house. To
bring about such a change has indeed required no slight
efforts; and many valuable lives had to be sacrificed, — for
although no missionary in Fiji has ever met with a vio
lent death, yet the list of those who died in the midst of
their labours is proportionally very great. The Wes
leyans, to whose disinterestedness the conversion of these
degraded beings is due, have, as a society, expended
£75,000 on this object; and if the private donations
of friends to individual missionaries and their families

78 A MISSION TO VITI.
be added, the sum swells to the respectable amount of
£80,000. Bau is built on a small island on the east side of Viti
Levu, with which it is connected by a long flat of coral,
fordable at high water, and in places bare at low. The
annexed sketch, taken in 1860, by Mrs. Smythe, and
kindly placed at my disposal, will give a better idea
of the place than any description. The island is at the
back about a hundred feet high, and around the beach
thickly covered with native houses, arranged in crooked
streets. The top of the island, where the British flag is
waving, was a mere receptacle for rubbish, until the in
dustry of the missionaries converted it into smiling gar
dens and eligible sites for dwelling-houses. At my first
visit the natives were just finishing their new Bure ni sa,
— a building, one or several of which are found in every
town^ and which may be described as a compromise be
tween our club-houses and town-halls. It was 125 feet
long, but not quite so high as the adjoining church,
which is 100 feet high, and seems a tremendous edifice
for natives to erect without nails, and the use of such
tools as are employed by us.
The King's residence is close to the beach, and a
large native-built house, to which several out-houses
are attached : one of which is inhabited by Peter, a Ton
guese, who fills the office of prime minister, and seems
much attached to the King. In front of the house is a
fine lawn of couch-grass, and groups of iron-wood, and
other native shrubs and trees, — the whole, I believe, a
creation of Mrs. Collis, the wife of the resident training
master at Bau, who will ever live in my memory, for

-\-\

CAUSES OF BAU'S SUPREMACY. 79
having, amongst other great acts of kindness conferred,
never failed to supply me in this land of pork and yams
with bread, cakes, and other acceptable presents when
ever I came in that neighbourhood.
/ Bau is said to own its present superiority to the for
tunate accident of having been the first familiar with
the use of fire-arms. Charles Savage, a Swede, intro
duced it about the beginning of this century. But it
was not only to this accident that Bau is indebted to
its permanent ascendency. Like England, but on a
lilliputian scale, it is a great naval power, able to send
its fleets of canoes to any part rebelling against its
authority, or refusing to discharge its annual tribute. \
The Bauans are a fine race, nearly all members of noble
families or gentlefolks. Most of them are tall, well-
proportioned, and often with a handsome cast of coun
tenance. In Fiji, as in fact all over the South Sea, a
man is estimated by the height of his body, and little
men are regarded with contempt. Their tall figures prove
a great advantage to the Bauans. This general con
tempt for small men arises from the fact, that through
out Polynesia the chiefs and upper classes are taller
than the lower orders, and with a finer physical they
combine a greater mental development. They are in
every respect superior to the people whom they rule.
They are as genuine an aristocracy as ever existed in
any country. They know every plant, animal, rock,
river, and mountain ; are familiar with their history,
legends, and traditions ; and strict in observing every
point of their complicated etiquette. They swim, row,
sail, shoot, and fight better than the common people, and

80 A MISSION TO VITI.
excel in house and canoe building. Thus they keep their
place amongst a people not able to fall back upon dress
and finery to lend distinction to rank, dignity to person.\
We were desirous of pushing on early the next morn
ing, but as the tide did not suit, we ran over to Viwa,
a small island close to Bau, where a permanent print
ing-press has been established in the first stone house
ever built in the group. The greater portion of the
Fijian Bible has been printed at this establishment;
and the edition, now exhausted, is very much esteemed
by the natives. A Fijian and English Dictionary, com
posed by D. Hazelwood, is another great work pro
duced here in 1850. This Dictionary is full of a mass
of reliable information, and must be regarded as the
best contribution the Fijian missionaries have made
to science. Ethnologists, geographers, and naturalists,
and philologists as a matter of course, will find here
facts and observations not met with elsewhere.* Viwa
is full of fruit-trees, and altogether a charming spot.
The cocoa-nut palm seems to be the only plant that
does not flourish. After having attained a certain
height it begins to wither — the foliage looking as if boil
ing water had been poured over it.
We found Messrs. Martin and Baker, the two gentle
men connected with the mission of this place,, absent, —
they having gone to look for an eligible new station on
Vanua Levu. But their wives were at home, and glad
to see us safe. Through telescopes they had watched
our boat on the previous evening, as long as daylight
* I believe Messrs. Triibner and Co., Paternoster Eow, London, have
still a few copies of this publication on hand.

IMPRACTICABLE LAWS. 81
lasted, fearing that we might meet with some accident
in the rough sea we had to cross.
On going back to Bau, Mr. Fordham, the principal
missionary, represented to Mr. Pritchard the desirable
ness of prohibiting the importation of firearms and gun
powder into Fiji. Fighting, he thought, might thus be
prevented. Mr. Pritchard agreed with him that there
was not much use for those articles, there being no wild
animals, and only a few ducks and wood-pigeons to
shoot, but that it would be impolitic to venture upon
making any prohibitive law, waiving all considerations
as to the right of doing so, when there were no officers
to execute it. Even supposing that a certain pressure
could be put upon the English subjects, who was to pre
vent the Americans, Germans, and French from selling
any number of firearms, and any amount of gunpowder,
to the natives'? On a previous occasion, Mr. Pritchard
was seriously asked by another gentleman to introduce
the Maine liquor-law. No spirits of any kind should be
landed or sold. This idea the Consul also refused to
entertain. The law had broken down when enforced
by all the power of a great state, and could scarcely be
expected to work well under less favourable circum
stances.

G

82

CHAPTER V.
THE WAI LEVU, OR GBEAT RIVEB. — CANAL DUG BY NATIVES. — 5IATAISUTA.
 INSTITUTION EOE TRAINING NATIVE TEACHERS. — SACKED GE0VES,
TREES, AND STONES.  MOSQUITOES. — ISLAND OF NAIGANI. — ME. EGGIR-
STEOM'S KINDNESS.  FEUDS AT NADEOGA.  NUKUBALAWU.— TAGUBU.—
NAVUA RIVEE.
The Rewa, Wai Levu, or great river of Viti Levu, has four
large mouths, and its deltas are extremely fertile, and
cultivated to some extent by the natives. About eighteen
miles from its mouth it receives the Wai Manu, which
comes from the west, whilst the main branch takes its
rise in the Namosi Valley. It w?as explored in 1856 by
Dr. Macdonald, of H.M.S. Herald, Captain Denham, ac
companied by Mr. Samuel Waterhouse, of the Wesleyan
Mission, and a full account of their proceedings has been
published.* Mataisuva, our next stopping-place, is built
on one of the large del tas, a little below the town of
Rewa. From Bau it may be reached either by sea or
by going up the Wai ni ki, or Kaba mouth. The
natives have shortened the latter passage more than
* " Proceedings of the Expedition for the Exploration of the Eewa river
and its Tributaries, in Na Viti Levu, Fiji Islands. By John Denis Mac
donald, Esq., Assistant Surgeon of H.M.S. Herald, Captain N. M. Den
ham,'' in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, vol. xxvii., pp-
232-268, with a Map by Arrowsmith.

KELE-MUSU CANAL. 83
twenty miles by cutting a canal, Kele Musu, across the
longest of the deltas. Taking advantage of the tide
setting in, we left Bau about noon and soon found our
selves in the canal, probably the greatest piece of engi
neering ever executed in these islands, affording a proof
how thickly they must have been populated to allow
such an undertaking, at a time when there was nothing
but staves to dig the ground, hands to shovel it up, and
baskets to carry it away. It has not been ascertained
when this canal was dug ; all that can be elucidated is,
that it was made long ago, and for the purpose of carry
ing out a military stratagem. It is about two miles
long, sixty feet wide, and large canoes pass without dif
ficulty. On a subsequent occasion, our schooner, the
' Paul Jones,' finding it impossible to get from Bau to
Rewa by sea on account of a heavy gale, actually made
her way through this canal, by taking due advantage of
the tide.
We neared Mataisuva, the mission-station, about sun
set, and passing the mangrove forest, were surprised to
see the immense number of Flying Foxes, or Bats (N"o-
topteris Macdonaldii), rising from them. They measure
nearly a yard from the extreme points of their wings.
Mr. Pritchard informed me that at Samoa, the same or
a very nearly allied species is a great pet with the natives
of that group, and probably the only known instance of
a domesticated bat. L.(
Passing the town of Rewa, we reached Mataisuva at
half-past six on the evening of the 29th of June, and were
hospitably received by the Rev. W. Moore, who was then
the superintendent of an institution for training native
G 2

84 A MISSION TO VITI.
teachers. A large square piece of ground had been set
aside for a number of houses surrounded by little gardens
in which the teachers resided. Some of these teachers
were Fijian, some Tonguese. The natives like their own
countrymen best, because they always suspect the Ton
guese, and with good reason, of playing into the hands
of the Tonguese chiefs, whose great aim is to make them
selves masters of Fiji. These teachers, after having been
properly trained at this institution, are sent as residents to
those parts of the country which have applied for them ;
and they are of very essential service in preparing the
ground for the white missionaries, whose limited number
is quite inadequate to the great task set before them,
that of christianizing Fiji. Many parts of the group
are now anxiously desiring the Gospel, but, with so few
labourers in the field and only limited funds, it is im
possible to do much more than is now attempted. Apart
from any religious consideration, I should always sup
port the Protestant missionary in preference to the Ro
man Catholic, because the latter attempts simply the con
version of the heathen, whilst the Protestant not only
christianizes, but at the same time civilizes them. The
quiet, well-regulated family life and cleanly habits which
our Protestant missionaries set before the savage, are of
inestimable value to the people whom they endeavour to
raise in the scale of humanity. It is quite wrong to
suppose that savages do not notice whether a man wears
clean linen and is well washed or not. They do notice
it, and never fail to draw comparisons in favour of those
who, by means of their comfortable homes, are enabled
to appear before them as good examples of cleanliness.

MATAISUVA. 85
Though most of the white Wesleyan missionaries are
perfect masters of the language, they own themselves
that the native teachers they had trained generally beat
them in the choice of local illustrations. Of course,
there is occasionally a want of tact on the part of the
latter. Thus, one of them, wishing to illustrate how
wisely in everything nature had adapted the means to
the end, chose the hand, and commenced by saying,
" Now, when you eat a human hand, you will perceive,"
etc. This illustration would have sounded odd to a
Christian congregation at home, but never excited any
notice amongst a people just emerging from cannibalism.
/ £/The church at Mataisuva is not so large as that at
Bau, but it is much better finished, and some of the
beams under the roof are covered with different-coloured
fibres of the cocoa-nut worked in various elegant patterns.
The ridge-beams, always projecting on both ends, accord
ing to strict Fijian customs, are ornamented with white
shells (Ovulum ovum, Swb.), and in front of the church
there are some curiously-cut stems of tree-ferns. Alto
gether the building is a fine specimen of native ar
chitecture, and the only thing to complete it is a good
tolling bellr Hitherto the congregation/has been obliged
to be called together by large drums, made of Tavola
wood, beaten by thick and short pieces of wood, — a con
trivance which may be heard for several miles around,
but sounds essentially unchristian. -
The Rev. William Moore, as an apt Fijian scholar,
devotes some of the spare moments he can snatch to a
subject hitherto much neglected, that of collecting the
" mekes," or old songs of the natives, now fast fading

86 A MISSION TO VITI.
away. He has also made considerable advance in trans
lating ' The Pilgrim's Progress ' into Fijian, a task which,
if I mistake not, has been somewhat facilitated by Mrs.
Binner's unpublished version of a portion of that book.
Bunyan's great allegory has already been translated into
one or two Polynesian languages, and the natives seemed
to like it very much as long as they believed it to be
a genuine story, but when they heard that it was only
a series of "lies," their interest abated. It will be in
teresting to know how the Fijians receive it. They are
as true believers in the genuineness of their own nu
merous fairy tales and doings of their gods, as the an
cient Greeks were in those of their gods and demigods ;
— the hold which Homer had on the national mind
arising, probably, quite as much from his embodying this
feeling, as well as expressing it in language still the
admiration of mankind. ^
/ Accompanied by Mr. Moore we went to the town of
Rewa, in order to gather specimens of two new palms,
one of them a fan-palm (Pritchardia pacifica, Seem, et
Wendl.), the leaves of which are only used by chiefs, as
was the case with those of the Talipot palm in Ceylon.
I also collected some interesting information about the
bread-fruit, of which there are no less than ten different
varieties cultivated at Rewa, including the best of the
group. \
/ On our way home we fell in with a little schooner
belonging to the mission, and returning from a trip up
the Rewa river, where she had been sent for yams. She
had not accomplished her object, as two hostile parties
of natives had not allowed her to pass, and even fired

SACRED GROVES AND TREES. 87
at her, without however wounding or killing any one.
Formerly these inter-tribal feuds were of much more fre
quent occurrence, and often protracted over a consider
able period of time; but since firearms have become
accessible to all parties, the same result followed in Fiji
as in Europe upon the invention of gunpowder.
Sacred groves and trees form as prominent a feature
in the paganism of the Fijians as they did in that of
the Indo-Germanic nations. A fine grove still exists in
the Rewa district near the mission-station of Mataisuva,
and at a point of the coast termed Na Vadra Tolu (the
three screw-pines), probably from three specimens of
the Pandanus odoratissimus, still a common plant in
that locality, having stood there. Leaving the mission-
premises, and keeping along the sandy beach, an enor
mous Yevuyevu tree (Hernandia Sonora, Linn.) presents
itself, forming a complete bower, which leads to a curi
ous group of vegetable giants. A venerable Vutu raka-
raka (Barringtonia speciosa, Linn.), more than sixty feet
high, has thrown out several huge branches, two of
which form, in connection with the stem, bold arches.
The large aerial roots of epiphytical fig-trees are hold
ing the monster in close embrace ; several kinds of ferns
and climbing Aroideae and wax-flowers (Hoyas) interlace
the struggling masses, and tend to increase the wildness
of this fantastic scene. The dense foliage of surround
ing Vesi, lvi, and other fine trees ensures a constant
gloom and sombreness to the place ; and only through
the bower, serving as an entrance, does the eye obtain
a glance at the open sea, and perchance the sight of a
passing canoe with its large triangular sail. It was at

88 A MISSION TO VITI.
this lonely spot, far away from human habitations, where
in the depth of night the heathen priest used to con
sult the gods whether it was to be war or peace. If at
dawn of day blood was found on the path, more blood
was to be spilt ; if no such sign was discoverable, peace
was the watchword. Several celebrated groves were de
stroyed on the introduction of Christianity, and a large
one near Bau was felled the day after King Cakobau
had embraced the new faith, the native carpenters trem
bling when they had to lay the axe on objects so long
sacred to them by all the laws of " tabu." They were
taught by tradition that when, once upon a time, their
forefathers felled some of these trees, and repaired the
next day to the spot in order to square the logs, they
found the trees again in their proper position, and
growing as if no sacrilegious axe had ever laid them
low. Besides these groves, there were isolated trees which
were held sacred ; and in days of yore European saw
yers came occasionally in unpleasant contact with the
Fijians when, unknowingly, they had cut them down
for timber. Vesi (Afzelia bijuga, A. Gray) and Baka
(Ficus sp.) seemed to have been those principally selected.
The Vesi furnishes the best timber of the islands, and
may, as the most valued tree, have been thought the fit
residence of a god ; there is nothing in its appearance
that is extraordinary, our beech most nearly resembling
it in look. The Baka is not famous for its timber; but
its habit is as remarkable as that of the banyan-tree of
India, aerial roots propping up its branches and forming
a fantastic maze wliich no words can describe. At first

SACRED STONES. 89
living as an epiphyte on other trees, it soon acquires such
dimensions that it kills its supporter, and henceforward
must draw its nouilshment from the soil. There are
fine specimens of the Baka on the Isthmus of Kadavu ;
and on an islet belonging to Mr. Hennig the aerial
root of the Baka formed a cabin in which Mr. Pritchard,
myself, and all our boat's crew took shelter during a
heavy tropical shower ; and twenty persons might have
found room there. The crown of this tree was one hun
dred and fifty-two feet in diameter, or four hundred and
fifty-six feet in circumference. The horizontal branches
and the large roots issuing from all parts of the stem,
and more sparingly from the branches, rendered this
tree a noble object, well calculated to inspire pleasure or
awe. The Rev. W. Moore lamented the destruction of
one of these fine trees near Rewa, committed by a sick
man in hopes that it might be pleasing to the Christian
God, and incline him to favour his convalescence. These
sacred groves and trees were not worshipped as gods,
but, as in the Odic religions of our ancestors, looked
upon as places where certain gods had taken up their
abode. Sacred stones, to which the natives pay reverence,
exist in Fiji; for instance, near Vuna and Bau, as well
as in many other parts of Polynesia. Fully granting
their being the supposed abode of certain gods and
goddesses, as has been contended, we can only hope to
arrive at their real meaning and primary origin, by con
sidering them in connection with the ideas associated
with or represented by other monoliths. I would par
ticularly direct attention to their peculiar shape, of

90 A MISSION TO VITI.
which the missionaries Williams and Turner* have
published some good illustrations. Compared with cer
tain remnants of Priapus worship, as found in Indian
temples, the "Museo segreto" of Naples, and, freed from
all obscenity, in the obelisks of Egypt, their nature be
comes evident. More or less, these monoliths repre
sented the generative principle and procreation ; and, if
the subject admitted of popular treatment, it would not
be difficult to show that the Polynesian stones, their
shape, the reverence paid to them, their decoration, and
the results expected from their worship, are quite in
accordance with a widely-spread superstition, which as
sumed such offensive forms in ancient Rome, and found
vent in the noblest monuments of which the land of the
Pharaohs can boast. Turner, after stating that he had
in his possession several smooth stones from the New
Hebrides, says that some of the Polynesian stone-gods
were supposed to cause fecundity in pigs, rain and sun
shine. A stone at Mayo, according to the Earl of
Roden, was carefully wrapped up in flannel, periodically
worshipped, and supplicated to send wrecks on the coast.
Two large stones, lying at the bottom of a moat, are
said to have given birth to Degei, the supreme god of
Fiji. In all instances an addition to objects already
existing was expected from these monoliths. There was
a stone near Bau, which, whenever a lady of rank at
the Fijian capital was confined, also gave birth to a little
stone. It argues nothing that these stony offsprings
were fraudulently placed there. The ideas floating in
* Williams's ' Fiji and Fijians,' p. 220. Turner's ' Kineteen Years in
Polynesia,' p. 347.

MOSQUITOES. 91
the minds of the bulk of the people absolutely tended
towards the unbiassed conviction that some mysterious
connection existed between the large stone and the
Bauan ladies. Since the introduction of Christianity to
these districts, it has been found necessary to remove
the large stone, leaving its numerous posterity behind,
to get on as best it may.
*/ During the rainy season, the mouth of the Rewa
river is notorious for myriads of mosquitoes. On some
evenings the hetacombs slain by incautious contact with
the flame, actually put the candles out. Mr. Moore once
contrived a room on the principle of a mosquito-curtain ;
but the contrivance was not found to answer, as few
persons could be induced to purchase freedom from irri
tating bites by confinement for several hours of a hot
night in an insufficiently ventilated kind of cage, which,
from its very nature, could not be so large as to admit
of much moving about, or the introduction of lights for
reading or writing. Mosquitoes are objects to which
the attention of all new-comers is irresistibly directed.
Those of Somosomo never favoured us with a call until
after breakfast, and very obligingly withdrew about sun
set, to let us have the evening to ourselves. In other
parts of the group the evening is their very time for
paying visits. The moment one of their monotonous
solos is heard, a tutti will immediately follow. The dif
ference between the voices of the various species is al
most as great as that observable in those of men; and
a naturalist studying these insects as thoroughly as they
study him should either possess an ear musically trained
or else carry a fiddle, in order to determine the exact

92 A MISSION TO VITI.
note struck up. I am persuaded that every mosquito,
from the large sluggish one which annoyed us when
searching for Sir John Franklin in the Arctic Circle,
to the little swift one of the Equator, may be known
as readily by its peculiar note as by any artificial dia
gnosis, — the Sydney one pre-eminently by its very deep
tone. On the 2nd of July, about noon, we left Mataisuva,
and at 7 p.m. reached Naqara (the Cave), in the island
of Naigani, where Mr. Eggerstrom, a Swedish gentle
man, had taken up his abode. He was just recovering
from a serious illness contracted by incautious contact
with the Kau karo, or Itchwood, a poisonous tree
(Oncocarpus Vitiensis, A. Gray = Bhus atrum, Forst.)
peculiar to Fiji and New Caledonia, the stem of which
he had been converting into a flag-staff. Mr. Eggerstrom
received us cordially, and had tea and supper prepared.
He also wished us to sleep under his hospitable roof;
but the mosquitoes were so very troublesome that we
could hardly finish our meal, and were obliged to beat
a hasty retreat to our boat, though our kind host assured
us that if we remained a little longer we should get
quite as much used to their bites as he was, and feel no
inconvenience. We spread the awning over our gig,
and made every preparation for sleeping. As it was
still early, Mr. Pritchard read, and I went again on shore,
to the native village, which I found, as I had been as
sured, quite free from mosquitoes. The natives were very
friendly ; they showed me their canoes, and brought me
cocoa-nuts and sugar-cane to eat ; I gave them a few
sticks of tobacco in return, and wanted them to dance;

' FEUDS AT NADROGA. 93
but they informed me, through the interpreter, that
the missionaries desire them not to dance nor practise
any more their game of throwing canes, after the yams
have been planted. They said they should sing instead,
and forthwith commenced. I let them go on till they
came to a " meke, " or song, in which they mimicked the
missionaries; I then stopped them by wishing them
" good night."
Most of our crew passed the night on shore, and Mr.
Pritchard and I slept in the consular gig, anchored close
to the shore. Early next morning we were awoke by
the arrival of a large canoe from Nadroga. The man hi
charge came to ask the Consul's advice about making
peace with the heathens who had for several months
made war upon Nadroga for becoming Christian. They
had only ten towns, six of which had been taken by the
heathens, and several inhabitants been baked and eaten.
The Nadroga people had only captured two towns, and
now feared they could not hold out much longer unless
Christian natives of other districts hastened to their as
sistance. They were now going to Rewa and Ovalau, to
ask for such assistance, and had with them a lot of tor-
toiseshell, to be exchanged for muskets and powder. Mr.
Pritchard told them that he should visit them in about
a month, and then use his influence to restore peace.
I may as well add in this place, that he did so in August,
with Colonel Smythe, and that they conjointly sent a
messenger to the heathens, inviting their chiefs to an in
terview. The messenger was received with blows, and
told it was fortunate that he had come by himself. If
two had been dispatched, one would have been sent back

94 A MISSION to viti.
to tell the tale ; now, as only one had come, he should
merely be half killed, and might go home to say that
they neither cared for the Consul nor for Colonel
Smythe, and declined all interference on their part.
We went again on shore, as Mr. Eggerstrom had in
vited us to breakfast and to inspect his establishment by
daylight. Mr. Eggerstrom had expended a great deal of
labour on his retreat, cut steps in the solid rocks, and
made a large basin for bathing, and seats near the spring
from which the water was supplied. He seemed to have
been anxious to render his new home as pretty as pos
sible, and paid less regard to the requirements of the
crop he wished to grow. He complained that nothing
would flourish, and I told him that unless he sacrificed
more trees, his sweet potatoes, yams, and bananas, to
say nothing about European vegetables, would be, as
hitherto, a prey to snails, caterpillars, and insects, and
his house never free from mosquitoes. But he said he
loved the shade, and could not make up his mind to
do that.
Although the place was swarming with mosquitoes
the previous night, there was now not one to be seen.
The sky looked very rainy, and we hesitated whether to
stay or push on. We decided on adopting the latter
course, but had hardly been afloat more than ten mi
nutes when the rain began to come down in such tor
rents that our boat required constant baling. We
took shelter at Nukubalawu, in the house of an Ameri
can, Mr. Work, who, like most of the old white settlers,
is better known in Fiji by his nickname, in this instance
" Moses." He had a sawing-pit, which he worked with

NUKUBALAWU, TAGURU, NAVUA. 95
natives, one of whom had been with him for years.
Though he was moving across the bay, to take up his
residence on the little island inhabited by Mr. Egger
strom, he made us very comfortable; and I took ad
vantage to arrange my collection of plants, which had
seriously suffered from the heavy shower that drove us
to seek shelter in this place. The rain continued all
day, so that we were quite unable to stir.
Leaving Nukubalawu next morning, we passed a re
markable rock on the shore of Viti Levu, which from its
peculiar shape and large dimensions Mr. Pritchard and
I named the " Giant's Thumb." The rain continued, and
after an hour's pulling and sailing, we were obliged to
land at Taguru, where we found three white men en
gaged in sawing and building boats. As Taguru be
longs to Kuruduadua's dominions, Ave dispatched a mes
senger to Navua, the chief's residence on the coast, to
inform him that we would be with him as soon as the
weather permitted. Towards sunset there was a lull in
the rain, and we at once resumed our way to the chief,
who was not yet under missionary influence, and about
whose cannibalism and despotic government we had
heard so much.
A pull of about two miles westwards brought us to
the Navua, one of the largest rivers in Viti Levu, and
not yet explored by any scientific man. There are se
veral extensive deltas at its mouth, composed of rich
alluvial soil, and exceedingly well adapted for cotton.
From information gathered, I was led to conclude that
the sago-palm was a member of the Fijian flora. My
inquiries commenced in the eastern part of the group,

9G
and I was always dL^g^ ^gstward, and assured at
every place that I sh^^ £g,j vL.v ,object of my search a
few miles further ffl ,• but %im,t not proving the case, I
began to look upon it as ii mere phantom, when at last,
after a search of serenal hundred miles, whole groves
of fine sago-palms (Sagus Vitiensis, Herm. Wendl.)
greeted me on thfe banks of the Navua river. This is
an interesting discovery ; botanically, because no sago-
palm had ever been found so far south ; philologically,
because the plant is here termed Soga, calling to mind
the names of Sagu, or Sago, by which it is known in
other districts peopled by the Papuan race ; and com
mercially, because it adds an important article to the
export list of these islands. The Fijians made no use
of the farinaceous pith the Soga contains, though they
are familiar with converting that of the Cycas circinalis
of the district into cakes, eaten by the chiefs. \

97

CHAPTER VI.
STAT AT NAVUA.  CHIEF KUEUDUADUA's HOUSEHOLD.  " HAEET THE JEW."
— A PBINCE AS HE WAS BOEN. — MASSACEE PREVENTED.  KURUDUADUA'S
CHAEACTEE. — STATEMENT OP ME. HEEKES EESPECTING THE NAMUKA
OUTBAGE. — TOWN AND BUEES OP NAVUA.  TATOOING.  EETUEN TO LADO.
We were soon at Navua, a town some three miles up
the river, and the residence of Kuruduadua, the great
chief of this district. The messenger dispatched from
our last halting-place having announced our visit, we
found the chieftain seated in his large house, sur
rounded by councillors and attendants, awaiting his
guests. As he and his territory are little known to the
whites, our arrival created some sensation. The cere
mony of presentation is novel. On entering the house,
Charles Wise, our interpreter and guide, as already
schooled, addressed the chief to the effect that the
Consul had come to introduce a chief from England,
who had been sent to explore the country; and that
we purposed doing ourselves the honour of being his
guests for several days. After a few minutes' silence,
the chief orator replied, in the name of Kuruduadua
(it would have been against Fijian etiquette for the
latter to address us personally at the first formal visit),
that the stranger chief and the Consul were welcome,
H

98 A MISSION TO VITI.
for their presence conferred a distinguished honour on
Navua, and the neighbouring tribes should know the
fact as soon as the great drum could send forth its roll
ing peals. As he concluded, all the men in the house
clapped their hands, and exclaimed, " Mana, mana,
mana ! " At the same instant the great drum, or lali,
was beaten lustily, and our presence in Navua was he
ralded throughout the district.
The chief's eyes glistened, and a proud smile of ex
ultation gleamed over his face as we threw ourselves
at full length on the clean mats spread for us. Our
loquacious interpreter here began to describe a huge
iron pot that was near the door, and to tell how wick
edly it> had been appropriated to boil the carcases of
slaughtered men instead of beche-de-mer ; thus confirm
ing the rumour which Macdonald had told in the Geo
graphical Society's Journal. A rather unpleasant feeling
stole over us, and we thought of friends and homes
far away./ Our peace of mind, however, wras soon re
stored, when the chief proposed that we should join him
in a bowl of kava, a beverage prepared from the root
of the South Sea pepper, by being masticated by young
men, and tasting like soapsuds, jalap, and magnesia!
A baked pig and some half-dozen baskets of yams were
next brought in by women, headed by the chiefs
favourite wife, all crawling on their hands and knees.
Hungry as we were, the story of the big pot made us
rather revolt from this frugal meal ; but ascertaining
that it was a real pig we beheld before us, we dined.
It is a curious fact, that Fijian custom does not permit
the host to partake of the meal which he provides for

CHIEF KURUDUADUA. 99
his guests ; and the chief eyed us askance as we ate.
About this time a carronade, that guarded the entrance
to the house, was discharged — emphatically to demon
strate the chief's delight. Kava, or "yagona" as it
is called in Fiji, was masticated and drunk every half-
hour. We observed that the string by which the bowl
is suspended when not in use was always thrown towards
the chief. The object of this is to distinguish the
" great man," for if any one incautiously walked upright
in his presence, the club is his fate.
Kuruduadua has ten wives, and as he himself does
not exactly know the number of his children, we were
left ignorant on that point. The great drums were
beaten every hour of the night, in honour of the guests,
but much to our annoyance, for they kept us awake
some time after we retired. Our bed was made of se
veral layers of mats, and over us was a large mosquito
screen, about twenty feet long, made of the bark of the
paper mulberry. As many as eight or ten natives some
times sleep together under one of these screens. Before
retiring, the Consul presented various articles, as knives,
axes, prints, etc., to the chief; and the usual compli
mentary speeches, expressive of mutual confidence and
goodwill, ensued.X
^ On the following morning "Harry the Jew" pre
sented himself — the only Englishman who has lived
for any length of time in the wild and unknown regions
of the interior, and has managed to throw a halo of
mystery around himself. His real name is John Hum
phrey Danford, and he has been for so many years
firing with Kuruduadua and his family, cut off from all
H 2

100 A MISSION TO VITI.
intercourse with civilization, that he seemed to have
lost his reckoning, and was not quite sure whether he
had been sixteen, eighteen, or twenty years in the is
lands. His story is full of adventure. Born in Lon
don, he was early apprenticed, first to one then to ano
ther trade, but his employers being all men with whom
he " could not agree," he left them in disgust, and
took to the sea. This brought him to the South Pa
cific, where he discovered that the captains he had to
deal with were disagreeable men ; and, after exchanging
from vessel to vessel, he finally ran away at Tongatabu.
There, after twelve months' residence, amid many priva
tions, partly caused by a great hurricane and its usual
successor, a general famine, he perceived the Tonguese
too were disagreeable people, and at once took passage
in a canoe for Fiji. Arriving in this group in distress
from heavy weather, the canoe was seized at the island
of Kadavu, and the crew condemned to be baked in the
oven — thus finding the Kadavu people more disagree
able even than the Tonguese. By strategy, however,
he succeeded in making his escape to Rewa, where he
remained some time with other white men. To one,
Charles Pickering, a celebrity of Fiji and the hero of
some capital anecdotes, he sold a pinchbeck watch that
only went when carried. Whence he got this precious
article, he says it is unnecessary to tell ; enough for the
history, that as soon as he received the price thereof
from Pickering, he jumped into a boat and started off
for some distant part of the islands, condemning the
white men as a disagreeable set of fellows. In his
wanderings he met one " Flash Bob," for whom be

101
acted as agent in the selection and purchase of a lady
love from a native chief. This brought him once more
in contact with the disagreeable whites. He now com
menced a bSche-de-mer establishment, in conjunction with
his friend Pickering, who had given him the nickname
of "Harry the Jew," in consequence of the watch trans
action. After some months in his new business, a quar
rel arises about the purchase of Flash Bob's wife; the
drying-house of the establishment is burnt down by a
party of natives; Pickering, enraged that his property
has been destroyed, takes everything away, leaving poor
Danford once more penniless, shirtless, and friendless, on
the beach. His nickname, translated into Fijian, has
begun to work mischief amongst the newly-converted
natives, and he is denied hospitalities the heathens
would not refuse, because he " belongs to a people who
have killed Christ." The brother of Chief Kurudua
dua, hearing of his forlorn condition, sends him an offer
to reside at Namosi, his mountain residence, which offer
is hesitatingly accepted. His heart almost fails him as
he toils his way into the very midst of a nation of canni
bals. But iron necessity urges him on. Tired and
footsore, almost in an absolute state of nudity, he
reaches the town. Messengers meet him and carry him
on their shoulders. The chief then gives him wives,
— how many we shall not say, — a yam plantation, two
gardens, houses, and dispatches bales of native cloth
to the coast, to be exchanged for European dresses for
him. He is also raised to the dignity of a "brother,"
and allotted slaves to attend upon him. Our hero —
happy man!— now, for the first time in his life, finds

102 A MISSION TO VITI.
agreeable companions in the chief and his people. In
return for the dignities heaped upon him, Harry was to
repair the muskets of the tribe, and to tell the chief
stories about the white men and their country. Having
for about a week been an errand-boy to a London
apothecary, he was able to dispense pills to the sick,
and thus to assume another important stand in his new
life. Years had rolled on without his seeing any
white faces, when one day native messengers arrived
from the coast, stating that they had been sent by a
foreigner, who wished to have an interview with him,
and whom they described as wearing a blue coat all
covered with looking-glasses. Harry had seen many
extraordinary sights, but a man thus attired excited his
curiosity, and he acceded to the request. To his sur
prise, he found the late Mr. Williams, United States
Consul, whose brass buttons had been mistaken for
looking-glasses. Mr. Williams had heard of the exist
ence of some copper mines in the interior, and was de
sirous of purchasing them. Through Harry's interven
tion, that object was accomplished, and the mines passed
into Mr. Williams's possession, but they have not as yet
been worked, nor indeed been examined by any scien
tific man. Dr. Macdonald and Mr. S. Waterhouse paid a
visit to Namosi when they ascended the Rewa river; and
Harry, who had long ere that sown all his wild oats,
and found one wife quite as much as a sensible man
could manage, begged the Rev. Samuel Waterhouse to
christen his natural children. But he met with a re
fusal, on the ground of his not being married. " Then
pray marry me," was the next demand. "Impossible,"

A PRINCE AS HE WAS BORN. 103
replied the missionary, "your bride is not a Christian."
Danford felt this refusal very deeply. Many a long
year had he waited to free himself from the reproach of
not living in matrimony, and when at last a fair chance
seemed to present itself, he met with disappointment.
The Wesleyans have shown a strict adherence to a
similar policy, and they may be right from their point
of view ; but in consequence many of the whites have
been obliged to ask the Catholic priests to discharge
those duties which their Protestant brethren refused.
The Catholic priests, asking few questions, have invari
ably christened such children, and, remembering the
Ml significance of the formula, that in marrying we take
each other " for better, for worse," united in matrimony
all loving couples presenting themselves for the purpose.
1 /We were struck with the fact, that all the young
lads were in a state of absolute nudity ; and, on inquiry,
learned that preparations were being made to celebrate
the introduction of Kuruduadua's eldest son into man
hood; and that, until then, neither the young chieftain
nor his playmates could assume the scanty clothing pe
culiar to the Fijians. Suvana. a rebellious town, consist
ing of about five hundred people, was destined to be
sacrificed on the occasion. When the preparations for
the feast were concluded, the clay for the ceremony ap
pointed, Kuruduadua and his warriors were to make a
rush upon the town, and club the inhabitants indis
criminately. The bodies were to be piled into one
heap, and on the top of all a living slave would lie on
his back. The young chief would then mount the
horrid scaffold, and scanding upright on the chest of

104 A MISSION TO VITI.
the slave, and holding in his uplifted hands an immense
club or gun, the priests invoke their gods, and commit
the future warrior to their especial protection, praymg
he may kill all the enemies of the tribe, and never
be beaten in battle ; a cheer and a shout from the as
sembled multitude concluding the prayer. Two uncles
of the boy were then to ascend the human pile, and to
invest him with the malo, or girdle of snow-white tapa ;
the multitude again calling on their deities to make
him a great conqueror, and a terror to all who breathe
enmity to Navua. The malo for the occasion would be
perhaps two hundred yards long, and six or eight inches
wide. When wound round the body, the lad would
hardly be perceivable, and no one but an uncle can
divest him of it.
We proposed to the chief that we should be allowed
to invest his son -with the malo, which he at first re
fused, but to which he consented after deliberation
with his people. At the appointed hour, the multitude
collected in the great strangers' house, or bure ni sa.
The lad stood upright in the midst of the assembly,
guiltless of clothing, and holding a gun over his head.
The Consul and I approached, and in due form wrapped
him up in thirty yards of Manchester print, the priest
and people chanting songs, and invoking the protec
tion of their gods. A short address from the Consul
succeeded, stirring the lad to nobler efforts for his
tribe than his ancestors had known, and pointing to the
path to fame that civilization opened to him. The cere
mony concluded by drinking kava, and chanting histo
rical reminiscences of the lad's ancestors, — and thus we

CONCESSIONS TO CIVILIZATION. 105
saved the lives of five hundred men ! During the whole
of this ceremony, the old chief was much affected, and
a few tears might be seen stealing down his cheeks.
Soon however cheering up, he gave us a full account
of the time when he came of age, and the number of
people that were slain to celebrate the occasion.* \
Kuruduadua was still a heathen. He said that our
religion was good, but there were few true Christians
in the group, and he hated hypocrisy, and did not pro
fess to be better or anything else than he really was.
He rather favoured than hindered the spread of the
Gospel. On Sunday morning I heard him interroga
ting two men, whether they were Christians. On their
answering in the affirmative, he reprimanded them for
not attending the church service, as the drum — the
substitute for bells — had left off beating for some time.
We induced him to make several important concessions
to civilization, to prohibit cannibalism throughout his
territories, and to keep the Sunday as a day of rest, if
not a holy day. To this he agreed cheerfully. Indeed
he seemed most anxious to stand well with the whites,
and one of the first explanations he offered after our
arrival was respecting an attack upon, and plunder of
some white men, who resided on Namuka, an island seven
miles west of Rewa. The attack and plunder was made
* The custom of standing on corpses is mentioned by several writers
on Fiji, and was probably practised throughout the group. Joseph Water-
house, in his ' Vah-ta-ah,' p. 32, a book full of facts not found elsewhere,
describing the condition of Bau previous to its conversion to Christianity,
says, " Down the next lane a young chief is trying on, for the first time
since he was born, a narrow slip of native calico, as an indication that he
now thinks himself a man. He stands on the corpse of one who has been
killed to make his stepping-stone for the ceremony of the day."

106 A MISSION TO VITI.
by a chief then at war with him. Long after peace
had been re-established Kuruduadua became by ex
change the owner of some boxes that had been taken
from Namuka, by the attacking party. Danford saw the
danger of purchasing property thus taken, and advised
Kuraduadua to get rid of it. However, his counsels
were unheeded, and when at a future time the boxes were
actually found in Kuruduadua's possession, the Ame
rican captain sent to punish the Namuka attack, fixed
upon him, as one of the guilty party, and burned Navua,
then full of valuable property of all sorts, honestly
acquired from white traders. Several large 32-pound
shots were knocking about the town, and served the
children as playthings, whilst the ruins of fine large
houses were still to be seen. Kuruduadua handed us
a paper from his desk, drawn up by a white trader
familiar with the whole affair, which he begged might
be made known to our countrymen, in order to acquaint
them with the real facts of the case. " Ovalatt, November 27th, 1856.
" Being acquainted with many circumstances connected with
the attack upon Namuka, and convinced that great injustice
has been done to the chief Kuruduadua, living at Navua, by
his being punished as an accessory to that act, I beg to lay
before you the true particulars of the case as they came under
my observation.
" It has been stated that Kuruduadua was a party to the attack
upon Namuka, because some of his people had been some time
before driven away from that place by the whites. The facts
were these : — Some canoes belonging to Kuruduadua's tribe,
as was their custom when voyaging, put into Namuka to spend

THE NAMUKA OUTRAGE. 107
the night. They caught some crabs, and climbed some trees
for cocoa-nuts, as they had always been accustomed to do,
when the whites who had purchased permission to reside upon
the island rushed out and fired upon them ; the natives imme
diately fled, leaving one canoe behind. This canoe, with the
property in it, was handed over to me by Mr. Allen Dolittle,
when I was residing at Nukubalawu, to return to Kuruduadua.
When I took it to the chief, he was not at all displeased at his
people having been driven away, and said that if they again
annoyed the white residents at Namuka he would himself club
them. " Some time after this, Tui Solia was knocked down by one of
the whites on Namuka. Tui Solia was at this time at war with
Kuruduadua. The latter heard, through a deserter, that Tui
Solia intended to avenge the insult offered to him by plundering
Namuka, and put the whites on their guard. He could not
protect them there, as it was not in his territory, and he was at
enmity with Tui Solia's tribe. He told the whites to remove
at once to Nukubalawu, into his dominions, where he would
protect them from every harm. He was evidently very anxious
to secure the whites from injury. Thus, so far from being privy
to the attack, he endeavoured to save the whites.
" I went at once to Namuka to warn the whites, and told them
of Kuruduadua's invitation to remove for protection to Nuku
balawu, and offered them the use of my boat, which they de
clined. I was then sent for by Mr. Saunders, to remove him
from Wai Turaga to a vessel at Bau in which he had taken
his passage.
"Before I returned, the attack was made on Namuka, the
property plundered and the white men carried prisoners to
Numulo, a small town on the mainland, which belonged to Tui
Solia. As soon as I heard this, I hastened to Nukubalawu and
met there Mr. A. Dolittle. Finding that nothing had been
done towards the rescue of the prisoners, I sent for Kuruduadua,
and giving him an axe, requested him to undertake their de-

108 A MISSION TO VITI.
liverance. He immediately complied, arranged to take a small
armed party and make a sudden descent upon Numulo at early
dawn. This he did. The people of the town, panic struck,
fled, and the chief was thus enabled to convey the wounded
prisoners and some property to Namuka, where we had gone to
await the result of the expedition.
" It has been said that this chief was a party in the affair,
because, at a subsequent period, some boxes, taken from
Namuka, were seen in his house. They came into his posses
sion in this manner : some time after the Namuka outrage,
Kuruduadua attacked and captured a town belonging to Tui
Solia, the defeat causing the latter to sue for peace. Friendly
intercourse being re-established, Kuruduadua subsequently ex
changed several pigs for boxes in Tui Solia's possession, and
forming part of the plunder of Namuka. It is quite false that
Tui Solia was at the time of the outrage under the influence of
Kuruduadua ; so far from that, they were enemies and at war.
" Kuruduadua has ever behaved kindly to the whites, and in
this respect set a good example to other chiefs. Upon one
occasion a vessel got ashore in the neighbourhood. He assem
bled his people, got her afloat, and made his subjects return
the property they had taken, — this at a time when, in almost
every other part of Fiji, the lives of the shipwrecked were taken
and the vessel and cargo plundered.
"I was present at Nukubalawu, when Mr. Williams, the
American Consul, and Phillips, a Rewan chief, came to inquire
into the Namuka matter. Mr. Dolittle said, that after buying
the island of Namuka they were entitled to protection. Phillips,
the chief, then emphatically denied that the island had been
sold, but said that a gun, a keg of powder, and a whale's tooth
had been given as the ' yaqona ' for permission to reside on
the island, and that he could not sell it, as there were others
who were co-owners with himself. "John Heekes."

, NAVUA AND ITS BURES. 109
Navua is at present a collection of about forty houses,
and built on the left bank of the river of the same
name, and at the foot of a hill on which there is a pri
vate bure nisa of the chief, enjoying a fine view of the
flat land around, the river winding in bold curves,
and high mountains in the distance. Two creeks inter
sect the town, over which isolated trunks of trees are
thrown, the nearest approach to bridges I have seen in
the country. In the two squares are several venerable
Tahitian chestnut-trees (Inocarpus edulis, Forst.) densely
covered with parasites (Loranthus), about a dozen spe
cies of epiphytical ferns, — one of them not larger than ^
a moss, — wax-flowers, orchids, mosses, and lichensX There
was no heathen temple (bure kalou), but a fine one
might be seen from the top of the hill, about a mile off.\
:•, I noticed three bures ni sa, strangers' houses, or sleep
ing bures. At least two of the latter are invariably
found at every Fijian town or village. They may be
y. compared to our clubs; and those frequented by the
ruling chiefs do not seem visited much by the lower
class of people. That at Bau, already mentioned, was
the largest I saw. All along the sides are sleeping-
places, covered with fine mats, and large enough for two
men to sleep ; and between each there is a fireplace,
and stages to put the legs on. Overhead a good supply
of firewood is stowed. The centre of the building is
covered with loose grass, generally Co dina (Paspalum
scrobiculatum, Linn.). There are no windows, only low
doors, which may be, and are always closed towards
evening, by means of thick mats, in order to keep
the mosquitoes out. A large kava-bowl. and bamboo

110 A MISSION TO VITI.
vessels filled with spring-water, seem to be the only
utensils admitted. In buildings or bures like these, all
the male population, married and unmarried, sleeps.
The boys, until they have come of age, erect a bure of
their own, often built on raised stages over the water,
and approachable only by a long, narrow trunk of a
tree. The women and girls sleep at home; and it is
quite against Fijian etiquette for a husband to take his
night's repose anywhere except at one of the public
bures of his town or village, though he will go to his
family soon after dawn. In the daytime the bures are
generally deserted. Towards four o'clock people begin
to pour in, and if any strangers arrive they will inva
riably take up their quarters at these places. Here po
litics and all events of the day are discussed, and when
talking, the men, even high chiefs, will be plaiting cocoa-
nut fibre into sinnet, so much used in the construction of
houses, canoes, and arms. ' And a great deal these people
have to talk about : the politics of the groups, inde
pendent of the new element introduced by the cession
of the country to England, the never-ending intrigues
of the Tonguese immigration, the endeavour of mission
aries, consuls, and traders to spread Christianity and
civilization, are rather complicated, and give rise to a
good deal of discussion and speculation.
When evening is coming on, the bure is beginning to
fill ; most of the fires between the sleeping-places are
lit, and the natives are leisurely stretched on the mats,
their legs cocked up the stages, like Yankees in a ta
vern — all smoking their cigarettos, made of self-grown
tobacco and dry banana leaves. Now come the kava-

LIEE IN THE BURES. Ill
chewers, comely-looking youngsters, carrying the large
wooden bowl, a cocoa-nut shell for drinking the bever
age, the bamboo water-vessel, a handful of fibre for
straining the kava, and the root of the South Sea pep
per from which it is prepared. No sooner have they
taken their seat, and commenced chewing, taking care
to throw the rope affixed to the kava-bowl toward the
person highest in rank, than a leading man, perhaps a
heathen priest, begins chanting a song, in which the
whole assembly joins; and two young fellows beat time
with little sticks, applied on a bamboo or any other
sounding wood that happens to be handy. The leader
of the chant does not sit motionless, but waves his body,
arms, and hands in such a variety of ways, and with
such extreme ease, that you fancy you can imitate him
as readily as the whole assembly does. But the very first
time you fail, to the great delight of your native spec
tators. His motions are not difficult, but you never
know what they are going to be until it is too late to
imitate, and he has already passed on to something else.
The interest of this bye-play is thus well kept up, and
the Fijians deserve full credit of having obtained hold
of one of the great secrets of fixing the attention on an
object, or making it, in other words, interesting. They
know the art of concealing the end as long as possible.
What would our novelists do without the use of this
machinery ! How dull would life itself be if the future
was unveiled to us !
The lads, having chewed a sufficient quantity of the
root, place the masticated mass into the bowl. Now
water is poured on, the whole yellowish-looking fluid

112 A MISSION TO VITI.
strained through fibres, and a cup filled. Whilst the
cup-bearer is holding it to hand to the chief or highest
personage present, an old man gives the toast of the
evening. It is pathetic or humorous, as occasion de
mands, and listened to with attention ; all singing and
beating with sticks having ceased the moment the cup
was filled. A general shout follows the conclusion of
this toast, the cup is emptied in one draught, and
thrown by the drinker on the mat, to be filled again
and handed to the next in rank, until the whole assem
bly has been served.
The song becomes less and less hearty, the conver
sation slackens, and one by one the men drop off to
sleep. Strange sight ! Their pillows are made of a
thick stick, have four legs, and are put just under the
neck, so that the hair of the sleepers may not be de
ranged. They have had it only recently newly done up,
washed with lime to make it frizzed like that of negroes,
dyed in various colours, and arranged in many different
ways. Several days must have been spent to get some
of these extraordinary heads dressed. And for this
reason — no other — they are ready to sleep all their lives
on a pillow made of a stick of wood, and so constructed
that a European could not rest his neck five minutes
upon it without suffering dreadful pain. It is very fine
talking about the ease of living in a state of nature, but
the inconveniences to which savages put themselves in
order to gratify their vanity are quite as great, if not
greater, than those forced upqn us by the fashions and
dictates of our own society. Think of the agonies of
tatooing ! What would the natives give to escape it, if

TATOOING.

society would let them 1 But the stern laws of fashion
allow of no exception. In Fiji this practice is confined
to the women, the operation being performed by mem
bers of their own sex, and applied solely to the corners
of the mouth, and those parts of the body covered by
the scanty clothing worn by them. The skin is punc
tured by an instrument made of bone, or by the spines
of the shaddock-tree ; whilst the dye injected into the
punctures is obtained chiefly from the candle-nut. No
reason is given for the adoption of the custom, beyond
its being commanded by Degei, their supreme god.
Neglect of this divine commandment is believed to be
punished after death. The men probably refrain from
tatooing, because their skin, generally speaking, is so
dark that the designs would not be seen, and the pain
ful operation undergone would be mere labour thrown
away. In Polynesia tatooing seems to have attained its cul
minating point in the Society Islands and the Mar
quesas, where both men and women submitted to it ;
proceeding thence eastward to Samoa and Tonga, we
find it restricted to the men; in Fiji to the women,
and altogether ceasing in the New Hebrides. Yet,
strange to add, Polynesian tradition asserts that the
custom was known in Fiji before its being adopted
in Samoa and Tonga. Two goddesses, Taema and
Tilafainga, swam from Fiji to Samoa, and on reach
ing the latter group, commenced singing, "Tatoo the
men, but not the women."* Hence the two were
worshipped as the presiding deities by those who
# Turner's ' Nineteen Years in Polynesia,' p. 182. I

114 A MISSION TO VITI.
followed tatooing as a trade ; for a trade it was and is,
quite as much as tailoring is in our own country, and
requiring by far greater care and caution. The blue
tracery once made cannot, like a coat or pair of trousers,
be thrown aside when spoilt in the cut, but has to be
worn for life, exposed to all the remarks which good
and ill-natured friends may be disposed to make. A
tradition, current in Tonga and Fiji, corroborates the
fact of tatooing having been derived from the latter
group. It is stated, that at a remote period the king
of Tonga (Tui Toga) sent a mission to Fiji, in order to
ascertain whether, as had been reported, the women of
those islands were tatooed. On reaching the island of
Ogea, in the eastern part of Fiji, the mission, with some
difficulty, made the natives comprehend that they wished
to find out what sex was tatooed (qia) ; to which the
Fijians replied, " Qia na alewa " (women are tatooed).
In obedience to orders, the first person met had been
asked, and as a plain answer to a plain question had
been obtained, the mission departed homewards. There
were no other means of remembering the answer than
by repeating it continually. This was done without
interruption until their canoe reached the Ogea pas
sage, where, the sea becoming rough, apprehensions
about the safety of the canoe began to be entertained,
and in the ensuing excitement the repetition of the pre
cious words was neglected. Suddenly the neglect was
perceived, and it was asked all round what the words
were. Somebody replied, " Qia na tagane " (men are
tatooed), instead of " Qia na alewa " (women are
tatooed) ; which mistake, passing unnoticed, was re-

KALOD RERE. 115
peated until the crew reached Tonga; and on being
reported to the king, he exclaimed, " Oh, it is men,
not women that are tatooed ! well, then, I will be ta
tooed at once." The example set was speedily followed ;
hence the custom, that in Fiji the women, in Tonga the
men are tatooed; hence also, adds the tradition, the
name of the Ogea passage, " Qia na tagane."*
/Kuruduadua accompanied us on an exploring trip
down the Navua river, which we found to have several
deltas, one of which is called Deuba. We passed the
mouth, and went several miles westward, as far as Vanua-
dogo point, which is near Qamo peak. Close to one of
the villages we stopped at there was a miniature temple,
built of tree-fern wood, and thatched with Makita-
leaves. Here parties of young men assemble for seve
ral weeks in order to practise certain tricks, which,
when they are perfect in them, are exhibited before a
numerous audience, but as long as they are practising
nobody is supposed to go near them. On the day of
the performance, the actors oil their bodies well and
dress in white native cloth. The spectators, old and
young, having formed a ring around them, the actors
commence by chanting songs and beating time on
bamboos, until they have worked themselves up to a
certain pitch of excitement. Now a spirit (Kalou Bere)
is supposed to enter them, and they pretend to be in
vulnerable to spear, proof against musket ball, and safe
against the effects of heat or flame. By sleight of
* Another version of the tradition is given by Williams, ' Fiji and
Fijians,' vol. i. p. 160, where a man, repeating the intelligence, violently
strikes his foot against the stump of a tree, and in the confusion ensuing
changes its tenor. I 2

116 A MISSION TO VITI.
hand, they endeavour to make good their pretensions.
A spearhead is softened so as not to hurt when thrown ;
the ball put in the musket is too small, and thus rolls
out when the actors begin to dance about previous to dis
charging it ; and the fiery oven into which a man creeps
and allows himself to be covered up, has a tunnel and
vent-hole, by which he has a chance of escaping. Acci
dents, however, will happen even in this well-regulated
community. The spear unskilfully handled has been
known to hurt; too much wadding put into the gun has
prevented the ball from rolling out ; the tunnel has been
apt to fall in, and after some hours the man who al
lowed himself to be thrown into it, has been found to be
perfectly baked. The Kalou Here, with its high poles,
streamers, evergreens, masquerading, trumpet-shells,
chants, and other wild music, is the nearest approach
to dramatic representation the Fijians seem to have made,
and it is with them what private theatricals are with us.
They are also on other occasions very fond of dressing
themselves in fantastic, often very ridiculous costume ;
and in nearly every large assembly there are buffoons.
Court fools, in many instances hunchbacks, are often
attached to a chief's establishment.
Finding that Kuruduadua was a man in whom con
fidence could be placed, we made arrangements for
going to Namosi, so as to connect the discoveries of
Macdonald and Samuel Waterhouse with the southern
coast of Viti Levu; but, as the weather had become
extremely boisterous, and heavy rains had rendered
travelling in the interior impossible, we determined to
wait for more favourable weather, and return at once to
Lado.

DEPARTURE EROM NAVUA. 117
As a heavy south-east gale was blowing, the chief
told us we should not be able to proceed very far, and
he hoped that if on reaching the sea we should find it
too boisterous, we would not mind coming back. We
were out of tea, biscuit, and all the other necessaries a
European requires, unable to walk about, — the heavy
rain having rendered the neighbourhood of Navua a
perfect swamp, — and tired of staying indoors and wait
ing for the weather to clear up ; so we left on the
morning of the 9th of July. The sea was rougher
than we had expected. We had to bale constantly,
and therefore effected a landing on the sandy beach, and
walked to Taguru, where we had to stay two days. The
boat, lightened, reached the place with difficulty. On
the third day the gale and rain, which now had lasted
a week, abated, and we pushed on once more. Calling
at Naigani Island, we heard from Mr. Work, whom wre
found quite established in his new home, that the Kau
karo, or itchwood, the poisonous properties of which
had caused Mr. Eggerstrom to be ill for two months,
grew on the banks of a small river of Viti Levu, nearly
opposite the island. We at once made up our mind
to fetch specimens, in order to ascertain the real name
of the tree. We had no difficulty in finding it, and
it proved to be Oncocarpus Vitiensis, A. Gray, or, as Fos
ter nearly a hundred years ago called it, Bhus atrum.
There was a considerable village about a mile and a
half up the river, which we could reach in our gig.
The inhabitants looked dreadfully unhealthy ; most of
the men had elephantiasis, and many of the children
were covered with ulcers. No doubt the site of the

118 A MISSION TO VITI.
village in a low valley in a great measure accounted for
this. We were roving over the hills, when a message
from Ovalau reached us with the glad tidings that
Colonel Smythe had safely arrived in Levuka, and was
desirous of seeing us.
Without loss of time we returned to Mr. Work's house,
left it after midnight, and reached Mataisuva at eight
o'clock in the morning, where we breakfasted with our
kind friend Mr. Moore. There had been some trouble
with the natives. An Englishman had run away with
the wife of a Viwa chief, and refused to give her up.
The chief, justly exasperated, threatened revenge, and
would have proceeded to extremities, if Mr. Moore had
not persuaded the Eewa chief, in whose territory the
eloped one resided, to step in, on the grounds that the
Viwa chief had no right to cause a disturbance on
territories not his own. They referred the case to Mr.
Pritchard, who remonstrated with the white man, tell
ing him that if he, an Englishman, was clubbed in
consequence of the provocation given, no government
could possibly ask for satisfaction; and on the other
hand, that if no notice were taken of his murder, the
lives of the other whites would be in danger. So the
woman must instantly be given up.
We had hoped to reach Lado that day, but the loss
of time caused by this troublesome man delayed our
departure until noon. We again passed through the
Eewa river and the Kele musu canal, and towards sun
set reached Kaba, where we took up our quarters at the
house of Peter, a Tonguese teacher connected with the
Wesleyan mission. He was a fine specimen of his race,

A TONGAMAN SAVED EROM DROWNING. 119
and made us as comfortable as his means permitted.
This man and a boy had been saved from drowning
by our interpreter, Mr. Charles Wise, whom he wel
comed with cordiality. When picked up at sea, he had
been several days in the water — incredible as it may
appear. His canoe had been upset, and his companions,
all good swimmers, had against his entreaties separated
from him, and they had all perished, being probably
eaten by sharks These animals were furious in their
attacks, and Peter killed several of them with his knife
during the time he was in the water ; they troubled
him little during the night, but became very rapacious
as soon as daylight was established. He was also at
tacked by a small sea-animal which bored regular holes
into his flesh, and would have caused his death if he
had not been speedily delivered. When Wise took him
on board, he was perfectly exhausted, and continually
cried for water. Every means were used to restore his
strength ; his body was oiled, and food and drink given
to him.
When the moon rose we took our departure, and
early next morning reached Lado Alewa, in Port Kin
naird.

120

CHAPTER VII.
AEEIVAL OF COLONEL SMYTHE FEOM NEW ZEALAND. — THE ' PEGASUS '
AND ' PAUL JONES.'  VISIT TO BAU.  QUARRELSOME DISPOSITION OF
THE CHIEF OF THE FISHERMEN.  CESSION OF FIJI TO ENGLAND. —
FIRST OFFICIAL INTERVIEW WITH THE KING.
The native war in New Zealand continuing and keep
ing all available naval force employed, Colonel Smythe
had been unable to obtain a Government vessel to
take him to and about Fiji, and had therefore been
compelled to charter the ' Pegasus,' an extremely slow-
sailing, ill-manned ketch, commanded by a gossiping
captain, who ultimately returned to New Zealand with
out paying even the crew, which the British Consul
had been obliged to put on board. Mr. Pritchard and
myself called on Colonel Smythe on the 16 th of July,
and regretted to hear of his long and stormy passage.
He had arrived on the 5th of July, and we found him
comfortably quartered at Levuka, in the house of Mr.
Binner. Mrs. Smythe was making a water-colour draw
ing of the Levuka reef, which from Mr. Burner's house,
situated as it is on the top of a hill, displays itself in
all its grandeur, and together with the little islands at
a distance, and the shipping of the port, forms a pano
rama not easily matched.
The ' Pegasus ' not having accommodation for more

THE 'PEGASUS' AND 'PAUL JONES.' 121
than Colonel and Mrs. Smythe, Mr. Pritchard and my
self chartered the ' Paul Jones,' the same little schooner
which fetched me from Somosomo. She was scarcely
better than an open boat, and we had to wash, dress,
and take our meals on deck, the cabin being too small
to hold more than two bunks, an apology for a table,
and two lockers serving also as substitutes for benches.
But we managed very well, and as she beat the ' Pega
sus ' even in short distances by whole days, we generally
reached our destination long before Colonel Smythe's
party did, and soon transferred our abode on shore.
When I came from Somosomo she was swarming with
cockroaches, to such an alarming extent that there wras
no staying in her ; and when going to sleep we had to
cover our faces, to screen at least that part of our bodies
against attack. But she had since been sunk under
water, — the only method here practised to free vessels
from that pest, — newly painted, and done up, so that as
far as her size would allow she was tolerably comfort
able. Besides Mr. Storck, we had Mr. Charles Wise, the
consular interpreter, on board, a half-caste who had been
brought up by the late Rev. John Hunt, for whose me
mory he entertained a warm admiration, justly shared by
all who knew that excellent man.
It was arranged with Colonel Smythe, that we should
visit the principal chiefs, commencing at Bau, the capi
tal of the group. The two vessels met at Port Kin
naird ; and we finally left Lado, at that time the Con
sul's residence, on the 24th of July, at noon. The 'Paul
Jones ' anchored off Bau on the same day, but the k Pe
gasus,' to give an instance of her bad sailing qualities,
only arrived on the following clay late at night.

122 A MISSION TO VITI.
There was a serious quarrel between the Chief of the
Fishermen and Ratu Abel, the King's eldest son, the
former having insulted the Queen, and the latter sent
him a challenge in consequence. A duel was impend
ing when we arrived, and the British Consul's persuasive
powers were appealed to by various parties. Mr. Prit
chard publicly asked the Chief of the Fishermen why
he had offered the insult to his sovereign, but he re
fused to answer ; Mr. Pritchard then told him he would
wait for an answer, even if he had to sit up all night.
The Chief, seeing that the Consul was as good as his
word, and that there w-as no escape possible, after a si
lence of two hours gave the desired answer, begged the
King's pardon, and all was arranged amicably. Ratu
Abel was present during the whole interview, and be
haved extremely well in the affair. He is a fine specimen
of a Fijian prince, and will doubtless succeed his father
to the throne, though some of the missionaries have
been trying to persuade the King to change the law, by
settling the succession upon his younger son, born after
he had become converted to Christianity^ and married
according to our rites. But such a change would doubt
less- lead to endless complications and confusion, and
be unjust towards a child perfectly legitimate accord
ing to the custom prevailing at the time of his birth.
It is in petty interferences like these that, doubtless
much to the regret of the enlightened minds composing
the Board directing the truly grand machinery of the
Wesleyan Society, the missionaries draw upon themselves
the censure of people who fully sympathize with the
noble work they have in hand, and who would do any-

THE CHIEF OF THE FISHERMEN. 123
thing in their power to advance their true interest. Be
it known, that interference in politics on the part of
the Wesleyan missionaries is decidedly disapproved of
by their Board at home, and that stringent instructions
are published to that effect.
The Chief of the Fishermen, an important body in
Bau, is a scheming fellow, who more than once
caused mischief. On one occasion, when some British
interest was involved, Mr. Pritchard, who, born and
bred in Polynesia, is perfectly familiar with native
modes of thought, and owes a great deal of his influ
ence to it, wished to impress the chief with the idea
that whatever plots he was hatching they were sure
to be found out by those more clever than himself* In
stead of stating this in such language as one European
would use to another, he said to the native, " As Chief
of the Fishermen, you know all the fishes, the small
as well as the big, and of course the turtle, according
to your notions the king of the whole." The Chief
smiled assent, flattering himself that by the turtle he
himself was alluded to. To the great delight of the
bystanders, the Consul continued : — " Familiar with all
* Commodore J. B. Seymour, writing to the Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty, in a letter dated, Auckland, September 2, 1861, and pub
lished in the ' Correspondence relating to the Fiji Islands,' presented to
both Houses of Parliament by command of her Majesty, May, 1862,
seemed also favourably impressed with Mr. Pritchard's way of dealing
with the natives : — " I cannot conclude this letter," he writes, " without
expressing the obligations I am under to Mr. Pritchard, whose manner
with the native chiefs (being neither too deferential nor the reverse) seemed
to me to be exactly what it should be. He speaks the language, and is
evidently liked by all parties of Fijians ; and without his ready assist
ance ... it would havebeen impossible to arrive at so speedy a settlement
of affairs."

124 A MISSION TO VITI.
its habits, you are aware that at certain periods this king
goes on shore to lay its eggs, and you, knowing its way,
look for its footprints on the white coral sand of the
beaches, and suddenly light upon what is hatching.'' No
further amplification was required to make the chief
comprehend the drift of the story. The bystanders saw
at a glance that the chief had put his foot in it the
moment he identified himself with the king of the
fishes, and that his plots were so clumsily constructed
that anybody who knew him could easily trace them out.
/ The public interview with King Cakobau, or Tha-
kombau, was to take place on the 27th of July, when
he wrould once more confirm the cession of his country
made to Great Britain in 1858, through Mr. W. Prit
chard. In order to place the wliole subj ect fairly before
the reader, it will be necessary to insert here the ori
ginal deed of cession: —
" Cession of Fiji to England, and Ratification of it by the Chiefs.
" Ebenezer Thakombau, by the grace of God, sovereign
cbief of Bau and its dependencies, Vunivalu of the armies of
Fiji, and Tui Viti, etc., to all and singular to whom these pre
sents shall come, greeting.
"Whereas we, being duly, fully, and formally recognized in
our aforesaid state, rank, and sovereignty, by Great Britain,
France, and the United States of America, respectively ;
" And having full and exclusive sovereignty and domain in
and over the islands and territories constituting, forming, and
being included in the group known as Fiji, or Viti ;
" And being desirous to procure for our people and subjects
a good and permanent form of government, whereby our afore
said people and subjects shall enjoy and partake of the benefits,
the prosperity, and the happiness, which it is the duty and the

DEED OF CESSION. 125
right of all sovereigns to seek and to procure for their people
and subjects ;
"And being in ourselves unable to procure and provide
such good and permanent government for our aforesaid people
and subjects ;
" And being, moreover, in ourselves unable to afford to our
aforesaid people and subjects the due protection and shelter
from the violence, the oppression, and the tyranny of foreign
Powers, which it is the duty and the right of all sovereigns to
afford to their people and subjects ;
" And being heavily indebted to the President and Govern
ment of the United States of America, the liquidation of which
indebtedness is pressingly urged, with menaces of severe mea
sures against our person, and our sovereignty, and our islands
and territories aforesaid, unless the aforesaid indebtedness be
satisfied within a period so limited as to render a compliance
with the terms of the contract forced upon us utterly impos
sible within the said period; this said inability not arising
from lack of resources within our dominions, but from the
inefficacy of any endeavours on our part under the existing
state of affairs in our islands and territories aforesaid, to carry
out such measures as are necessary for, and would result in,
the ultimate payment of the aforesaid claims; and having
maturely deliberated, well weighed, and fully considered, the
probable results of the course and the measures we now pro
pose ; and being fully satisfied of the impracticability by any
other course and measures to avert from our islands and terri
tories aforesaid, and our people and subjects aforesaid, the evils
certain to follow the non-payment of the sum of money de
manded from us by the Government of the United States of
America ;
"And being confident of the immediate and progressive
benefits that will result from the cession herein now made of
our sovereignty, and our islands and territories aforesaid ;
" Now know ye, that we do hereby, for and in consideration
of certain conditions, terms, and engagements, hereinafter set
forth, make over, transfer, and convey, unto Victoria, by the

126 A MISSION TO VITI.
grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, etc., her heirs and successors for ever, the full
sovereignty and domain in and over our aforesaid islands and
territories, together with the actual proprietorship and personal
ownership in certain pieces or parcels of land as may hereafter be
mutually agreed upon by a commission, to consist of two chiefs
from Great Britain and two chiefs from Fiji ; the said commis
sion to be appointed by the representative of Great Britain in
Fiji, who, in case of dispute, shall himself be umpire ; the said
pieces or parcels of land to be especially devoted to government
purposes, and to be applied and appropriated in manner and
form appertaining to Crown lands in British colonies, or as the
local government of Fiji, appointed by commission from the
aforesaid Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland aforesaid, may deem fit, proper, and neces
sary, for the use and requirements of the said local govern
ment ;
" Provided always, and the cession of our sovereignty and
our islands and territories is on these conditions, terms, and
considerations, that is to say ;
" That the aforesaid Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland aforesaid, shall permit us to retain
the title and rank of Tui Viti, in so far as the. aboriginal popu
lation is concerned, and shall permit us to be at the head of the
department for governing the aforesaid aboriginal population,
acting always under the guidance, and by the counsels, of the
representative of Great Britain and head of the local govern
ment appointed by commission from the aforesaid Victoria,
Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
aforesaid ;
" That the aforesaid Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland aforesaid, shall pay the sum of
forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000) unto the President of the
United States of America, being the amount of the claim de
manded from us, procuring for us and for our people a full
and absolute acquittance from any further liabilities to the said
President or Government of the United States of America
aforesaid :

DEED OF CESSION. 127
" For and in consideration of which outlay, not less than two
hundred thousand (200,000) acres of land, if required, shall be
made over, transferred, and conveyed, in fee- simple, unto
Victoria, aforesaid Queen of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland aforesaid : the selection of which said land
shall be made by the commission hereinbefore named and re
ferred to, to reimburse the immediate outlay required to liqui
date the aforesaid claim of the President and Government of
the United States of America ;
" And we, the aforesaid Ebenezer Thakombau, by the grace
of God, sovereign chief of Bau and its dependencies, Vunivalu
of the armies of Fiji and Tui Viti, etc., do hereby make this
cession, transfer, and conveyance, of our sovereignty, and of
our islands and territories aforesaid, unto the aforesaid Victoria,
by the grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, etc., aforesaid, her heirs and successors
for ever, on behalf of ourselves, our heirs and successors for
ever; on behalf of our chiefs, their heirs and successors for
ever ; on behalf of our people and subjects, their heirs and suc
cessors for ever ; hereby renouncing all right, title, and claim
unto our sovereignty, islands, and territories aforesaid, in so far
as herein stated ;
" In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hand and
affixed our seal, this twelfth day of October, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
his S~*\
Tui Viti, x ( L. S. )
mark. \  J
" Signed, sealed, and ratified by the aforesaid Tui Viti, and
by him formally delivered, in our presence, unto William
Thomas Pritchard, Esq., Her Britannic Majesty's Consul in
and for the aforesaid Fiji ; the aforesaid Tui Viti, at the same
time, affirming and admitting to us personally, that he the
said Tui Viti fully, wholly, perfectly, and explicitly, under
stands and comprehends the meaning, the extent, and the
purpose of the foregoing document, or deed of cession; and
I, the undersigned John Smith Fordham, formerly of Sheffield,

128

A MISSION TO VITI.

England, but now temporarily residing at Bau, Fiji, aforesaid,
do hereby solemnly affirm that I myself, fully, wholly, and ex
plicitly translated the foregoing deed of cession unto the said
Tui Viti, in the presence of the aforesaid William Thomas
Pritchard, Esq., Her Britannic Majesty's Consul in and for the
said Fiji, Robert Sherson Swanston, Esq., His Hawaiian Ma
jesty's Consul in and for Fiji aforesaid, and John Binner, for
merly of Leeds, England, but now resident at Levuka, Island
of Ovalau, Fiji, aforesaid.
" In witness whereof, we have each and all set our respective
names and seals, this twelfth (12th) day of October, in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight afore
said. "John Smith Foedham, Wesleyan Missionary. John Binnee,
Wesleyan Mission Trainer. Robert S. Swanston, Hawaiian
Consul, Fiji. William T. Pritchard, H. B. M. Consul."
" We hereby acknowledge, ratify, and renew, the cession of
Fiji to Great Britain, made on the 12th day of October, 1858,
by Thakombau. In witness whereof we have hereto affixed our
names this 14th day of December, 1859.
"Rabici Roko Tui Dreketi (his x mark), of Rewa.
Jioji Nanovo (his x mark), of Nadroga.
Na Wasa levu (his x mark), of Rakiraki.
Tui Levuka (his x mark), of Ovalau.
Koroi Cokanauto (his x mark), of Bau.
Koroi Tubuna (his x mark), of Tavua.
Naibuka Koroikasa (his x mark), of Nakelo.
Ratu Isikele (signed), of Viwa.
Tukana (his x mark), of Noco.
Tubavivi (his x mark), of Rakiraki.
Curuica (his x mark), of Korotuma, Ra Coast.
Sesebualala (his x mark), of Korotubu.
Tudrau (his x mark), of Dravo.
Samisoni (signed), of Viwa.
Na Galu (his x mark), of Namena.

RATIFICATION OF CESSION. 129
" Koroikaiyanuyanu (his x mark), of Lasakau.
Dabea (his x mark), of Kuku, Viti Levu.
Ko mai Vunivesi (his x mark), of Nakelo.
Pita Paula (his x mark), of Viwa.
Tui Bua (his x mark), of Bua.
Thakombau (his x mark), of Fiji.
"We hereby certify that the foregoing chiefs have signed
this document with a full understanding of its meaning, in our
presence, this 14th day of December, 1859.
"Ht. Campion, Commander, R.N., H.M.S. Elk.
Will. T. Pritchard, H.B.M. Consul.
" We hereby certify that we translated_ the foregoing docu
ment to the Chiefs who have signed, and that they thoroughly
understand its meaning.
" W. Collis, Wesleyan Mission Training Master.
E. P. Martin, Wesleyan Mission Printer.
"January 16th, 1860, at Levuka.
"Ritova (his x mark), of Macuata.
Tui Cakau (his x mark), of Taviuni.
Tui Bua (his x mark), of Bua.
" Witness to marks : *,
" John Cairns, Owner of ' Lalla^Lookk/ and
Merchant of Melbourne.
"Tui Tavuki (his x mark).
Tui Bukelevu (his x mark).
Tui Tame (his x mark).
Tui Nakasaleka (his x mark), per Qarinivalu of
Nukuraleka.
Veri Levu (his x mark), of Yali.
Ratu Savunoko (his x mark), of Ono and Januiana.
Tui Naceva (his X mark).
Witness to Tui Naceva's mark, C. J. Baird.
K

130 A MISSION TO VITI.
" Translated by us, before whom the above Chiefs made their
marks, this 15th day of August, 1860 :
" James S. H. Rotce; Charles Wise.
" I hereby ratify the above cession, Navua, Sept. 4th, 1860.
" Kuruduadua, (his x mark) ,
" Witnesses to signature :
" Berthold Seemann, Ph.D. ; W. T. Pritchard, Consul."
Precisely at eleven o'clock on the morning of the 27th
of July, the King fired a salute. When arriving at the
place of meeting, the royal residence, we found the King
and Queen, both dressed in European fashion, the former
in a blue uniform, seated on chairs, of which several had
been arranged in a semicircle for our use. There were
present, besides Colonel Smythe, Mr. Pritchard and my
self, Messrs. Fordham and Collis from the mission, not
to mention the ladies. Ratu Abel, the King's eldest
son, a fine-looking fellow, was absent, but sent for, and
the chiefs and principal landholders soon dropped in, all
dressed in native costume. Mr. Fordham interpreted
for Colonel Smythe, Mr. Charles Wise for Mr. Pritchard.
I wrote down all at the time, and the following, obtained
from both sources, may be regarded as a faithful resume
of what was spoken : —
"It having been represented to Her Britannic Ma
jesty," said Colonel Smythe, addressing King Cakobau,
"that the King and Chiefs of Fiji are disposed to
become British subjects, her Majesty has directed an
inquiry to be made into the matter, and hear what King
and Chiefs have to say on the subject, in order that it
may be reported to her."

OFFICIAL MEETING AT BAU. 131
The King replied : " The arrangement respecting the
cession entered into with Mr. Consul Pritchard is still
in full force, and shall not be disturbed by any foreign
Power." " Great Britain," continued Colonel Smythe, " pro
duces many things that Fiji does not, and vice versa, so
that by an exchange of products the two countries would
be mutually benefited. I refer especially to cotton,
which grows luxuriantly in Fiji, and is valuable in
England." The King replied : "I am fully aware of it ; and in
consequence of what Mr. Consul Pritchard told me at
the interview at Levuka, about the desirableness of cul
tivating this article, I have directed it to be planted, and
my commands have been carried out to some extent."
" In ceding the country," Colonel Smythe resumed,
" every man will retain his own property and land, and
everybody will be protected, so that a stop will be put to
the fearful feuds that have decimated the population."
The King rejoined: "There may be people in the
group who at present cannot fully appreciate that idea ;
but it is somewhat like Christianity, wliich, though a
blessing, is looked upon with prejudiced eyes by many
not familiar with its beneficial tendency."
When the chiefs and landholders were asked whether
they had any observation to make, they remained mute,
and at the conclusion of the whole raised shouts of
approval. All then retired, and nothing more was said
except what has been stated in substance above. Colo
nel Smythe states, in one of his official communications,
as printed in the Blue-books, that the King " could not
K 2

Id2 A MISSION TO VITI.
convey to Her Majesty 200,000 acres of land as con
sideration for the payment of these claims for him, as
he does not possess them, nor does he acknowledge to
have offered more than his consent that lands to this
extent might be acquired by Her Majesty's Government
for public purposes in Fiji." Nothing to this effect was
broached during the official interview ; on the contrary,
the King distinctly said, that " the arrangement respect
ing the cession entered into with Mr. Consul Pritchard
is still in full force." Nor was the Consul aware that
Colonel Smythe had on any other occasion elicited in
formation from the King that could be thus construed. It
was perfectly well understood by all the leading chiefs that
each and all would have to make over a certain portion
of land, in payment of the debt fastened upon them by
the American Government ; and Bau, and King Cako
bau as its representative, would have borne his share to
make up the 200,000 acres. The very fact that all the
chiefs, without any exception, and even those living in
the remotest districts, ratified the deed of cession, proves
that King Cakobau was backed by all the influence of
his country, and had a perfect right to cede the sove
reignty of the islands.*
* In order to place this fact beyond dispute, I Lave printed the names
of all those chiefs who ratified the deed of cession, — this ratification being
a document omitted in the Blue-book on Fiji. Some information as to
the real position of Bau in Fiji will be found at pp. 74-80 of the present
work.

133

CHAPTER VIII.
EXCURSIONS TO KOEOIVAU AND NAMAKA. — DEPAETUEE FEOM BAU. — PAS
SAGE THROUGH THE GEEAT EIVEE OF VITI LEVU. — BUEETU.  APOSTATE
CHEISTIANS. — EEWA. — AEEIVAL AT TAVUKI, KADAVU. — WHALE SHIPS.—
ATTEMPT TO ASCEND BUKE LEVU. — THE ISTHMUS OF KADAVU. — GA LOA
0E BLACK DUCK BAT. — DEPAETUEE FOB NAVUA.
I took advantage of our stay at Bau, which lasted till
the 2nd of August, to pay several visits to Namara,
Koroivau, and several other parts of Viti Levu. There
was a fine pyramidal temple at Namara, no longer used
for religious purposes, and near it was standing an iso
lated Fan-palm (Pritchardia Pacifica, Seem, et Wendl),
both objects peculiarly Fijian. The natives here were
extremely friendly, and carried us through bogs and
mud when occasion required. At first, the children, on
seeing our white faces, were much frightened, and some
boys and girls from twelve to fourteen years old would
run for their lives when we attempted to get near them
or even looked hard at them. However, they soon got
reconciled to our colour, or rather want of colour, and
a few jew's-harps and beads, judiciously distributed,
would make them as happy as kings and quite attached
to us. The women were busy grating the seeds of the
lvi (Inocarpus edulis, Forst.), now ripe, and made into
bread. The hill-sides were planted with a great number

134 A MISSION TO VITI.
of pine-apples and cassava-root, and around nearly all
the yam, banana, and sweet-potato patches I observed
the cotton-trees, which had been planted by order of the
King and at Mr. Pritchard's instigation. The village of
Koroivau was a complete cotton garden ; the trees were
twelve to fourteen feet high, and formed regular ave
nues in the streets. In my rambles in the forest I met
with some natives who were clearing pieces of ground for
cultivation. They were extremely friendly, and invited
me to partake of some wild yams ("Tivoli") which they
had just been roasting in the hot ashes. I gladly availed
myself of their offer, and found the roots like cultivated
yams, and quite as good in taste. Though no smoker
myself, I carried a pipe and tobacco, which passed from
mouth to mouth, every one having a few puffs and then
passing it on to his neighbour ; and when I intimated
to them that the pipe was theirs, and presented an ad
ditional stick of American tobacco, they were highly
pleased, and hoped that I would soon come again to
" gather leaves." In the swampy parts of the forest I
found a new Aroideous plant, the Viu kana (CyrtO'
sperma edulis, Schott) under cultivation. Like the Taro,
or Dalo, as it is here termed, which it somewhat re
sembles, its root is edible, and very much used.
/We left Bau on the 2nd of August, early in the morn
ing, our party consisting of Colonel and Mrs. Smythe, Mr.
and Miss Pritchard, Mr. Collis and myself, all embarked
in two boats belonging to the mission, and proceeding
to Rewa by way of the river and the canal, a route,
it will be remembered, which Mr. Pritchard and myself
took on a former occasion. After two or three days' rain

APOSTATE CHRISTIANS. 135
and gale, there was a temporary lull in the jveather, and
our trip was altogether a pleasant one. About noon we
halted at Buret%a fortified town, which has never been
taken, and is therefore regarded as impregnable. If it
is so, that must be owing entirely to the bravery of its
inhabitants, for the low walls with which it was sur
rounded did not impress us with any great strength.
Some years ago a good number of the Buretu people
embraced Christianity, but when at a subsequent date
the town rebelled against Bau, they became apostates,
nor did the restoration of peace make them relinquish
their pagan religion, and they had at the time of our
visit, one of the finest temples in the whole group.
These and similar fluctuations must be expected in all
attempts to introduce a new faith, but from which Fiji
has been more free than many other countries similarly
operated upon. Wherever Christianity was preached in
the group it took a quick and firm hold, and the ultimate
conversion of the whole population is merely a matter
of time and £. s. d. If the Wesleyan Society had
more funds at its disposal, so as to be able to send out a
greater number of efficient teachers, a very few years
would see the whole of Fiji christianized, as all the
real difficulties formerly in the way of the mission have
now been removed. On my representing the case in this
light, his Majesty the King of Hanover was graciously
pleased to subscribe as his first gift, £100, towards so
desirable an object, at the same time expressing his ad
miration for the labours of individual missionaries I
named. If the Fijis should be taken by any European
government, the prosperity of the country would best be

136 A MISSION TO VITI.
advanced by placing ample funds at the disposal of the
Protestant missionaries for the christianization of the
natives, for which the machinery as now worked by the
Wesleyans would offer the most efficient and readiest
means. The Catholics would probably effect the christian
izing part with a lesser outlay, but it must not be forgot
ten that one of the great advantages of Protestant mis
sions is, that they civilize as well as christianize, whilst
the Catholic priests, having no home, no family life to
exhibit for imitation, simply christianize. \
/We reached Rewa, or rather Mataisuva, the mission
station, about three o'clock in the afternoon, and were
scarcely sheltered in safety, Colonel Smythe and his wife
with Mr. Waterhouse, the chairman of the Fijian dis
trict of the Wesleyan mission, Mr. Pritchard and all the
rest of us, with Mr. Moore, than a strong south-east
erly gale, accompanied a heavy rain, commenced, which
lasted for six days. Our vessels had been ordered to
round the south-east extremity of Viti Levu, and call
for us at Rewa ; but this bad weather had baffled all
their attempts, and the ' Paul Jones ' thought it best to
endeavour to come through the canal, which connects
the two branches of the great river of Viti Levu, — an
attempt which proved quite successful.
At Rewa, a meeting of all the chiefs and landholders
was held, and the same proceedings gone through as
at Bau. All expressed themselves in favour of ceding
their country to England in the manner already detailed.
Amongst those assembled was a son, still a boy, of
Cakonauto, better known amongst the whites as Philips,
a chief friendly to civilization and the whites. During

AMERICAN WHALE-SHIPS. 137
his lifetime, he had accumulated a great number of
European and American manufactures, curious clocks,
musical boxes, etc., but on inquiry I found that all
these things had become scattered. His son would
ultimately succeed to the chieftainship, and was made a
great deal of by his people. At present the government
was in other hands. He was a comely-looking youth,
of a much lighter complexion than the rest of his
countrymen. The ' Pegasus ' being again late, Mr. Pritchard and I
started for Kadavu (Kandavu), the largest of the south
ernmost islands of the group. Leaving Rewa road on
the 13th of August at six p.m., we made Tavuki Bay,
on the northern side of the island, at seven o'clock on
the following morning, where we took up our quarters
under the hospitable roof of Mr. Royce, one of the resi
dent missionaries. In consequence of the strong south
easterly gale, the temperature was very agreeable, and
during the previous week Mr. Royce observed the ther
mometer to go down to 62° Fahrenheit, the lowest ever
observed in the group.
There were three American whaleships in the bay,
taking in wood, water, and fresh provisions, commanded
by Captain James Nicols, Charles Nicols, and Thomas
Sulivan. They had been nearly all their lives in the
South Sea whaling trade, and were very well known to
Mr. Pritchard when he was at Samoa. Their business
had evidently been a lucrative one, and this was to be
one of their last, if not their last voyage. They had
hitherto taken in their supplies at Samoa or Tonga,
but the natives of those two groups had become so ex-

138 A MISSION TO VITI.
orbitant in their charges as to render it imperative to
look for cheaper provision markets. Fiji had answered
their purpose much better, and they predicted the arrival
of a regular whaling fleet as soon as the great facilities
here offered should have become more generally known
amongst the trade. Having their families with them,
they gave us several pressing invitations to come on
board, which the Consul, myself, and all the mission
aries gladly accepted. These vessels enjoyed the repu
tation of being patterns of what whaleships should be ;
and I must record my surprise at the scrupulous neat
ness, cleanliness, and even elegance prevailing. The
Captain's cabins were fitted up and kept better than I
have ever seen them in any vessel.
When our friends heard that we were anxious to
ascend Buke Levu, the great mountain situated at the
western extremity of Kadavu, they offered us one of
their whale-boats for that purpose; and one of their
mates, a skilful steerer, volunteered to pilot us to the
foot of the mountain. Mr. Pritchard and I left Tavuki
13th of August early in the morning. It was quite
fine when we started, but after an hour's pull, a gale
sprang up, and after being nearly swamped in going
through a narrow passage of a reef, where the water
was breaking, we were compelled to postpone our at
tempt to a more favourable time, and land at Yawe, a
town famous in Fiji for its very large specimens of
pottery, made without a wheel, and taking as our
crockery does, its name from the place of manufacture.
We hoped that it might clear up during the night, to
allow us to proceed in the morning ; but the next day

TONGUESE INTRIGUES. 139
the rain was more heavy than it had been even during
the previous one, and we had no option but to return
to Tavuki. During the night our interpreter had heard
that a circular letter had been received from the Ton
guese chief Maafu, advising his countrymen how to act,
so that the policy of England with regard to the cession
of Fiji might be frustrated, and the country ultimately
fall into the hands of Tonga ; and also that a similar
letter had been sent to Bega (Mbenga). The Tonguese
teachers in the pay of the Wesleyan Society were made
the agents for diffusing the burden of the message.
When we got back to Tavuki Mr. Pritchard communi
cated what we had heard to Mr. Royce, and he sent for
one of the leading Tonguese teachers, who made no
secret of these machinations, and promised to procure
the letter received in Kadavu. Ere two hours had
elapsed he succeeded, and it is now in the Consulate.
Mr. Royce pointed out the impropriety of teachers of
the Christian religion allowing themselves to be used
as tools in miserable political intrigues; but the Ton
guese said that, however glad to be excused, they could
not help themselves, and had to do what their chiefs
told them. The doings of the Tonguese form an impor
tant chapter in the history of the Fijis, and will be
treated under a separate heading, and I merely mention
here this fact, because it has been disputed that the
teachers allowed themselves to be used as political
agents. Tavuki, from being made the centre of the mission of
the district, must be regarded as the capital of Kadavu,
and is situated in latitude 19° 3' 9" south, longitude

140 A MISSION TO VITI.
178° 6' 23" east, according to observation taken by Mr.
Sedmond, master of H.M.S. Harrier, 17, Captain Sir
Malcolm M'Gregor. Tavuki is an open , bay on the
northern coast, with no deep water close to the shore,
and at ebb tide one has to walk about half a mile
over the coral reef before being able to reach the boats.
The missionaries had endeavoured to make a pier, on
which those whom the chiefs would wish to punish for
any petty offences were made to work ;" but at the
time of our visit little progress had been made, and one
could almost have wished that a greater number of
petty offences had been committed.
The island of Kadavu, of which so little is known,
and no accurate hydrographical survey exists, is highly
cultivated, notwithstanding its being so hilly, and rising
on its western extremity four thousand feet high. A
strong belief has sprung up that there must be gold,
and old gold-diggers from the Australian colonies, judg
ing from the formation of the quartz rocks, maintain
that the island is auriferous. Quite recently Kadavu
has been examined by two miners from Melbourne,
who certainly did find a quartz reef, but not the pre
cious metal they were in search of. The fact of the
matter is, that neither of these parties had the means
to provide themselves with proper tools for a thorough
and final exploration. The discovery of gold has ac
tually been reported from Vanua Levu. The popula
tion of Kadavu, said to number about ten thousand, is
a mixture between the Fijian and Tonguese races, all
of whom, with the exception of seven individuals, have
nominally become Christians. The island is twenty-

ISTHMUS OF YARABALE. 141
four miles long, stretching from east to west, and being
contracted about the centre into the narrow isthmus of
Yarabali, literally " Haul-across," so named from the fact
of canoes and boats being dragged across it, in order to
save the trouble and escape the danger of a long pas
sage around the east and west point. Colonel Smythe
and myself, in company with Mr. Royce, crossed it on
the 16th of August, and found the northern portion of
the isthmus a fine avenue of cocoa-nut palms, the south
ern more or less a mangrove swamp. A similar short
cut for canoes is effected at Naceva Bay in Vanua Levu.
On both sides of Yarabali there is a bay ; the northern,
Na Malata, is shallow and open ; the southern, Ga loa,
has deep water, good anchorage, and three passages
through the reef outside, which acts as a natural break
water. We found its shores full of pumice-stone, drifted
here from the Tongan volcanoes. The different explor
ing expeditions having quite overlooked this fine bay,
Mr. Pritchard made a rough survey in 1858, it being not
improbable that if the much discussed communication
between Sydney and Western America — the shortest
route to England — should be established via Fiji, steam
ers would prefer calling at this southernmost bay, with
plenty of sea-room outside, to running the risk of en
tering the labyrinth of rocks, shoals, and reefs, which
render the navigation of the central parts of the group,
in the absence of a complete chart, a rather difficult
task. Ga loa, or Black Duck Bay, derives its name from the
largest of three islands situated in it. Ga loa island is
two hundred feet high, about a mile long, and half a

142 ,A MISSION TO VITI.
mile across, and full of fruit-trees. It was pointed out
as the spot where, only a twelvemonth ago, a man was
baked and eaten. Cannibalism in Fiji will soon num
ber amongst the things that have been. The influence
of all the whites residing in or visiting the group is
steadily directed towards its extinction, and though a
person who ought to have had more charity has asserted
in print that he had been told some of the white resi
dents were habitual partakers of human flesh, I think,
for the honour of our race, such second-hand stories
ought to be indignantly rejected. Antiquaries know
that cannibalism of a certain form lingered in Europe
long after the Reformation ; that mummies, said to be
Egyptian, were extensively used medicinally, and that
only after it was found out patients had not partaken
of the contemporaries of Thothmes I. or Rameses the
Great, but of bituminized portions of their own fellow-
countrymen, this precious quack medicine fell into abso
lute disuse. Even in our own times we may still meet
in certain parts of Europe people doing what has been
recorded with horror of the Fijians — that of drinking
the living blood of man ; but mark ! with this essential
difference, that the former, watching their opportunities
at public executions, do it in hopes of thereby curing
fits of epilepsy, whilst the latter did it to gratify re
venge and exult over fallen enemies. As for a Euro
pean, even of the lowest grade, coolly sitting down to a
regular cannibal feast, the idea is too preposterous to
have ever been allowed to disgrace the pages of a mo
dern publication.
Taudromu, another of the islands of Ga loa Bay,

A FIJIAN EEL-KING. 143
scarcely balf a mile round, now belongs to an American
Indian of real flesh and blood ; and in former times was
inhabited by Ratu-va-caki, a mighty spirit, who, with
his sons, all like their father, of prepossessing appear
ance, and bearing poetical names,* seem to have played
the same part in Fiji as the Erl-King and his daughters
did in Europe. Many are the stories told of their deeds
and adventures. Generally they used to go out together,
but if Ratu-va-caki was disinclined, the boys, who, young
rascals! had as keen an appreciation of a pretty face
and a good figure as their old rake of a father, would
rove about by themselves, principally moving about in
heavy squalls and gales; hence their invisible canoe
was termed " Loaloa ;" and if, soon after stormy weather,
any fine young girls suddenly died, it was proverbially
said that Ratu-va-caki and his sons had carried off
their souls. However, poetical justice was done at last.
One day, when all were at Yanuca, near Bega, their
presence, notwithstanding their having assumed human
shape, was discovered by the local god, who rightly
guessed their intentions. When they were performing
a dance, and all the girls were admiringly watching their
graceful movements, the local god caused his priest to
prepare a certain mixture, which, on being sprinkled
over the visitors, made their arms, legs, and other parts
of their bodies assume such ridiculous shapes, that they
became the laughing-stock of all, and could never think
of again undertaking similar expeditions. \
* The sons were called, Teketeke-ni-masi, because he, the eldest, wore
a wreath of flowers over his white tapa, Tawake-i-tamana, Reaugaga, and
the youngest Valu-qaiaki (or rising moon).

144 A MISSION TO VITI.
/ The meeting with the chiefs and principal landholders
of Kadavu was held at Tavuki, and passed off as satis
factorily as that at Bau and Rewa, the natives expressing
their eagerness to become British subjects. We pur
chased from the natives a good many curiosities, such as
clubs, fans, spears, etc., for our ethnological collections,
some of which were remarkable specimens of carving,
and evidently very old. The great size and heaviness of
these things made them very inconvenient objects to
carry and stow away on board, crammed as we were for
space. One afternoon all the children of the town and
neighbourhood, wishing to show their goodwill, came
in full procession, and singing, up to the mission-house,
each carrying a present. Some had bundles of sugar
cane, some bunches of taro, some struggled under the
weight of an enormous yam. All the presents were
piled in a heap at our feet, and it was intimated that
they were meant for the special gratification of Mrs.
Smythe. Then all the children sat down in rows on the
ground, and sang a number of songs, accompanied by
grotesque gestures, and movements of body and arms,
but at the same time not without meaning. One of
these songs, or " mekes," described the horror of the
natives when seeing for the first time a horse and a
man on its back, — how they fled in wild terror, and took
refuge on high rocks and trees, so that the monster
might not hurt them.
Both ' Pegasus ' and ' Paul Jones ' left Tavuki Bay
on the morning of the 17th of August, and after a few
hours' sail arrived at Qalira, where we hoped to ascend
Buke Levu, but the sea was so high that we found it

A DISAPPOINTMENT. 145
impossible to land. We hoped for better luck at Nasau,
which we reached late at night, and were in full hopes
of gaining the top of the fine mountain, constantly ex
hibiting to us its dome-like summit. The next morning,
however, was so very rainy, that we had to give up all
hopes of accomplishing our object that day; and it was
therefore resolved to postpone our ascent, and cross over
to Viti Levu, in order to pay a visit to Kuruduadua, for
the exploration of whose dominions Mr. Pritchard and I
had already paved the way.

146

CHAPTER IX.
DEPAETUEE FEOM KADAVU. — AEEIVAL AT NAVUA. — A COUET OF JUSTICE.
— STAETING FOE THE INTEEIOB.  THE NAVUA EIVEE. — ITS FINE 6CE-
NEET.  EAPIDS. — A CANOE UPSET.  TOWN OF NAGADI. — HOSPITABLE
EECEPTION. — SOKOMATO. — KIDNAPPING.  FAMILY PEATEES. — HEATHEN
TEMPLE. — A LAEGE SNAKE TO BE COOKED.  MAECH ACEOSS THE COUN-
TET. — VUNIWAIVUTUKU. — A DIFFICULT EOAD.  A PUESE LOST. — NO
THIEVES.  AEEIVAL AT NAMOSI.  DANFOED's ESTABLISHMENT. — HIS
USEFULNESS AS A PIONEEE.
Leaving Kadavu on Saturday the 18th of August, at
noon, our schooner cast anchor off Navua early next
morning, where we were hospitably received by Kuru
duadua, the chief of the district. Danford, the English
man, whose history has already been told, was also there
to conduct us to his place of residence at Namosi, as
had been previously arranged. We took up our quar
ters in the new Strangers' House (Buri ni sa), where
there was ample room to hang up mosquito curtains
and open our luggage. There had been a quarrel be
tween an Englishman and a Tonguese, both residing at
Taguru, in Kuruduadua's dominion. The Englishman
had allowed his pigs to grub the fields belonging to the
Tonguese, and the latter, after repeatedly remonstrating
without effect, had thought it advisable to enlighten the
Englishman by setting fire to his, shed. Both parties
appealed to the British Consul for justice, and, with

A COURT OF JUSTICE. 147
Kuruduadua's approval, the case was gone into as it
would before any magistrate in England, witnesses beiDg
called to establish the truth of the various statements
advanced. The result was, that the Englishman was told
that, according to Fijian customs, the- pigs, not the fields,
were fenced in, and that he had no right to allow his
animals to destroy neighbours' property; whilst his
neighbour, for taking the law in his own hand, was
ordered to erect, in a specified number of days, a new
shed, in every way equal to the one destroyed. Kuru
duadua was highly pleased with the way in which the
whole had been managed ; and though it was late when
the case was decided, he sent for several of the leading
men to give them an account of it, and they sat up the
greater part of the night discussing the fairness of the
proceedings.\
^/Having made arrangements with Kuruduadua for
proceeding into the interior on our previous visit, we
were able to start on the morning of the 21st of Au
gust. The travelling party consisted of Colonel Smythe,
Mr. Pritchard, the Rev. J. Waterhouse, Danford, Chief
Kuruduadua, and a host of followers, all embarked in
canoes. The weather, which, during the previous week,
had been rainy, became very fine at starting. The boat
hi which Mr. Pritchard, Danford, and myself were
seated, was always ahead, and all attempts made by the
others to beat us proved failures. At one time we had
a most exciting race, the rival canoes putting forth all
their strength, but to no avail : we kept ahead in spite
of all their efforts.
Danford and the natives were quite in their element,
L i

148 A MISSION TO VITI.
and indefatigable in offering explanation. I thought I
could not do better than take advantage of their local
knowledge and dot down all I heard, saw, and had
pointed out. " Look to the right," cried one, " there is
Tamana, with a large temple at the top." " Look to
the left," interpolated another, " if you wish to see Solu,
a small town, just disappearing betwen those banana
plantations. You have already lost it. Those bamboos,
high reeds, and tall treeferns, have shut it out. Do you
see the wild plantain 1 There ! there it is ! You can
always know it from others by its having erect orange-
coloured branches instead of nodding ones, like the cul
tivated species. One more sago-palm in that swamp,
probably the last, as we ascend the river ; it does not
like rocks, and here, you see, they begin. This is the
first rapid : no danger, all the canoes pass over safely.
Three hawks chasing a pigeon ! Now for bold scenery !
The rocks are at least two hundred and fifty feet high,
full of fine timber at the top. And those splendid
waterfalls ! Here we are at Kuburinasaumuri ; cliffs on
both sides, and the river full of fresh-water sharks, of
which the chief killed a very large one for biting his
brother. This is Na Savu drau — the hundred waterfalls.
In the rainy season that number is quite correct ; even
now, if you count all those little streaks of silver pour
ing over the cliffs, you will find it not far short. On
the right is the Wai-ni-kavika (the river of the Malay
apples), where a mighty spirit dwells."
And thus they went on talking and pointing out all
they considered interesting or worth looking at. We
had gradually exchanged the low, flat land of the coast

PASSING THE RAPIDS. 149
for bold river scenery, and poled and paddled agahist a
strong current. Judging from the water-mark observ
able on rocks and trees, the Navua, which flows almost
due south, must be navigable for large boats during the
rainy season ; but when we ascended there was little
water, and it required no ordinary skill to get the canoes
over all the rapids that presented themselves. I have
never appreciated the fun of passing over rapids, where
a single false stroke or inattention of the steersman
may upset you, and one may congratulate himself by
simply escaping with bruises.* On one or two occa
sions we had to drag our little flotilla over them by
means of ropes. At length we arrived at one worse
than any we had previously encountered. We all landed,
and told our crew to put our luggage on shore; this
order, however, was only partially obeyed. Colonel
Smythe's people, wishing to save themselves the trouble,
headed the rapid. In an instant the torrent, breaking
* I well remember the anxious faces on board a steamer going over the
rapids of La Chine, on the St. Lawrence ; the band playing all the time,
" The Bapids are near, and the daylight is past." There were on board
then nearly all the members that had assembled to attend the meeting of
the American Association for the Advancement of Science, at Montreal,
Canada, I, as oflicial representative of the Linnean Society of London,
amongst the number j and judging from the serious tone that pre
vailed, and the sudden silence when we drew near the rapids, I don't
think there were many present who thanked the managing committee for
having provided this passage for our special amusement. Everybody
was glad when it was over, except perhaps those Canadians who, by fre
quent repetition, had become used to this sensation passage. The tem
porary gloom was, however, soon dispelled by an animated discussion as to
whether the honour of taking the first steamer over La Chine — the Indians
had always taken their canoes over — was due to an Englishman or Ame
rican. I did not wait for the end of the discussion ; but whatever country
man, he must have been a most daring and cool-headed fellow.

150 A MISSION TO VITI.
the rope, had swept away the canoe, dashed it with great
force against a steep rock on the opposite side, smashing
the outrigger, swamping the little vessel, and leaving
all the luggage and provisions swimming in the water.
All the natives plunged in the river, and succeeded in
saving the property. Of course the clothes were satu
rated, the tea had been made, the sugar was dissolved,
and the biscuit looked like so much bread and butter
pudding. To me, who often got a wetting in crossing
rivers, it was quite amusing to see Colonel Smythe and
Mr. Waterhouse busy in wringing and hanging up their
clothes, and I could not resist the temptation of asking
them whether any mangling was done there.
Fortunately, the stores which Mr. Pritchard and I had
brought were quite safe, and so we could supply most
of their deficiencies. The mishap being repaired as
much as possible, we pushed on, and soon arrived at Na
Mato, — a place where the river was entirely blocked
up by huge rocks, said to have fallen from the top of
the mountain on the right-hand bank, during an earth
quake some forty years ago. The natives assured us
that when this catastrophe first took place, the stoppage
of the river was complete ; and the water rose so high
that for a long time it inundated their fields, and they
had to dive for their provisions. They did obtain cocoa-
nuts, but could not get at the taro, and there was a
famine in consequence. \S
We left our large canoes at Na Mato,/and in smaller
ones, which Kuruduadua had in readiness, passed a
steep rocky shore, where the people of Nagadi bury
their dead. Excavations are made into the rock, and the

NAGADI. 151
corpses laid on their back, with the head towards the
west. A small species of bamboo, of which the natives
make pan-flutes, was here most common, as indeed all
along these rocky shores, and greatly added by its grace
ful feathery habit to the beauty of the scenery.
./Sunset was close at hand when we reached Nagadi,
a town built on the top of a high steep hill, composed
of rich clayey soil. For the night, we took up our
quarters at the Bure ni sa, or strangers' house, invari
ably found at every Fijian town or village, and remind
ing one of the Tambo or Tambu of South America,
between which and the strangers' house of Polynesia
there appears to be a connection which ethnologists
do not seem to have appreciated sufficiently. Both are
public establishments, where travellers have the right
to pass the night, and where they obtain meat and
drink.* This Bure proved extremely dirty, and was
much too small for all the people assembled to welcome
our party. By spreading clean mats over a portion of
the floor, and putting out most of the smoking fires
kindled between each of the sleeping-places, we suc
ceeded in making ourselves comfortable. Pigs, yams,
and taro, all baked on hot stones in true Polynesian
style, as Captain Cook described it one hundred years
ago, and a quantity of pudding, consisting of ripe ba
nanas boiled in cocoa-nut milk, and sweetened with
* One of the meanings of the Polynesian word tabu, or, as the Fijians
pronounce it, tambu, is " set apart," "reserved," etc.; and I often won
dered — that is all I could do with my slight philological knowledge —
whether the name of the houses " set apart " or " reserved " for travellers
in tho Andes, the Tanibos or Tambus, was in any way connected with fhis
word.

152 A MISSION TO VITI.
rasped sugar-cane, were brought in and presented to
Chief Kuruduadua, who, after accepting the gift through
his speaking-man, again presented it to us. We had to
go through the same ceremony of accepting the food,
and had also the obligation to distribute it amongst the
whole travelling party. This task was accomplished
satisfactorily by Danford, whom his long life amongst
the mountain tribes of Viti Levu has made familiar with
all their complicated ceremonies.
After supper the kava bowl was brought out. Whilst
the beverage was preparing the whole assembly chanted
songs ; and when ready, Danford gave the toast, and the
cup-bearer handed the first cocoa-nut full to the chief.
As soon as our bowl was empty, another and another
was prepared, until the whole company had been served.
Fortunately, kava, unlike distilled spirits, does not make
people quarrelsome ; it has rather, like tobacco, a calm
ing effect; and when Fijians extol the virtues of then
national beverage, they often, and justly, make this ob
servation. When leaving Navua we had more volunteers for
accompanying us than there was any occasion to em
ploy, and we were compelled to reject the services of a
good many. Amongst them was a young chief, named
Soromato, or, as his companions nicknamed him, "Monte-
monte." I told him that I did not wish to crowd our
canoe, and he must stay behind; but he declared that
he had made up his mind not to leave me as long as I
was in the island. 1 told him I would not have him on
any account, and if he did not take himself on shore
directly, I would pitch him in the river. He intimated

SOROMATO. 153
that he could swim, and that his clothes would not
spoil, as he wore none. It not being prudent to give
in to the natives, I had no option but to carry out my
threat, choosing the very moment our flotilla was under
weigh. He thought it a good piece of fun, and declared
he would be with me nevertheless. He was as good as
his word. When we landed at Nagadi he was there al
ready, having come by the mountain road. I had now no
alternative. He proved to me most useful and attentive,
and never left me until I finally embarked, when he
cried bitterly on being told that it was quite out of the
question he could go to Europe with me, where he would
probably have to exchange a life of ease and plenty for
one of toil and poverty, and not be treated as a chief
but as a common man.
The tribes of which Kuruduadua was the head, had
for some time been molested by their neighbours, and we
found at Nagadi a party of soldiers just returned from
an unsuccessful ambush. They had endeavoured to kid
nap some of their enemies, and were rather disappointed
at having to report ill success. I recognized several of
them as having been at Navua during our first visit to
that place, and they gave us some account of Kurudua
dua's son, whom Mr. Pritchard and I invested with his
toga virilis. He was in the depths of the mountains, and
a message had been sent to him that he might come to
pay his respects to us.
Before retiring to rest we had family prayers in En
glish, Mr. Waterhouse officiating. Kuruduadua com
manded silence, and it was very impressive, amongst a
profound stillness, to hear a Christian minister offering

154 A MISSION TO VITI.
up supplications to heaven for the conversion of the be
nighted beings crowding around us. They were all at
tention, and in their minds evidently compared the con
vulsive ravings of their own priests with the dignified
bearing of the Christian missionary.
/The next morning I paid a visit to the heathen temple
at Nagadi. Unlike other temples on the coast, which
are generally erected on terraced mounds, and quite free
from any enclosure, this was on level ground, and sur
rounded by a high bamboo fence ; some of the sticks
used being the young shoots entire, with unexpanded
leaves, and looking like so many fishing-rods. The
temple itself was a mere hut, scarcely twenty-five feet
long and fifteen wide. In one corner there was an enclo
sure of reeds, where the spirit was supposed to dwell or
descend. Kava-roots and leaves, clubs, spears, and little
twigs of Waltheria Americana, suspended from various
parts of the roof, had been presented as offerings. In
some old temples the various offerings have been taste
fully arranged, making the interior of the building look
like a great armoury. There were no images of any
kind, — indeed, I never saw idols of any sort throughout
Fiji. The priest and his family also lived in this place,
and readily exhibited all the curiosities accumulated.
Amongst the things attracting my attention was a lot of
bamboo-canes tied in a bundle, which, on being struck on
the ground with the opening downwards, produced a loud
and hollow sound. Two single bamboos of unequal length
are beaten contemporaneously with this large bundle
in religious ceremonies. I gave the young priest a jew's-
harp, with which he expressed himself highly pleased.

LARGE SNAKE. 155
At Nagadi the river branches off in two different direc
tions: the eastern branch is not navigable even for
small canoes, but said to be about forty miles long;
whilst the northern has deep water, of which we took
advantage in resuming our journey the next morning.
All our luggage was sent by land, on the backs of
natives. The weather still continued fine, so that we
fully enjoyed the beautiful scenery and rich vegetation
around us. We passed Bega, where our river was joined
by a small tributary stream ; hence the site of the town
(or koro) is termed Uci wai rua, the junction of two
rivers, the rivers being the Wai Koro Luva, and the Wai
ni Avu. We finally abandoned our canoes at Wai nuta,
to proceed on foot to Namosi — there being no horses,
mules, or any other mode of conveyance.
On stepping on shore I was shown the largest snake
I ever saw in Fiji. It was only six feet long, two inches
in diameter, of a light brown colour, and with a trian
gularly-shaped head. I was very desirous of obtaining it
for my zoological collection ; but the natives said that
Kuruduadua had just seen it and ordered them to pre
pare it for his supper on his return from Namosi. As
he had passed on, I could not get the order revoked ; and
the reptile having been put alive in a bamboo, which
was corked up at the ends, the boys, much to my regret,
trotted off with it. \
/ Climbing at once commenced. The paths being very
narrow we walked in single file, Kuruduadua taking the
lead, and showing us the sites of the various towns which
he or his fathers had taken when their victorious army
gradually fought its way from the interior of Viti Levu

156 A MISSION TO 'VITI.
to its southern coast. The soil appeared everywhere of
the richest kind. We saw no plains of any size, but
series after series of undulating ranges of no very great
height, well suited for growing coffee, tea, and cotton.
Now and then there was a fine bird's-eye view of the
country, which Kuruduadua was always careful to point
out, evidently enjoying our expressions of delight on
these occasions. I saw a good many plants that inter
ested me, and their collection ultimately isolated me
and Soromato, henceforth my shadow, from the rest of
the party.
I had just been speculating on the cause of the Fi
jian, in common with other insular floras, being poor
in gay-coloured, and rich in green, white, and yellow
flowers, when, lo ! a look in the valley revealed bushes
covered with a perfect mantle of scarlet and blue,
thrown up to great advantage by the bright rays of the
sun. I saw my travelling companions had made a halt
near the very spot where nature had condescended to
refute a deeply-rooted generalization. I clambered
down the hill as fast as the condition of the ground
would admit, and for awhile lost sight of the gay dis
play by intervening objects. A few more steps and
I stood before a startling sight — Colonel Smythe's artil
lery uniform hung up to dry in the sun !
In detailing the violent emotions I had passed through,
my companions enjoyed a good laugh at my expense,
and invited me to cool myself by sitting down to a cup
of hot tea, pork, and yams, all spread out picnic fashion
on the grass, and in the shade of some fine cocoa-nut
palms. The village where I met with this mortification

NO THIEVING.

157

rejoiced in the name of Vuniwaivutuku, and consisted
of about thirty houses, some of which were neatly fenced
in with Braccenas. The place where we had squatted
down was in front of the Buri ni sa, an old and not
very large building, surrounded by a good many erect
stones, indicating the number of dead bodies eaten
under its hospitable roof. The grass-plot in front, and
several fine leaf plants, gave an air of neatness to the
whole ; whilst the extensive view it commanded over
the whole valley, proved the situation a well-chosen
one for a strangers' house. Kuruduadua informed us
that there were two roads from here to Namosi, and
that he should take us the longest, and bring us back
the shortest, so that we might see as much as possible
of his territory. He told us the road would be rather
a rough one, and, without any exaggeration, it proved
quite equal to the worst roads I traversed in South
America. Now we had to climb perpendicular rocks,
now creep underneath low bowers formed by reeds, now
again wade through rivers and rivulets, or pass over
swampy ground. Our clothes were torn by brambles,
our hands and faces cut by sharp-edged leaves of grasses ;
indeed, one was forcibly reminded of the flight of the
mechanics through the forests, which Puck relates with
roguish delight in the 'Midsummer Night's Dream:'
" For briers and thorns at their apparel snatch ;
Some sleeves ; some hats ; from yielders all things catch.'\
' On proceeding, Colonel Smythe discovered that he
had left his purse at Nagadi, having placed it last night
under his mat, and forgotten to put it in his pocket be
fore starting. " Make yourself perfectly easy about it,"

158 A MISSION TO VITI.
said Kuruduadua, when this loss was communicated to
him, " I allow no thieving here ; I club all thieves : they
don't do that at Rewa or Bau. A man shall go back
for it at once, and in a short time the purse will be
brought." A messenger was sent accordingly, and, sure
enough, when it was brought not a coin was missing. \
y Covered with mud and very tired, we reached towards
sunset the town of Namosi, where Danford many years
ago took up his residence. The beauty of its situa
tion had not been exaggerated, and the accompanying
sketch, for which I am indebted to Dr. Macdonald, will
give some conception of it. It is built in a lovely valley,
Arery much reminding me of Ischl. High mountains are
rising on every side of an extremely fruitful valley,
through which the Wai dina is winding its serpentine
course, and passing many miles of fertile country, ulti
mately discharges its waters into the sea at Rewa. The
temperature being considerably lower than that of the
coast, a European is filled with a thrill of delight as he
begins to breathe the air so much resembling that to
which his constitution is best accustomed ; and it requires
no prophetic soul to predict that if ever the Fijis be
come a European colony, Namosi will be a favourite
resort during the hot season, and the surrounding hills
a mass of coffee and tea plantations. \
We went straight to Danford's house, one of the
largest in the town, built close to the rocky banks
of the river, and surrounded by a neat bamboo fence,
enclosing fine cocoa-nut, bread-fruit, orange, and Tahi-
tian chestnut-trees, which diffused an agreeable shade
over the extensive courtyard, whilst gay-coloured dra-

DANFORD. 159
ca^nas and croton shrubs gave quite a finish to the
place. Danford evidently enjoyed our surprise at find
ing everything so clean and comfortable, and new mats
and even calico curtains. It was the best kept native-
built house I had visited in Fiji. Afterwards, when
having seen more of us, he told us how much annoyed
he had been by certain remarks the whites on the coast
had made to his disadvantage. Those people, who
should be nameless, had insulted him by asking him
point-blank how cannibal food tasted, and how he could
think of forsaking the Christian religion and assisting
in heathen rites. He had nothing to oppose of these
accusations but silent contempt, and his well-fingered
Bible was a good proof of his real disposition. In his
own way he had evidently done a great deal of good ;
was the direct means of abolishing many abominable
practices; and without this pioneer we should never
have been able to reach this little-known region of the
world. He was very fond of reading, and had accumu
lated a good many books, mostly presents from consuls,
missionaries, or captains and officers of ships. I in
creased it by a copy of Shakspeare, after which he had
a hankering. The natives often came to look at his
picture books, and the ' Illustrated London News ' was a
source of endless delight to them.\

160

CHAPTER X.
POPULAE IDEAS EESPECTING THE INTEEIOE OF VITI LEVU. — MALACHITE
AND ANTIMONY. — ASCENT OF VOMA PEAK. — VISIT TO A HEATHEN
TEMPLE. — " SPIEIT FOWLS." — OFFICIAL MEETING WITH KUEUDUADUA
AND HIS SUBJECTS. — A EEBELLION TO BE SUPPEESSED. — PEESENTATION
OF FOOD. — " THE OLDEST INHABITANTS."  A COUET-FOOL AND HIS
TEICKS.  ME. WATEEHOUSE PEEACHING.  DEPAETUEE OF COLONEL
SMYTHE, AND MESSES. PEITCHAED AND WATEEHOUSE, FOB NAGBOGA.
T® the n«rth ®f Namosi there is a good deal of unex
plored country, and we tried hard to get some informa
tion about its general features. A popular belief, cur
rent amongst the white settlers in Fiji, affirms that there
is a large table-land and an inland lake in Viti Levu.
Nothing could be learnt of this table-land, but the na
tives had heard of a lake on which canoes were. Not
far from Namosi, still in sight of the town, exists a
mountain, which the late Mr. Williams, American Con
sul for Fiji, bought for its rich veins of copper ore.
After Mr. Williams's death a number of specimens from
this mountain were found in his possession, of which
his executor gave me several. They proved to be ma
lachite, closely resembling the Australasian, and next to
that of the Ural, considered the best. Nothing has as
yet been done to work these mines. The natives also
informed us of the existence of ore cf antimony about

MALACHITE AND ANTIMONY. 161
ten miles from Namosi, and at a place called Umbi,
where it is said to occur in large veins in the side of a
hill. Macdonald and S. Waterhouse also heard of and
saw quantities brought down by the natives in bamboos,
and concluded that it must be plentiful. The black
sand so frequently found on the banks of the Rewa
river, and attracted by a magnet, has also been washed
down from these mountains. Danford at one time fancied
he had discovered gold in the neighbourhood, and in
1856 he took the ' Herald's ' officers to the Wai ni Ura.
The rocks were spangled with iron pyrites, which made
then appearance wherever the surface was broken : gold
was nowhere to be seen.
Directly on our arrival we made preparations for as
cending Voma, the highest peak in Viti Levu, perhaps
in the whole Fijis, and never trodden by the foot of
white man. The natives represented to us the impos
sibility of getting to the summit, but we told them that
we must at least make the attempt. To this proposal
they agreed, and on the morning of the 24th of August
we commenced our task, guided by Natove, a famous
warrior and petty chief, who proved an excellent hand
in cutting openings through the forest when we got
higher up.
On leaving Namosi our path led through numerous
taro, banana, and yam plantations, and close to an altar
made of sticks and native cloth, on which food for the
spirits of the dead was placed : some of the yams were
actually sprouting again. The mass of Fijians will have
it that these offerings are consumed by the spirits of
their departed friends and relations, supposed to have
M

162 A MISSION TO VITI.
great supernatural influence ; but if not eaten by ani
mals, the food is often stolen by the more enlightened
class of their own countrymen, and even some foreigners
occasionally do not disdain to help themselves freely.
/The ascent of Voma was steep, and made us very
warm indeed. Our native attendants found it equally
so, though not encumbered with any clothing like our
selves ; and to cool themselves they thought it no addi
tional exertion to climb up a tree and catch the breeze.
In former times, there had been a town some consider
able distance up the mountain, traces of which were
still visible ; and hence, though there was a thick wood,
the actual virgin forest did not commence until we had
attained the height of about 2500 feet above the sea.
When entering that region we found the trees altogether
different from those of the lowlands, and densely covered
with mosses, lichens, and deep orange-coloured orchids
(Bendrobium Mohlianum, Rchb. fil.). Some of the ferns
were of antediluvian dimensions. A species of Cinna-
momum, producing a superior kind of cassia-bark, and
used by the natives for scenting cocoa-nut oil, and as a
powerful sudorific, was met with in considerable quan
tities. The absence of all large animals, and the limited
number of birds, impart an air of solemnity to these
upland forests. Not a sound is heard : all is silence
¦ — repose !
We had to pass over some awkward places, and to
climb several almost perpendicular rocks, rendered slip
pery by water trickling down. However, at half-past ten,
two hours and a half after starting, Colonel Smythe, Mr.
Pritchard and myself, reached the summit: Danford

ASCENT OF VOMA PEAK. 163
having stopped half-way, and Mr. Waterhouse remained
behind at Namosi to scatter a little seed of truth amongst
the numerous heathens pouring into the town for to
morrow's grand meeting.*
Immediately trees were cut down, and compass bear
ings taken of all prominent parts, by which means an
important step was made to reform the geography of
Viti Levu.f A great part of Fiji lay bike a map at our
feet ; there were the islands of Moturiki, Batiki, Gau,
Bega, Ovalau, and a host of smaller ones ; even Kadavu
was looming at the distance. We had hoped to have a
* "Before a large company of chiefe and people/' says Air. Water-
house, in his published journal of this tour, "I gaTe an account of the
Great Creator, and of the original state and subsequent fall of man.
They loudly applauded Adam's cleverness in blaming the woman, and
Eve's in accusing the serpent. I was afterwards requested to tell them
about Noah and the Flood, with which demand I complied. Before I
left the house, the chief said to those present, ' These missionaries are our
true friends : they want us to live in peace and quietness, and to cultivate
the Boil ; hut you slaves can't understand these matters.' Alany referred
in glowing terms to the visit of my brother Samuel, and Kuruduadua gave
a vivid description of his visit to the house of the Eev. "William iloore."
t Dr. Macdonald and Mr. Samuel Waterhouse were, it is well known,
the first who penetrated up the Wai dina, or great river of Viti Levu, to
Namosi, and from data which they furnished was constructed the map
published in the Journal of the Eoyal Geographical Society, vol. xxviL
Having nothing to go upon but the compass and dead reckoning, the posi
tion of Namosi, as well as the source of the Wai dina, has been placed too
far west, as our route to Namosi lay almost due north. The compass
bearings taken on the top of Voma Peak would have corrected errors
found in recent maps ; but the southern coast seems to be so far out that
they cannot be made available at present. I subjoin them : — East end of
Moturiki, N.E. by E. ; centre of Batiki, N.E. by E. i E. ; west end of
Gau, E. by N. I N. ; centre of Nukulau Island (Eewa), E. f S. ; east end
of Bega, S. ; centre of Yanuca, S. by ¥.JW.; G-amo Peak, S. by W. i
W. ; extreme sea horizon to the west, S.W. by W. ; town of Namosi,
N.N.W. ; extreme sea horizon on the north was the west end of
Ovalau.
M 2*

164 A MISSION TO VITI.
glimpse of Bega; but that we should be able to see nearly
two-thirds of the whole group was a pleasure for which
we were unprepared, and which amply repaid the exer
tion made in the ascent. A fire was kindled to let the
people of Namosi know of our success, and after collect
ing specimens of the vegetation, and partaking of some
refreshment, we descended, and reached Namosi about
five p.m., the boys carrying baskets full of rare and new
plants. In the evening we paid a visit to a Bure Kalou (heathen
temple). Though not surrounded by a fence, it was
situated and similar to that at Nagadi, small and insig
nificant in comparison with some of the temples near
the coast. Danford introduced us to the priest, who
kept up a roaring fire, which made the inside too hot
for us to stay longer than a few minutes. We were told
that the Kalou ( = Spirit, God), for whom two-thirds of
the whole building were set apart by a screen of bamboo,
liked heat ; but I presume the only spirit fond of a good
fire was the priest himself, as he was rather an old
man. Hearing from Danford that one of our party,
disliking pork, had not eaten meat for several days, he
very good-naturedly let us have several fowls presented
to the temple. Danford dubbed them spirit-fowls,
and Mr. Pritchard turned them into excellent curry,
for which the materials were fetched fresh from the
bush. When retiring to the house, Danford occupied the
greater part of the evening by telling us one of the
best Fijian stories, one of the chiefs helping him out
when memory failed. It was that of the Princess Viii-

OFFICIAL MEETING AT NAMOSI. 165
vilitabua and the Vasu-ki-lagi. One of our party took
down the outline of it, but unfortunately lost it, and I
shall not spoil a good story by giving it imperfectly.
Chief Kuruduadua had proposed to have the official
meeting at Namosi, in preference to Navua, his usual
place of residence on the coast, and summoned all his
tribes, their petty chiefs and landholders for the 25th of
August. On our arrival, Namosi was already crowded
with visitors, and parties of men, women, and children,
generally bringing loads of provisions and property with
them, continued to flock in from all directions during the
whole of the following day. The meeting took place
in the open ah, and in the public square or Rara, which
is situate on the banks of the river, and before the great
Bure ni sa, or strangers' house, a building about ninety
feet long, and built on a mound. The weather "was
beautiful, and the birds were singing sweetly in the
numerous shaddock-trees lining the banks.
When we arrived, the people, with the exception of
the women, were squatted on the ground at a respectful
distance from the seats placed for our accommodation.
None of the influence which civilization and missionary
teaching have had on the Fijians were here perceptible.
Every native appeared in primitive style, and a stranger
sight it has never been my fortune to witness. Every
man seemed to have used his utmost efforts to make
himself look as singular as he possibly could. Their
dresses were merely narrow strips of bark cloth. Some
faces were quite black, some only half; again, others
half black and half red, or striped in various ways.
Nothing could be more curious than the endless variety

166 A MISSION TO VITI.
displayed in the shape and colour of the wigs, and doing-
up of the head ; a European peruquier might have taken
a lesson with advantage. Chief Kuruduadua had taken
his seat on the steps leading to the principal entrance of
the great Bure. He wore a turban of snow-white tapa,
and a purple girdle of the same material, from which
were suspended two trains of native cloth, several yards
long. On his left were his brothers and councillors,
amongst whom was seen his friend Danford. When we
had taken our seats, the people welcomed us by clap
ping of hands, whereupon mutual explanations were at
once entered into.
Through Mr. Waterhouse, Colonel Smythe addressed
to the chief a speech similar to that delivered at Bau
and other places, the purport of which has already been
given. Mr. Waterhouse spoke in the Bauan (court)
dialect, and Kuruduadua replied in the same, that he
and his people had made up their minds to " lean upon
England," as he expressed it, in the manner agreed upon
with Mr. Consul Pritchard. Colonel Smythe approved of
their determination as judicious, there being no country
more able to protect them than mighty England. He
also recommended the cultivation of cotton. On being
questioned about the ownership of land, Kuruduadua
replied that he considered himself the sole proprietor
of all the land, the boundaries and principal tribes of
which were specified; that his late brother had sold
some land to Mr. Williams, deceased, and he himself
some to several Englishmen, all these transactions being
acknowledged as valid.
An expression of mutual goodwill concluded the

MEASURES FOE EEPEESSING A EEBELLION. 167
business. During the whole time the people behaved
with great dignity ; none spoke except those who car
ried on the discussion. When their foreign affairs were
satisfactorily concluded, the chief, quitting his seat,
begged us to remain, in order to see how they managed
their internal politics. This invitation we gladly ac
cepted by taking up our position near the entrance of
the Bure, where we had a better view of the whole
assembly. It appears that one of the numerous tribes subject to
Kuruduadua had rebelled against his authority, and it
had been determined by the councillors that stringent
measures should be put in force against it. The princi
pal and most renowned speaker of the Government, a
man about fifty, now came, staff in hand, out of the great
Bure into which Kuruduadua had retired, and explained
to the people at large the policy about to be pursued.
He moved freely about the circle formed by his audience,
and his speech was listened to with profound attention,
eliciting now and then exclamations equivalent to "hear,
hear!" The drift of his argument was that the rebels
must be put down and peace restored, in order that
they might have plenty when the white men came to their
country, from whom Fiji already derived such benefits.
"V\ hen he had finished, other speakers got up, all in
favour of the government measure, and much applauded
by the multitude. One old chief was much cheered on
saying> " I am no speaker, but know how to fight ; and
there (pointing with his hand) is the road to the enemy's
stronghold." All business matters having been disposed of, it only

163 A MISSION TO VITI.
remained to enact the closing scene by a great banquet.
The women now appeared on the stage. All the young
girls had collected in a group, some two hundred yards
off, in a grove of palm-trees, each carrying a basket-full
of taro. According to their fashion, they wore nothing
save a girdle of hibiscus-fibres, about six inches wide,
dyed black, red, yellow, white, or brown, and put
on in such a coquettish way, that one thought it must
come off every moment. The girls (a hundred and fifty-
four) walked in single file, and all those wearing girdles
of the same colour kept together. When arriving in
front of the Bure, young men received the baskets and
emptied their contents in a heap, leaves having been
spread out to keep them from coming in contact with
the ground. We counted as many as two thousand
taros, after which the baskets came in so fast that we lost
count. The girls, after performing their part, walked
away in the same order as they came. Several young
men now brought seven large hogs, roasted entire, which
were placed on the top of the taro heap. The whole
pile of food was then presented to the visitors. The
largest pig, and I am almost afraid to say how many
hundred taros — ready to be eaten — fell to our share.
It took twenty men to take our share home, for the
food was not supposed to be consumed on the spot,
everybody being at liberty to do what he liked with
his lot, and I saw but very few not taking their por-
, tion away with them.
There was a man present at this meeting, Ro Tui
Kuku, who had seen five generations of the reigning
chiefs family, and could not have been less than a

THE OLDEST INHABITANTS. 169
hundred and twenty years old ; and there was another
man, sharing the same house with him, who had seen
fom generations of the same family : excellent proofs
of the fine physical constitution of the natives, and the
healthiness of these mountains. Ro Tui Kuku was
quite childish, and when we spoke to him and pre
sented him with a little American tobacco, he said that
he must be off home. He had great-great-grand-chil
dren living, the eldest of whom was about ten years old.
, Another personage attracted our attention. He was
the court fool of the occasion, and had dressed himself
in a very fantastic manner. The fools attached to the
courts of South Sea chiefs are very often hunchbacks,
the natives being fully sensible of the great fund of
humour which that class of people generally possess,
as a set-off, it would almost appear, for the physical
deformity which so often exposes them to unmerited ridi
cule, and which is now considered in Europe an essential
condition of the most comic figure the popular mind
has conceived. But the Namosi fool was an exception
to this rule. He was in every respect a fine fellow, more
than six feet high. On his head he wore a contrivance
made of sticks and feathers resembling the shovel-
bonnets ladies used to wear some years ago, and his face
and body were painted in a very ludicrous manner. He
talked in a feigned voice, imitating a woman, and
probably gave utterance to many witticisms and good
jokes, as he kept his countrymen in roars of laughter
whenever he opened his mouth. When the meeting
broke up, we had to recross the river in order to get to
Danford's house ; a strong Tonguese belonging to the

170 A MISSION TO VITI.
mission performed, St. Christopher-like, the office of car
rying our party across. Not being in a particular hurry
to get over, I was waiting until all had crossed, when this
fool came up to me with an offer to take me to the op
posite bank. I thought he might be up to some tricks,
and was rather on my guard. He landed me safely, but
I soon found that I had been sold nevertheless, — my
white dress looking as if printed on. The colours he
had on his back had come off, and made me look almost
as comic as the fool himself. The natives thought it
an excellent joke, and when they saw me laughing as
much as they did, their merriment knew no bounds.
On the following day (Sunday, August 26th) Mr.
Waterhouse, making the most of his opportunity, once
more addressed the people ;* in the afternoon, he, Co
lonel Smythe, and Consul Pritchard left Namosi for
Navua, whilst I thought it best to remain behind in
order to explore the neighbourhood, and get a more inti
mate acquaintance with these singular people. Kuru
duadua again led the way, and this time took his visitors
the shorter of the two roads leading to Vuniwaivutuka.
They shot down the river rapidly, and on Monday, about
four p.m., reached the ' Pegasus,' and put at once to sea.
On the 30th of August they found themselves at Nadroga.
* " On Sunday I preached on ' God now commandeth all men every
where to repent,' to a congregation of about three hundred male adults,
all heathens, who listened very attentively and respectfully. Now and
then one or another would say aloud, ' Very good ; ' or, ' It's true.'
When I had concluded, I requested the audience to maintain perfect quiet
ness for a few moments whilst I engaged in prayer to the true and only
God. They granted the favour, and not an individual made the slightest
disturbance. As I was leaving, one of the chiefs thanked me publicly
for my instruction." — Waterhouse, in Wesleyan Missionary Notices.

TROUBLES AT NADROGA. 171
As the difference between the heathen and Christian
population, mentioned in a previous chapter, had not
yet been satisfactorily settled, they found the country in
rather a disturbed condition. The conflict between bar
barism and an incipient civilization was still going on.
" The people were glad to see a missionary," says Mr.
Waterhouse. " I was sorry to find that some of our
native agents had not maintained neutrality between
the Christians and heathens, which, they were obliged
to confess, was not only against orders, but had proved
to be, so far as they were personally concerned, bad po
licy. Since my visit in 1851 the bones of those human
beings who had been eaten had been collected toge
ther and buried. The evening was spent in examining
and instructing the schoolmasters and Scripture-readers.
Mr. Moore has done a noble work in preparing so many
agents for these benighted parts.
"Though in some danger, yet I felt it my duty to
sleep on shore to encourage my native colleagues to
abide by their post of honour. Only last Tuesday a
man was killed by a ' kidnapper.' There is no safety
in going outside of the house after dark. In some cases
the kidnappers enter the house, close or surround the
doors, dispatch the inmates, and make their escape. In
the event of an occurrence of this sort, I suggested that,
instead of allowing the intruders to kill us, we should
close in on them and bind them.
" Colonel Smythe sent a native messenger to request
the heathen Chief to pay him a friendly visit. The
man performed his errand, and delivered his message.
The enemy then clubbed him, and sent him back with

172 A MISSION TO VITI.
the remark, that if two had been sent, one would have
been killed and eaten, and the other allowed to return
and report the fate of his comrade. Under these cir
cumstances they only half-killed him, and sent the other
half of the poor man to tell a very sad tale and show
his wounds. A present seemed to go far towards heal
ing the sores inflicted by a pine-apple club."
Mr. Pritchard did not think it advisable to go further
than Nadroga, whilst Colonel Smythe proceeded to Vuda,
Ba, Vatia, Na Vatu, and thence to Naduri on Vanua
Levu, and returned to Levuka on the 22nd of Septem
ber. Everywhere the chiefs acquiesced in the cession of
their country to England.

It will be remembered that I was still at Namosi;
and I must beg the reader to return with me to that
place.

173

CHAPTER XI.
FIJIAN CANNIBALISM.  THE GEEAT. OAULDEON. — NAULUMATUA AND HIS
APPETITE FOB HUMAN FLESH. — BOKOLA.  VEGETABLES EATEN WITH
CANNIBAL FOOD.  THE OMINOUS TAEO.  APPEOXIMATE NUMBER OF
BODIES EATEN AT NAMOSI.  OVENS FOE BAKING DEAD MEN. — SUSPEN
SION OF THE BONES.  NOT ALL FIJIANS CANNIBALS.  EFFOETS OF THE
LIBEEAL PAETY TO SUPPEESS ANTHEOPOPHAGISM.  AIDED BT EUBO-
PEANS. — EEAL SIGNIFICANCE OF EATING MAN ONLT PAETLT UNDER
STOOD. — CONCESSIONS TO HUMANITY. — ABOLITION OF CANNIBALISM
THROUGHOUT KUEUDUADUA's DOMINIONS.
/
/When, in August, 1856, Dr. Macdonald, of H.M.S. He
rald, then under the command of Captain Denham, and
the Rev. Samuel Waterhouse, a brother of the gentle
man who accompanied us, paid a visit to Kuruduadua's
dominions, cannibalism was still one of the recognized
institutions of the state. " A few days ago," says Dr.
Macdonald, " a large canoe from Navua went out on its
first voyage, when a fleet of the enemy from Serua at
tacked it, and succeeded in killing one man, who fell
overboard. The Serua people now dispersed, and the
canoe, on returning, landed a detachment with directions
to surprise the enemy on coming ashore. They fell in
with a party of seven, four of whom were killed, two fled,
and one was taken prisoner. The latter was almost im
mediately boiled alive in a large cauldron. Kuruduadua,
the perpetrator of this cruelty, addressed him, in short

174 A MISSION TO VITI.
terms, to the effect that, as he had so wickedly cut to
pieces a living man of his (Kuruduadua's) people, he
should be served as the case deserved. The unfortu
nate man was then thrust headforemost into the boil
ing pot. The greater part of the slain was eaten at
Navua, but parcels of the revolting food were distri
buted amongst the chief's dominions in the mountains.
On the morning of the 30th of August, after a little
parley with the chief, Naulumatua, the knee of a dead
body, already cooked, was brought to our bure. The
bones had been removed by an incision made on one
side, and the whole was carefully wrapped up in banana
leaves, so as to be warmed up each day in order to pre
serve it. Of six parcels^ of human flesh which we knew
had been sent to Namosi, this was all we had an oppor
tunity of seeing. One leg was said to have been de
posited at the grove of Viriulu, the deceased king and
father of Kuruduadua.* Mr. Waterhouse spoke to the
chief very impressively on the subject, pointing out all
the evils which follow in the wake of cannibalism. I
saw very distinctly that this savage was quite ashamed of
himself; but I saw also that, if he did feel inclined for
the tempting morsel, there was now very little chance
of seeing him in the act; but for my own part, I am
quite satisfied, and do not now desire further ocular
demonstration of the existence of cannibalism in Fiji.
We have now every reason to believe that the portion
of the last- bokola (dead body), which Naulumatua as
serted had been placed upon the rock where the remains
* We are told this king's name Was " Eatuibuna," but perhaps he went
by two names. — B. S.

NAULUMATUA. 175
of the last chief were laid, was eaten on the sly by this
cannibal, whose morbid taste for human flesh was ac
knowledged by all the people in the town. . . . Tobi,
one of our party, happened to stumble into the chiefs
house, and he distinctly saw a human hand hanging in
the smoke over the fireplace. Now, although the dis
tribution of all the other parts had been accurately de
tailed to us, no mention was made of this, so that the
dissimulation of Naulumatua was clear enough. Most
probably, had we approached the spot, the inviting
morsel would have been quickly conveyed out of the
way. Mr. Waterhouse was informed that the chief
continued to eat his portion at intervals throughout the
day, until it was all demolished ; but an old favourite
of the town helps him out with it." Thus far Mac
donald.
C /Naulumatua was the half-brother of Kuruduadua,
and only died a short time previous to our risit, and the
court was still in mourning for him, which was the
reason of our not having either dance or song. His
head-wife took me to his grave, and lamenting his
death, said that he might still be alive if he had only
abstained from eating human flesh, and that both she
and Danford had done all in their power to convince
him that he was ruining his constitution systemati
cally by that indulgence. For it appears that human
flesh is extremely difficult to digest, and that even the
strongest and most Jiealthy men suffer from confined
bowels for two or three days after a cannibal feast.
Probably, in order to assist the process of digestion,
" bokola," as dead men's flesh is technically termed, is

176 A MISSION TO VITI.
always eaten with an addition of vegetables, which it
may be ethnologically important to notice ; since, thanks
to a powerful movement amongst the natives, the in
fluence of commerce, Christian teaching, and the pre
sence of a British Consul, Fijian cannibalism survives
only in a few localities, and is daily becoming more and
more a matter of history.'
' There are principally three kinds which, in Fijian es
timation, ought to accompany bokola,-r-the leaves of
the Malawaci (Tropins anthropophagorum, Seem.), the
Tudauo (Omalanthus pedicellatus, Bth.), and the Boro-
dina (Solanum anthropophagorum, Seem.). The two
former are middle-sized trees, growing wild in many
parts of the group ; but the Boro-dina is cultivated, and
there are generally several large bushes of it near every
Bure-ni-sa (or strangers' house), where the bodies of
those slain in battle are always taken. The Boro dina
is a bushy shrub, seldom higher than six feet, with a
dark, glossy foliage, and berries of the shape, size, and
colour of tomatoes. This fruit has a faint aromatic
smell, and is occasionally prepared like tomato sauce.
The leaves of these three plants are wrapped around
the bokola, as those of the taro are around pork, and
baked with it on heated stones. Salt is not forgotten.
Besides these three plants, some kinds of yams and
taro are deemed fit accompaniments of a dish of bokola.
The yams are hung up in the Bure-ni-sa for a certain
time, having previously been covered with turmeric, to
preserve them, it would seem, from rapid decay: our
own sailors effecting the same end by whitewashing the
yams when taking them on board. A peculiar kind of

j i

A WHOLE TRIBE EATEN. 177
taro (Caladium esculentum, Schott, var.), called " Ku-
rilagi," was pointed out as having been eaten with a
whole tribe of people. The story sounds strange, but
as a number of natives were present when it was told,
several of whom corroborated the various statements,
or corrected the proper names that occurred, its truth
appears unimpeachable. In the interior of Viti Levu,
about three miles N.N.E. from Namosi, there dwelt a
tribe, known by the name of Kai-na-loca, who in days
of yore gave great offence to the ruling chief of the Na
mosi district, and, as a punishment of their misdeeds,
the whole tribe was condemned to die. Every year the
inmates of one house were baked and eaten, fire was set
to the empty dwelling, and its foundation planted with
kurilagi. In the following year, as soon as this taro
was ripe, it became the -signal for the destruction of the
next house and its inhabitants, and the planting of a
fresh field of taro. Thus, house after house, family after
family, disappeared, until Ratuibuna, the father of the
present chief Kuruduadua, pardoned the remaining few,
and allowed them to die a natural death. In 1860, only
one old woman, living at Cagina, was the sole survivor
of the Na-loca people. Picture the feelings of these
unfortunate wretches, as they watched the growth of the
ominous taro ! Throughout the dominions of the power
ful chief whose authority they had insulted, their lives
were forfeited, and to escape into territories where they
were strangers would, in those days, only have been to
hasten the awful doom awaiting them in their own
country. Nothing remained save to watch, watch,
watch, the rapid development of the kurilagi. As leaf
N

178 A MISSION TO VITI.
after leaf unfolded, the tubers increased in size and sub
stance, how their hearts must have trembled, their cou
rage forsaken them ! And when at last the foliage began
to turn yellow, and the taro was ripe, what agonies they
must have undergone ! what torture could have equalled
theirs I
How many dead bodies have been eaten at Namosi, it
is impossible to guess ; but as for every corpse brought
into the town a. stone was placed near one of the bures,
you get some faint idea of the number. I counted no
less than four hundred around the Great Bure alone,
and the natives said a lot of these stones — of which
the larger ones indicated chiefs — had been washed
away, when, some time ago, the river overflowed its
banks. On some of theTavola(T<?n7mi«fe'«)trees standing about
the Great Bure, I noticed certain incisions, and as Mac
donald, on ascending the Rewa river, had noticed similar
ones at the town at Naitasiri, and was told that they
were " a register of the number of dead bodies (bokolas)
brought to the spot to be offered up at the bure before
they were cooked and eaten," I inquired repeatedly
after their meaning, and was assured by various persons
that, at Namosi at least, they were entirely the work of
children. As the bark of the Tavola-trees is as smooth
as our beech, I carved my name on the largest of them ;
a much condemned habit of our race, but which, in re
mote corners of the earth, I have not always been able
to resist.
There are ovens in the public square for baking dead
bodies, and the pots in which human flesh is boiled or

NOT ALL FIJIANS CANNIBALS. 179
steamed are not devoted to any other culinary purpose.
Another curious circumstance is, that whilst the natives
eat every other kind of food with their fingers, human
flesh is eaten with forks, having three or four prongs, and
generally made of the hard wood of a species of Casua-
rina. Every one of these forks is known by its par
ticular, often obscene, name, and they are handed down
as heirlooms from generation to generation ; indeed they
are so much valued, that it required no slight persuasion
and a handsome equivalent to obtain specimens of them
for our ethnological collection.
It is customary to suspend some of the bones of those
human beings that have been eaten in the trees before
the Bure-ni-sa ; and we saw several of these trophies, on
some of which was growing a beautiful little fern (ffemi-
onitis lanceolata, Hook.), not previously seen, and only
gathered afterwards on the very summit of Buke Levu.*
It would be a mistake to suppose that all Fijians, not
converted to Christianity, are cannibals. There were
whole towns, as for instance Nakelo, on the Rewa'
river, which made a bold stand against this practice,
declaring that it was tabu, forbidden to them by their
gods, to indulge in it. The common people through
out the group, as well as women of all classes, were
by custom debarred from it. Cannibalism was thus re
stricted to the chiefs and gentry, and again amongst
them there is a number, who for want of a better appella
tion may be called the Liberal party, and who never
* Mr. Waterhouse speaks of " grinning skulls looking down on us ;"
but I never saw any skulls at this place, though carefully examining all
the trees, nor do I know for certain whether that part of the body is ever
suspended in trees. N 2

180 A MISSION TO VITI.
eat human flesh, nor go near the bures when any dead
bodies have been brought in, and who abominate the
practice as much as any white man does, attributing to
it those fearful skin diseases with which their chikhen
are so often visited. But their opponents, the Conser
vatives, maintain that in order to strike terror in the
enemy and lower classes, it is absolutely necessary for '
great chiefs and gentry — a duty they owe to society —
to eat human flesh. The feeling which the common
people have regarding it seems somewhat akin to the
horror inspired by that part of our nursery tales when
the giants come home, and begin to smell the children
concealed. The same enlightened party also objects to
the killing of women, urging that it is just as cowardly
to kill a woman as a baby. But here again those who
advocate inhumanity are triumphant, arguing that if the
women are killed the men will fret, and thus suffer an
almost direct punishment ; and further, that as whenever
there is a quarrel a woman is sure to be at the bottom
of it, justice demands that her sex, having caused the
bloodshed, should not escape scot-free.
It is owing to this powerful ferment, which had pe
netrated the whole Fijian community, that cannibalism
was so speedily abolished in all districts where Chris
tian missionaries or European consuls were able to aid
the good cause by supplying the combatants with fresh
arguments, and backing them up with all the _ advan
tages derived from their position as respected foreigners.
There may have been, and I dare say there are to this
day, individual natives, who, like Naulumatua, have a
morbid appetite for human flesh, sufficient opportunity to

SIGNIFICANCE OF ANTHROPOPHAGISM. 181
gratify it to an alarming extent, and who could no more
break themselves of the habit, though death stared them
in the face, than any confirmed drunkard can of his vice.
But as a general rule bokola was not regarded in the
shape of food ; and when some of the chiefs told fo
reigners, who again and again would attack them about
a custom intimately connected with the whole fabric of
their society, and not to be abolished by a single reso
lution, that they indulged in eating it because their coun
try furnished nothing but pork, being destitute of beef
and all other kinds of meat, they simply wished to offer
some excuse which might satisfy their inquisitors for
the moment.
Fijians always regarded eating a man as the very acme
of revenge, and to this day the greatest insult one can
offer is to say to a person, " I will eat you." In any trans
action where the national honour had to be avenged,
it was incumbent upon the king and principal chiefs
— in fact, a duty they owed to their exalted station —
to avenge the insult offered to the country by eating
the perpetrators of it. I am convinced however that
there was a religious as well as a political aspect of this
custom, which awaits future investigation. Count Stre-
letzki, whose powers of observation have given him an
insight into savage life few travellers have attained in
so eminent a degree, fully agreed with me when some
time ago this subject was the topic of conversation be
tween us. There is a certain degree of religious awe
associated with cannibalism where a national institution,
a mysterious hallow akin to a sacrifice to a supreme
being, with which only the select few, the tabu class,

182 A MISSION TO VITI.
the priests, chiefs, and higher orders, were deemed fit to
be connected. The cannibal forks obtained at Namosi
tended to confirm this belief. There was the greatest
reluctance to part with them, even for a handsome equi
valent, and when parted with displaying them was ob
jected to. This I thought at first very natural, as they
were said to be heirlooms, and the owners did not like
to expose themselves to the odium of having trafficked
in things like them. But when afterwards they were
shown to parties who could know nothing of the trans
actions, their faces always assumed a serious aspect, and
they were most anxious that I should put the forks
out of sight, especially that of children. My handling
them seemed to give as much pain as if I had gone into
a Christian church and used the chalice for drinking
water. When visiting Navua for the first time in June, Mr.
Pritchard and I did not fail, as soon as we had suc
ceeded in gaining Kuruduadua's confidence, to interpose
the influence acquired in favour of humanity. The
chief being a pagan, it was useless to employ any Bibli
cal arguments, and we had therefore simply reason to
fall back upon. One of the first concessions he con
ceded was, that as has already been detailed, no one
should be clubbed on his son coining to manhood — a
whole town having originally been singled out for that
horrible purpose. It took him several days to consider
our proposition with his leading men ; and there were
long and warm discussions as to the propriety of yield
ing to our request. We were kept well informed of the
progress of the question through Danford, who, to his

"THE LARGE CAULDRON." 183
praise be it said, did all he could to bring about an
issue favourable to humanity. At last Kuruduadua in
formed us, that having duly considered our request with
his councillors, they had agreed to allow the Consul
and myself to put on the scanty clothing, the assump
tion of which marked the transition from boyhood to
manhood. We lost no time to break through a custom
which will now never be repeated in the district, since
the son of a governing chief dispensed with it.
The " large cauldron " Avhich Macdonald mentions,*
but did not see himself, stood close to the door of the
chief's house. Our attention was drawn to it by our
interpreter, Mr. Charles Wise ; and the very thought
was agonizing to be so near the awful vessel in which
perhaps many a human being had been boiled. It was
one of those large iron pots used by traders for curing
Mche-de-mer, or sea-slugs, so plentiful on the reefs of
Fiji, and a valuable article in the Chinese markets. It
was large enough for cooking two men entire. At the
mere sight of it my imagination ran riot, and a scene
presented itself similar to that in the last act of Halevy's
'Jewess,' where the boiling cauldron is ready to receive
the victim of Christian intolerance. The nineteenth
century must be freed from so shocking a spectacle, and
Mr. Pritchard and myself let Kuruduadua have no peace
until he agreed to abolish and prohibit cannibalism
throughout his dominions. A few months earlier he
would have met with a most determined opposition in
promulgating such a law, for his half-brother at Namosi,
* Journal of the Eoyal Geographical Society of London, vol. xxvii.
p. 253.

184 A MISSION TO VITI.
then alive, would never have agreed to it ; but our visit
happened just at the right time in order to crown our
endeavours with success.
When in August we saw the cauldron again, it was
quite rusty, and had evidently not been used. Weeds
were growing around it, and a creeper was trying to
cover by its foliage this remnant of past errors and
crimes. Kuruduadua had evidently kept the promise
made us, caused presents of human flesh sent to him
to be buried, and given strict orders that even in the
fight impending the bodies of the slain enemies should
be left to be buried by their friends, and on no consi
deration be removed by his own people.
Batinisavu, who succeeded the cannibal Naulumatua as
governor of Namosi, belonged to the party always op
posed to anthropophagism. He was quite a young man ;
had, according to all accounts, never tasted human flesh ;
and there is every reason to believe, great friends as he
was with Danford, that as long as he holds the post no
bokola will be seen at Namosi. The widows of the late
governor paid me repeated visits, and said there would
be no more cannibalism at Namosi, since Kuruduadua's
orders were very strict. Soromato, the young chief who
had attached himself to me, asked Danford one day
whether he remembered a conversation they had years
ago, when he was a very young boy, and in which he
told him of a vow he had made never to kill a woman
when able to wield a club, or eat human flesh, when old
enough to do so. Danford said he well remembered it,
as it struck him as very singular that a mere child should
feel so strongly on these subjects as to make a solemn

SOROMATO'S VOW. 185
vow. " Well," Soromato replied, " I still adhere to that
determination, and shall do so as long as I live."
I quote this as a specimen of the way in which a
certain party of heathen, untaught Fijians, endeavour
to bring about the same reform in their customs, which,
from different points of view, and with different means,
their best friends have for years laboured to effect.

186

CHAPTER XII.
STAY AT NAMOSI PEOLONGED.  THE GOVEENOE's ATTENTION. — " CEOWN
JEWELS."  THE CLEBK OF THE WEATHEE.  SOECEEEES. — FIJIAN FAMILY
LIFE. — STOEY-TELLEES POPULAR.  A FIJIAN TALE.
The people were highly pleased when they heard of my
resolution to stay some time longer with them, and
treated me with great cordiality. Batinisavu,* one of
the younger brothers of Kuruduadua, who is the gover
nor of Namosi, was never tired of showing me atten
tion, and shooting ducks and fowls for me, or making
different kinds of puddings, on the excellence of which
he prided himself. Chiefs always make it a point to
excel in everything they undertake ; and this is no
doubt one of the reasons why they maintain their ascen
dency over the people. They build canoes, houses, or
temples, in a style and with a finish to which the lower
order cannot come up ; in agriculture they take the
lead ; in fighting, rowing, pulling, racing, and all manly
exercises, they are patterns for imitation ; in the history,
legendary lore, and traditions of the country, they carry
off the palm ; they know every rock, river, plant, and
animal, by its local name, and can give some account of
everything connected with them. If to all this be added
* Batinisavu, — literally, the edge of a waterfall.

THE "CROWN JEWELS." 187
that their physical development is much superior to that
of the lower classes, that they are not only taller and
better made, but generally possessed of much handsomer
features, we need not wonder that some travellers have
thought them a different race from the rest of their
countrymen ; and that in their own land they have been
able to resist all democratic levelling, and remain to this
day as genuine an aristocracy as ever existed, because in
every respect a superior class.
The widow of the late governor of Namosi asked me
to see the " crown jewels " in her charge. They were
kept in a wooden box, and carefully wrapt up in soft
pieces of native cloth and cocoa-nut fibre. There were
among them a large whale's tooth, highly polished,
and quite brown from repeated greasing, a necklace
made of pieces of whales' teeth, the first that ever came
to these mountains, and a fine cannibal fork in the shape
of a club, and bearing the ominous name of "strike
twice," i.e. first the man and then his dead body. The
woman told me a lot of other crown property had been
burnt when, some years ago, the Americans destroyed
Navua ; among it, she assured me, was a short club which
would kill a man on the spot, and was never known to
miss when thrown by the hand of the supreme chief.
Whales' teeth are with the Fijians what diamonds are
with us, and in former days there was no favour a chief
would refuse if a number of these were offered. The
European and American traders soon found this out,
and did not fail to bring quantities whenever they
touched at these islands. The consequence has been
that on the coast and amongst the christianized popu-

188 A MISSION TO VITI.
lation whales' teeth have suffered considerable deprecia
tion, though they have not as yet entirely been reduced
to their proper value. In the interior of the great
island they maintain their old importance, and Kuru
duadua, on seeing us handling some money, expressed
his astonishment that we should prefer coins to whale's
teeth. We told him not many years would elapse be
fore he changed that opinion, but he thought that time
would probably never come. \
/ During my stay, one of the days was rainy, prevent
ing me from making an excursion. On expressing my re
gret to that effect, a man was brought to me who may
be called the " clerk of the weather." He professed to
exercise a direct meteorological influence, and said that
by burning certain leaves and offering prayers only
known to himself, he could make the sun shine or rain
come down, and that he was willing to exercise his in
fluence on my behalf if paid handsomely. I told him
that I had no objection to give him a butcher's knife if
he could let me have fine weather until my return to
the coast, but if he failed to do so he must give me
something. He was perfectly willing to risk the chance
of getting the knife, but would not hear of a present to
me in case of failure ; however, he left to catch eels for
me. When returning, the clouds had dispersed and
the sun was shining brilliantly, and he did not fail to
inform me that " he had been and done it." I must
further do him the justice to say that I did not experi
ence any bad weather until I fairly reached the coast,
and that no sooner had I set my foot in Navua than ¦
rain came down in regular torrents. This man has

A CLERK OF THE WEATHER. 189
probably been a close observer of the weather, and dis
covered those delicate local indications of a cominp- o
change, with which people in all countries living much
in the open air are familiar, and he very likely does not
commence operations until he is pretty sure of success.
As one of my objects in Fiji was to find out "all
about the leaves," I was anxious to be initiated in an
art productive of such astonishing results. A little in
quiry, however, convinced me that an initiation would
make me rather an object of fear than respect. The
adepts in the art of Vaka-drau-ni-kau-taka (literally, to
effect with leaves) are in fact regular sorcerers, whose
craft I thought it prudent not to join. Not satisfied
with Causing rain and sunshine, they exercise a direct
and much more criminal influence over life and death,
by working upon the superstitious fears of the natives
to such an excess that it causes serious illness, if not
death. They are identical with the disease-makers of
Tanna, though not enjoying such a prominent position,
and accomplish what European impostors effected,
and in some districts still effect, by praying to death
people silly enough to make themselves nervous about
any influence these rogues pretend to exercise. If a
Fijian wishes to cause the destruction of an individual
by other means than open violence or secret poison, the
case is put in the hands of one of these sorcerers, care
being taken to let this fact be generally and widely
known. The sorcerer now proceeds to obtain any arti
cle that has once been in the possession of the person
to be operated upon. These articles are then burnt
with certain leaves, and if the reputation of the sorcerer

190 A MISSION TO VITI.
be sufficiently powerful, in nine cases out of ten( the
nervous fears of the individual to be punished will
bring on disease, if not death ; a similar process is ap
plied to discover thieves. In order to comprehend the
working of this abominable system, and the mischief
and extortion to which it gives rise, one must take into
consideration the absolute helplessness of the Fijian, in
fact "the Polynesian generally, when anybody has ac
quired a moral ascendency over him. A certain white
settler being very much annoyed by a native, told him
in as powerful language as he could muster, that he
wished him dead, and that he had no doubt he would
die within a twelvemonth. The native professed to treat
this prophecy with derision ; nevertheless on calling
about a year afterwards, the foreigner was informed that
the native had fretted so much that he died. The words
spoken in anger had thus had a fatal result, and the
white man in confiding them to me seemed truly sorry
for what he had done.X
} / The inhabitants of Namosi on being asked for their
name, will never give it when anybody else is present
to answer the question. I inquired for the reason, but
they could give no other explanation except that it was
their custom. It probably offends then- dignity. They
feel in this respect more acutely than ourselves, who
deem it polite always to apologize when having to ask a
person's name, and generally endeavour to find it out in
a less direct way.
The family life of the Fijian, especially in places like
Namosi, where not modified by Christian teaching, is
very curious. The men sleep, as has already been ob-

FAMILY LIFE. 191
served, at the Bure-ni-sa, or strangers' house, those of
about the same age generally keeping together, whilst
the boys, until they have been admitted publicly into
the society of adults, have a sleeping bure to themselves.
It is quite against Fijian ideas of delicacy, that a man
ever remains under the same roof with his wife or wives
at night. In the morning he goes home, and if not em
ployed in the field, remains with his family the better
part of the day, absenting himself as evening approaches.
Rendezvous between husband and wife, of which no
further explanation can be given, are arranged in the
depths of the forest, unknown to any but the two. After
childbirth, husband and wife keep apart for three, even
four years, so that no other baby may interfere with the
time considered necessary for suckling children, in order
to make them healthy and strong. This in a great mea
sure explains the existence of polygamy, and the diffi
culties the missionaries had to contend with in fighting
against its abolition. The relatives of a woman take it
as a public insult if any child should be born before the
customary three or four years have elapsed, and they
consider themselves in duty bound to avenge it in an
equally public manner. I heard of a white man, who
being asked how many brothers and sisters he had,
frankly replied, "Ten !" " But that could not be," was
the rejoinder of the natives ; " one mother could scarcely
have so many children." When told that these chil
dren were born at annual intervals, and that such occur
rences were common in Europe, they were very much
shocked, and thought it explained sufficiently why so
many white people were "mere shrimps."/ Adultery is

192 A MISSION TO VITI.
one of the crimes generally punished with death ;^and
Kuruduadua himself had not long ago one of his ne
phews clubbed for taking undue liberties with one of
his wives. What is called amongst us the " social
evil," and thought to be an unnatural excrescence of
our artificial state of society, is not unknown amongst
these barbarous races. There being no streets, nymphs
of a certain description waylay travellers on the high
roads — a direct refutation of the Mormon argument,
that " polygamy is the only cure for this corruption of
our great cities." l
Fijians have been charged with want of natural affec
tion ; and the strangulation of widows on the death of
their husbands, and the killing of parents when beset
with the infirmities of old-age by the hands of their
own children, have been advanced as proofs thereof.
Yet these facts are perhaps the best arguments that
human nature is not different in the Fijis than else
where. Affection for the departed — of course, mis
taken affection — prompted their relatives or friends to
dispatch widows at the time of their husbands' burial ;
and the widows themselves have been known to seek
death by their own hands, if their relatives refused
to fulfil that duty which custom imposed upon them.
Even widowers, in the depth of their grief, have fre
quently terminated their existence, when deprived of a
dearly beloved wife. On the death of a near relative
people will cut off joints of their fingers in order to
demonstrate their grief, and they will mourn for a long
time for their lost ones. The sentiment of friendship is
strongly developed, and there is scarcely a man who has

NATIVES NOT WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION. 193
not a bosom friend, to whom he is bound by the
strongest ties of affection. The birth of a child is a
perfect jubilee, and it is truly touching to see how
parents are attached to their children, and children to
their parents. Under such circumstances, the greatness
of the sacrifice that children are sometimes called upon
by their infirm old parents to terminate their suffer
ings by putting them to death, becomes evident. It is a
cruel slander of the native character to put any other
construction on this singular, though mistaken proof of
filial affection. In a country where food is abundant,
clothing scarcely required, and property as a general
rule in the possession of the whole family rather than
that of its head, children need not wait " for dead men's
shoes," in order to become well off, and we may, there
fore, quite believe them when declaring that it is with
aching heart and at the repeated entreaties of their pa
rents that they are induced to commit what we justly
consider a crime. The two old men present • at our
meeting at Namosi, were living proofs that children
however, even in these wild parts, will not ahvays be
induced to lay hands on their parents.
I told a native who sometimes called at Danford's
house, and seemed to be a most respectable man, a belief
had been spread in our country that the Fijians were
almost without natural affection. He replied, there
might be some amongst his countrymen, as well as the
whites, who had not much feeling ; but those who de
nied the Fijians natural affection, either understood them
very little, or else represented them in such black co
lours for some purposes of their own. " When leaving
o

194 A MISSION TO VITI.
home," he continued, "all my thoughts are with my
family; and I am never so happy as when I am under
my own roof, and have my wife and children around me.
When a few days ago my youngest boy was ill, I sat up
with him three nights, and it would have broken my
heart had he died." The man was a savage, a heathen,
yet could any Christian parent have spoken more warmly
or naturally l Fortunately, affection is wisely placed by
Providence beyond the reach or influence of any system,
right or wrong. Like a beautiful flower, it springs up
freely in any soil congenial to its growth. If the Fi
jians were only half as black as they have been painted,
they would long ere this have been numbered amongst
the extinct races ; for no society, however primitive, can
possibly continue to exist, if the evil passions — the de
structive elements — preponderate over the good. The
best vindication of their national character is their na
tional existence ; the best proof of their living a life as
free from vice and corrupting practices as any heathen
can be expected to live, is a physical development on an
average far above that of which our own race, with all
its advantages of civilization, can ever hope to boast.
In the evenings, Batinisavu or other men would come
and entertain me with some of those innumerable
stories, in which the natives may be said to photograph
themselves, show in what direction their fancy wanders,
and which no travellers, worthy of the name, should
omit writing down. The supernatural element plays
a prominent part in all Fijian stories, and whilst
possessing a decidedly local colouring, they forcibly re
mind one of our own nursery tales. The natives are

BATINISAVU'S STORY. 195
very fond of them, and a good story-teller can never
starve. Danford informed me that the " Arabian Nights"
have been a source of income to him. " Aladdin, or the
Wonderful Lamp," is paid for at the rate of two fat pigs,
equivalent to about eight dollars ; and the " Forty
Thieves " meets with a similar success whenever that
charming tale is told, several friends clubbing together
in order to make up a purse for the story-tellers. What
a source of pleasure one would open to these islanders,
by translating for them the "Arabian Nights" or
Grimm's " Household Stories."
Chief Batinisavu was always careful to inform me that
he did not tell stories for pay, and in printing one of
those he told me I must do him also the justice to add
that it was a very long one. Taking up several hours
in telling, I can merely give the pith of the whole, and
have to leave out those details which, without ample
explanation and local knowledge, would be quite unin
telligible and uninteresting to the generality of readers.
The Stoey of Rokoua, as told by Batinisavu, Goveenoe
of Namosi.
" Once upon a time there dwelt at Rewa a powerful
god, whose name was Ravovonicakaugawa,* and along
with him his friend the God of the Winds, from Wairua.l
Ravovonicakaugawa was leading a solitary life, and had
* Ravovonicakaugawa, i.e. a long way off.
t This god was and is supposed to reside at a little brook in the lovely
valley of Namosi, on Viti Levu, pointed out to us when we visited the in
terior of the island in September, 1860. When the Eewa people come to
the Namosi valley, they never fail to make sacrificial offerings at Wairua
(which is both the name of the locality and its god). Even some of those
that have become Christians continue this practice. O 2

196 A MISSION TO VITI.
long been thinking of taking a wife to himself. At last
his mind seemed to be made up. ' Put mast and sail in
the canoe,' he said, ' and let us take some women from
Rokoua, the God of Naicobocobo.'* ' When do you
think of starting'?' inquired his friend. 'I shall go in
broad daylight,' was the reply, ' or do you think 1 am
a coward tot^phoose the night for my work!' All things
being ready, the two friends set sail, and anchored to
wards sunset off Naicobocobo. There they waited one,
two, three days, without, contrary to Fijian customs, any
friendly communication from the shore reaching them,
for Rokoua, probably guessing their intentions, had
strictly forbidden his people to take any food to the
canoe. Rokoua's repugnance, however, was not shared
by his household. His daughter, the lovely Naiogabui,!
who diffused so sweet and powerful a perfume that, if
the wind blew from the east, the perfume could be per
ceived in the west, and if it blew from the west, it could
be perceived in the east — in consequence of which, and
on account of her great personal beauty, all the young
men fell in love with her. Naiogabui ordered one of
her female slaves to cook a yam, and take it to the fo
reign canoe, and at the same time inform its owner that
she would be with him at the first opportunity. To give
a further proof of her affection, she ordered all the wo
men in Naicobocobo to have a day's fishing. This order
having been promptly executed, and the fish cooked,
Naiogabui herself swam off with it during the night, and
presented it to the Rewa God.
* Naicobocobo, on the western extremity of Vanua Levu, the supposed
starting-point of departed spirits for Bulu, the future place of abode.
t Naiogabui, i. e. one who smells sweetly.

rokoua's WIVES. 197
" Ravovonicakaugawa was charmed with the princess,
and ready to start with her at once. She, however,
begged him to wait another night, to enable Naimila
mila, one of Rokoua's young wives, to accompany them.
Naimilamila was a native of Naicobocobo, and against
her will united to Rokoua, who had no affection what
ever for her, and kept her exclusively to scratch his head
or play with his locks, hence her name. Dissatisfied
with her sad lot, she had concocted with her step-daugh
ter a plan for escape, and was making active prepara
tions to carry it into execution. On the night agreed
upon, Naimilamila was true to her engagement. ' Who
are you V asked the god as she stepped on the deck.
'I am Rokoua's wife,' she rejoined, 'get your canoe
under weigh. My lord may follow closely on my heels,
and Naiogabui will be with us immediately.' Almost
directly after a splash in the water was heard. ' There
she comes,' cried Naimilamila, ' make sail ;' and instantly
the canoe, with Ravovonicakaugawa, his friend, and the
two women, departed for Rewa.
" Next morning, when Rokoua discovered the elope
ment, he determined to pursue the fugitives, and for
that purpose embarked in the ' Vatutulali,' a canoe de
riving its name from his large drum, the sound of which
was so powerful that it could be heard all over Fiji.
His club and spear were put on board, both of which
were of such gigantic dimensions and weight, that it
took ten men to lift either of them. Rokoua soon
reached Nukuilailai, where he took the spear out, and
making a kind of bridge of it, walked over it on shore.
Taking spear and club in his hand, he musingly walked

198 A MISSION TO VITI.
along. ' It will never do to be at once discovered,' he
said to himself ; ' I must disguise myself. But what
shape shall I assume ] That of a hog or a dog 1 As a
hog, I should not be allowed to come near the door ;
and, as a dog, I should have to fetch the bones thrown
outside. Neither will answer my purpose. I shall
therefore assume the shape of a woman.' Continuing
his walk along the beach, he met an old woman, carrying
a basket of taro and puddings, ready cooked, and, with
out letting her be at all aware of it, he exchanged figures
with her. He then inquired whither she was going,
and, being informed to the house of the God of Rewa,
he took the basket from her, and, leaving club and spear
on the beach, proceeded to his destination. His disguise
was so complete, that even his own daughter did not re-*
cognise him. ' Who is that V she asked, as he was about
to enter. ' It is I,' replied Rokoua, in a feigned voice ;
' I have come from Monisa with food.' ' Come in, old
lady,' said Naiogabui, ' and sit down.' Rokoua accord
ingly entered, and took care to sit like a Fijian woman
would do, so that his disguise might not be discovered.
' Are you going back to-night V he was asked. ' No,'
the disguised god replied ; ' there is no occasion for that.'
Finding it very close in the house, Rokoua proposed a
walk and a bath, to which both Naiogabui and Naimila
mila agreed. When getting the women to that spot of
the beach where club and spear had been left, he threw
off his disguise, and exclaimed, ' You little knew who I
was ; I am Rokoua, your lord and master,' and, at the
same time taking hold of their hands, he dragged the
runaways to the canoe, and departed homewards.

HELP FROM THE GODS. 199
" When the Rewa god found his women gone, he
again started for Naicobocobo, where, as he wore no dis
guise, he was instantly recognized, his canoe taken and
dragged on shore by Rokoua's men, while he himself and
his faithful friend, who again accompanied him, were
seized and made pig-drivers. They were kept in this
degrading position a long time, until a great festival
took place in Vanua Levu, which Rokoua and his party
attended. Arrived at the destination, the Rewa god and
his friend were left in charge of the two canoes that had
carried the party thither, whilst all the others went
on shore to enjoy themselves ; but as both friends were
liked by all the women, they were kept amply supplied
with food and other good things during the festival.
Nevertheless Ravovonicakaugawa was very much cast
down, and taking a kava-root (Yaqona), he offered it as
a sacrifice, and despairingly exclaimed, ' Have none of
the mighty gods of Rewa pity on my misfortune V His
friend's body became instantly possessed by a god, and
began to tremble violently. ' What do you want V asked
the god within. ' A gale to frighten my oppressors out
of their wits.' ' It shall be granted,' replied the god,
and departed.
"The festival being over, Rokoua's party embarked
for Naicobocobo. But it had hardly set sail when a
strong northerly gale sprang up, which nearly destroyed
the canoes, and terribly frightened those on board.
Still they reached Naicobocobo, where the Rewa god
prayed for an easterly wind to carry him home. All
Rokoua's men having landed, and left the women behind
to carry the luggage and goods on shore, the desired wind

200 A MISSION TO VITI.
sprang up, and the two canoes, with sails set, started for
Rewa, where they safely arived, and the goods and other
property were landed and distributed as presents among
the people.
" But Rokoua was not to be beaten thus. Although
his two canoes had been taken, there was still the one
captured from Ravovonicakaugawa on his second visit to
Naicobocobo. That was launched without delay, and
the fugitives pursued. Arriving at Nukuilailai, Rokoua
laid his spear on the deck of the canoe and walked over
it on shore, as he had done on a previous occasion.
Landed, he dropped his heavy club, thereby causing so
loud a noise that it woke all the people on Viti Levu.
This noise did not escape the quick ear of Naimilamila.
' Be on your guard,' she said to her new lord, ' Rokoua
is coming ; I heard his club fall ; he can assume any
shape he pleases ; be a dog, or a pig, or a woman ; he can
command even solid rocks to split open and admit him,
so be on your guard.' Rokoua meanwhile met a young
girl from Nadoi on the road, carrying shrimps, landcrabs,
and taro to the house of the god of Rewa, and without
hesitation he asumed her shape, and she took his Avithout
being herself aware of it. Arriving with his basket at
his destination, Naiogabui asked, 'Who is there V To
which Rokoua replied, ' It is me ; I am from Nadoi,
bringing food for your husband.' The supposed mes
senger was asked into the house, and sitting down, he
imprudently assumed a position not proper to Fijian
women. This, and the shape of his limbs, was noticed
by Naiogabui, who whispered the discovery made into
her husband's ear. Ravovonicakaugawa stole out of the

ROKOUA S END. 201
house, assembled his people, recalled to their minds the
indignities heaped upon him by Rokoua, and having
worked them up to a high pitch of excitement, he in
formed them that the offender was now in their power.
All rushed to arms, and entering the house they de
manded the young girl from Nadoi. ' There she sits,'
replied Naiogabui, pointing to her father ; and no sooner
had the words been spoken, than a heavy blow with a
club felled Rokoua to the ground. A general onset fol
lowed, in which the head of the victim was beaten to
atoms. This was the end of Rokoua." \

202

CHAPTER XIII.
DEPAETUEE FEOM NAMOSI.  VUNIWAIVUTUKA. — THE "VELI." — MODE OF
TATOOING THE MOUTH.  PASSING DOWN THE NAVUA EIVEE. — NAGADI
CLEAEED OUT BY ITS VASU. — OUE CANOE CAPSIZED. — EETURN TO THE
' PAUL JONES.' — KUEUDUADUA's CHAEACTEE.  LEAVING NAVUA. — BEGA.
— ME. STORCK's ILLNESS. — BETUEN TO KADAVU. — ASCENT OF BUKI
LEVU. — EEWA. — IMMIGEANTS FEOM NEW ZEALAND.' — ME. MOOEE's
POWEEFUL SEEMON.  AEEIVAL AT LADO. — OFFICE DEUDGEEY.
When, on the 2nd of September, I left Namosi, there
were great lamentations. The women and children
cried bitterly, and Batinisavu, the Governor of the
place, with several young chiefs, made up their minds
to see me safe to the coast. I had witnessed a similar
scene after the departure of Colonel Smythe and Mr.
Pritchard, and heard chiefs and people regret that they
were gone, and would probably never come again. I
had been amongst them much longer, and they had got
used, and, in some instances, quite attached to me. Can
nibals though they be, they have many good qualities ;
and some of the greatest crimes laid to their door may
be explained, as singular, though mistaken demonstra
tions of a deep natural affection.
We took the same road as that by which Mr. Prit
chard and his party had returned, and in the afternoon
reached Vuniwaivutuka, where we made preparations

ADULTERY PUNISHED. 203
for staying the night. Directly on our arrival, some of
the leading men came up to the Bure-ni-sa we were
stopping at, to present a root of kava to Batinisavu, as
a token of respect and goodwill, and making, in present
ing it, a neat little speech, to which the Namosi Gover
nor replied in equally friendly terms. Batinisavu struck
me as a man very far above the rest of his countrymen.
There was something quiet and dignified about him;
and though he always went without any hesitation
through all the ceremonies his station imposed, he often
apologized to me by saying it was " Vaka Viti " — Fijian
usage — which he could not set aside.
The bures are, in Fiji, what club-houses are with us :
everybody goes there, and all the news finds its way
thither. The great topic of that day's conversation was
the discovery of an adultery in a neighbouring village.
The friends of the woman took up the case. The bure
to which the adulterer belonged resisted their attack,
and the consequence was a series of broken heads. The
chief offender escaped, but' his father was caught and
punished for his son's transgressions. The husband of
the seduced wife had his taro-fields destroyed, and was
told that such a fool as he did not deserve to possess
them. Batinisavu strongly censured the whole proceed
ings. He asked, where was their justice 1 to punish the
poor old father for his son's wickedness, wras simply cruel,
and to destroy the crops of an already injured man,
worthy of such mountaineers and fools as they were.
No one can be long in this region of " taboo " and
"tatoo" without perceiving what rich stores of human
fancy and ideas, shortly to be lost or mutilated for ever,

204 A MISSION TO VITI.
are here offered. Attention is constantly directed to
them, and you have as little chance of remaining
ignorant of the great deeds of Degei, Rokoua, and the
Vasu-ki-lagi, as you have in the East of the stories of
successful magicians, spell-bound princesses, and mighty
treasures concealed in obscure caverns. In Kurudua
dua's dominion I could hardly turn without hearing of
the doings of the Veli, and the greater part of the even
ing at this place was again devoted to them. My curi
osity had already been so much excited that I deter
mined, come what might, to write their natural history
in the very localities most frequented by them. By
inquiry and frequent cross-examination, I found the
Veli to be a class of spirits in figure approaching to the
German gnome, in habits of life^ the fairy of England
They have been in the country from time immemorial,
and live in hollow Kowrie-pines and Kabea-trees. They
are of diminutive size, and rather disproportionately
large about the upper part of their body. Then hair is
thick, and prolonged behind in a pig-tail. Some have
wings, others have not. Their complexion rather re
sembles that of the white race than the Fijian. They
have great and petty chiefs ; are polygamists, and bear
names like the Fijians. They also resemble the latter
in wearing native cloth or tapa, which however is much
finer and whiter than the ordinary sort. They are
friendly disposed, and possess no other bad quality than
that of stealing iron tools from the natives. They sing
sweetly, and occasionally gratify the Fijians by giving
them a song. They feed on the fruit of the Tankua
(Ptychosperma) and Boia (Scitaminearum gen. nov.),

V

THE VELI AND THEIR DOINGS. 205
which they term emphatically their cocoa-nut and their
plantain ; and men imprudent enough to cut down these
plants, have received a sound beating from the enraged
Veli. They drink kava made, not of the cultivated
Macropiper methysticum, but of a pepper growing wild
in the woods, and vernacularly termed Yaqoyaqona
(Macropiper puberulum, Benth.). The Fijians have no
long stories about them, as they have about their gods.
All the accounts of the Veli relate to isolated facts, —
to their abode, their having been seen, heard to sing,
caught in a theft, and found to beat the destroyers of
then peculiar trees ; but they are so numerous that it is
no wonder the Fijians should consider the evidence suffi
cient to establish their real existence.
V The women about this place, as well as about Nagadi,
were tatooed around the whole mouth, not merely
around the corners, as is customary on the coast. The
reader may smile at this observation, but after living
awhile amongst natives in an almost absolute state
of nudity, the eye readily detects these minute differ
ences, and the mind begins to comprehend why, on pay
ing compliments, these people dwell with such em
phasis on this or that part of the body, when a Euro
pean, under similar circumstances, would record his ad
miration for a becoming toilet, whole or in part. In
narrating travels in barbarous countries, the disadvan
tage of the people not wearing clothes is acutely felt.
In order to convey, at least, some notion of what the
personages encountered were like, one is compelled to
notice their arms, legs, and other parts of their body,
a fact for which one is not always inclined.

206 A MISSION TO VITI.
The next morning we left Vuniwaivutuka ; and after
a smart walk of about an hour and a half, we came to a
branch of the Navua river, where Batinisavu had a raft
of bamboos prepared. It seemed a very rickety contri
vance ; nevertheless it was strong, and there was no
chance of capsizing in passing over rapids. But I found
it impossible to keep my collections dry, so four of the
boys took them on their backs to Navua. We then
passed down the river rapidly, and about noon reached
the town of Nagadi, where we had stopped a night on a
previous occasion. There we intended to exchange our
raft for a large canoe, but this intention was frustrated.
On that very day the " Vasu " to Nagadi had taken
away all the canoes, and other articles of the town that
took his fancy. -; A " Vasu " is a mighty personage in
Fiji. He is simply a nephew, but, according to the
usage of the country, he holds all the movable property
of his uncle at his absolute disposal, and can at any
moment take whatever he chooses. There are vasus
not only to families, but to towns and states, and it is
considered shabby to resist their exactions. Some vasus
have even sold the land belonging to their uncles, but
Fijians say that is going a little too far, and exceeds the
proper limits of the system. If therefore the uncles
wish to keep anything to themselves, they must not let
their nephews see it. I remember Batinisavu, having a
grasping nephew, and several American hatchets given
him, begged Danford to keep them at his house, so that
the vasu might not get wind of their existence. Of course
the Vasus are expected to make some return, and the
Vasu to the town of Nagadi, living on the sea-coast,

OUR CANOE CAPSIZED. 207
where salt is abundant, had presented the people, whom
he had cleared out of almost everything, with a supply
of that useful article, for they assured us they had no
canoes left to get across the river, and should have to
commence that very day to build new ones. On push
ing down the river, we overtook the flotilla, heavily
laden with goods of all descriptions, and had no diffi
culty in getting the loan of a canoe to Navua. We had
little reason to congratulate ourselves on this change.
At the next rapid we could not bale faster than the
water came in at the stern ; the outrigger lost its balance,
and in another moment the canoe was capsized.* Soro-
mato, my faithful friend, by a desperate dash saved a
bundle of my clothes, including cloak, and succeeded in
getting them on shore dry. Having been up to my neck
in water, I felt very thankful to Soromato. The natives
kindled a fire on a gravelly spot, and two of the boys
had to chew kava, which, in the absence of a proper
bowl and straining fibres, was made in large leaves and
squeezed through ferns.
The canoe being baled out, and put again in proper
order, we continued our voyage, and without any further
mishap reached Navua. Kuruduadua met us close to
the town ; he had been all . day busy in the field, and
said he had a great number of people staying with him
to assist in his agricultural labours. When we stepped
on shore, supper was just being presented to them. It
was an immense heap of provisions, and though there
were probably two hundred visitors, there must have
been ample for all.
* In our Plate representing Koro Basabasaga will be seen a good speci
men of a Fijian river-canoe with its outrigger.

208 A MISSION TO VITI.
As the houses were crowded, I was very glad to learn
that the ' Paul Jones,' with Mr. Pritchard on board,
had arrived from Nadroga, and was then anchored at
the mouth of the river. Two of the crew soon after
made their appearance in the dingy belonging to the
schooner, and I availed myself of the chance to get on
board. On paddling down the river we encountered
several heavy showers ; the clerk of the weather at
Namosi had only guaranteed sunshine until I should
have fairly reached the coast, and now I was again in
the region of salt water, mangrove-trees, and sago
swamps. We took shelter under a thick tree, and with
my umbrella-parasol I kept myself tolerably dry. The
people living on the high banks under which we had
halted, soon espied us, and invited us to come into
their houses. When we refused on account of its get
ting too late to reach the schooner, they brought some
hot yams and taro, and one of the boys was sent up a
cocoa-nut palm, slippery though the trunk was, to knock
down some nuts for drinking. We gave them some
sticks of tobacco, of which they were very glad, and all
parted with mutual expressions of goodwill.
I took leave of Batinisavu, the Namosi Governor, at
Navua, and shall always remember his kindness. Ku
ruduadua came on board that night, and Danford ac
companied him. Though he had publicly declared in
favour of the cession of Fiji to England, he had not as
yet formally signed the deed of cession. As he is one
of the most powerful chiefs, it was important to have
his signature, and in the evening he affixed his mark to
that document; Mr. Charles Wise having once more

KURUDUADUA'S CHARACTER. 209
carefully translated the import of the paper, and I at
testing the chief's signature.
Whilst sitting in the little cabin of the schooner,
Kuruduadua asked about a variety of subjects, and ge
nerally exclaimed, "Ah! ye white men are superior
people. We are ignorant savages !" He was much
pleased with that volume of Wilkes's ' Narrative of the
United States Exploring Expedition ' relating to Fiji and
Tonga. Indeed, all the natives who saw it were en
raptured with that beautiful publication. So faithful
are the representations of places and persons, that the
natives instantly recognized them. The portraits of
Tanoa, the father of King Cakobau, and that of the
Queen of Rewa, pleased them mightily. They always
exclaimed, " They live ! They can see ! They speak !"
I wish the artist had been there to hear the praise la
vished upon his productions.
Kuruduadua left very late, and Danford went with
him. Always making it a point to speak of people as
I find them, I have nothing to say except what is in
their favour. Both of them had been of the greatest
service to us, and behaved well. Kuruduadua we found
an intelligent, straightforward man, quite ready to listen
to reason, prepared to come up to any obligations he
had taken upon himself, and detesting all half-measures,
all sham. Of Danford I have already spoken. He has
been a pioneer, whose services in that direction I should
not be inclined to undervalue, and without whom one
of the most interesting episodes of my life would pro
bably not have occurred.
We finally left the Navua river on the 5th of Sep-
p

210 A MISSION TO VITI.
tember, and stood over to Bega (=Mbenga), an oval-
shaped island, about five miles long by three wide, sub
ject to Rewa, and in some measure to Kuruduadua. No
sooner had we cast anchor than Mr. Don, an English
man, came to the Consul, complaining that the natives,
under pressure from the Tonguese, wished to compel
him to let them have back again the land which he
had bought, as they had given the island of Bega to the
Tonguese. Mr. Pritchard went to the man who repre
sented himself as the principal chief, and told him that
Mr. Don totally rejected the offer of ten fat pigs, or any
other equivalent for the land he had acquired, and if
they had given their island to the Tonguese, it was by
no means binding, Maafu, the Tonguese chief, having
publicly renounced all claims on and in Fiji ; and, until
her Britannic Majesty's pleasure was known, the cession
of Fiji to England was valid, and could not be ignored.
Two Tonguese present tried to argue the point, but were
signally defeated by one no novice in native tactics. \
One of our reasons for making Bega was to obtain
some oil of the Dilo (Calophyllum inophyllum, Linn.), an
excellent liniment for rheumatism, pains in the joints,
bruises, etc., and enjoying a high reputation throughout
the South Sea. Mr. Storck, my able assistant, had —
after quite recovering from his fall in Somosomo — com
mitted the imprudence, whilst paying a visit to his friend
Peter, the King's councillor, at Bau, to sleep a night
between two open doors on a matted floor of a new
house, in consequence of which he had gradually be
come so stiff as ultimately to be unable to move even
his hands. We had to dress him, put him to bed, and

MR. STORCK'S ILLNESS. — BEGA. 211
even feed him, his appetite being good all the while;
and he, poor fellow, was so helpless that at one time he
was falling in the sea, and only saved by the presence of
mind of one on board. All the Fijian doctors recom
mended the external application of Dilo oil ; and for
some calico we obtained two gourd-flasks full, with which
the patient was rubbed several times a day. Fortunately
our voyage was drawing to a close ; and I am happy to
add, the greater comfort and change of food at Ovalau
soon restored him to perfect health.
/ We intended to proceed from Bega direct to Ovalau,
but towards evening the weather became so fine —
every sign of rain having disappeared — that the idea
struck us to run over once more to Kadavu, and ascend
if possible Buke Levu, the great mountain. The passage
between Bega and Kadavu being an open sea, and we
having a good pilot on board, in the person of Mr.
Charles Wise, the consular interpreter, we left Bega just
whilst the sun was gilding the feathery tops of the
cocoa-nut palms, and diffusing a bright hue over the
white coral beaches.
Sailing all night, daybreak disclosed the bold out
line of Buke Levu, a mountain 3800 feet high, situate
on the north-west point of Kadavu, and deriving its
name from a certain resemblance to the hillocks (Buke)
on which yams are planted; hence Buke Levu, the
"large yam hill." No white man had ever ascended
it, and, though laid down in the latest maps, its very
name was not recorded. It will be remembered that
we had made two distinct efforts to reach its summit, but
were baffled by gales and rain. We now were about to
p 2

212

A MISSION TO VITI.

make the third. On bringing our little schooner to
anchor off the town of Taulalia, heavy showers overtook
us, and we began to despair of ever attaining our object,
when about nine o'clock it suddenly cleared up. The
natives, who had been watching from the beach, could
not understand our hesitation in not landing at once,
and in proof of their friendly disposition, brought out
their women and children ; and, moreover, carried green
boughs, as the soldiers do in Macbeth, when " Birnam
wood removes to Dunsinane."

BUKE LEVU, SEEN FROM THE SOUTH.

On learning our object in coming to their town, fifteen
men and boys cheerfully volunteered to accompany us.
The ascent commenced the moment we left Taulalia,
and passing over cultivated grounds where the people
were busy with their crops of sugar-canes, yams, taros,
and plantains, we reached in about a quarter of an hour
a village, where another party of natives joined us, and
where we saw some fine plants of the different kinds of

ASCENT OF BUKE LEVU. 213
kava, for which Kadavu is renowned. A narrow path,
often winding along precipices and through rivulets, led
to about 1500 feet elevation, where it gradually faded
away, and the isolated patches of cultivation noticed up
to this height, as well as the wood which had re-occu
pied ground at one time cleared and the masses of reeds
gave place to an undisturbed virgin forest, through
which we had to cut our way. We had taken the pre
caution of bringing a strong rope, sixty feet long, which,
made fast to trees, proved extremely useful in dragging
ourselves up almost perpendicular rocks, in the rainy
season occupied by waterfalls, and even at this time of
the year very slippery. On some of these were found a
number of delicate ferns (Hymenophyllum), and quite a
new species of land-shell (Bulimus Seemanni, Dohr.),
fully two inches long, and of a bright salmon-colour.
In order to save time, we had directed one of our men
to push ahead and prepare a camp-kettle full of tea —
of all beverages the best when one is tired and heated.
When at last, after great exertion and frequent stopping
to examine objects of interest, we reached the top, he
and half-a-dozen others were already there, but they had
omitted to bring either matches, firesticks, or water;
and even the cocoa-nuts, packed up with the rest of the
day's provisions, were too old for drinking. Being ex
tremely thirsty, Ave could not touch food, hungry though
we Avere. The natives declared the nearest water to be
more than 1000 feet down, and, as they had not the
proper wood, it Avas impossible for them to kindle fire
by friction. HoAveArer, a man must have read ' Robinson
Crusoe ' to little purpose, if his resources fail him in

214 A MISSION TO VITI.
moments like these. We Avere determined not to let
our explorations come to a sudden stop for want of
something to drink. Mr. Pritchard left me the option
between procuring fire or water ; to guard against lame
excuses on the part of the natives, it being thought ne
cessary that one of us should go with them in search of
a spring. Knowing what a hard job it was to make fire
by rubbing, without pausing, two pieces of wood to
gether, especially in the tropics, I declared in favour of
getting the water. My companion, Avho did not seem to
relish descending so many feet and climbing up again,
Avas evidently pleased with his lot. In spite of all the
natives were saying about making the wood answer,
he resolutely began rubbing away. Great exertions
were required ; hat, jacket, vest, and necktie discarded,
to obtain greater freedom of action. At last came the
reward. The wood began to smoke, sparks appeared,
went out again, reappeared, and, brought in contact with
a piece of bark-cloth cut off the tail of a boy's dress,
soon produced a flame.
All this time I had been sitting on an old stump,
feigning to be quite insensible to certain broad hints
about the desirableness of looking after the execution
of my part of the contract. When the first flame had
appeared I at last bestirred myself, and to the surprise of
the fire-kindler, instead of going a long Avay for Avater,
climbed up a neighbouring tree on which I had noticed
an epiphytical plant (Astelia montana, Seem.), the leaves
of which , acting as a kind of rain-gauge, were filled
with pure Avater : by merely emptying these the necessary
supply was obtained. Ere long, tea was ready, and re-

A FINE VIEW. 215
lished all the more from recalling to mind the long es
tablished connection between cups, slips, and lips.
After all hands had partaken of refreshment, a num
ber of trees were felled in order to gain, if possible, a
vieAv, the top of Buke Levu being densely Avooded. No
sooner had this been accomplished than, to our joy, the
clouds which up to this time had been interposed be
tween us and the region below, dispersed, disclosing a
great part of Kadavu and the sea. Our little schooner
was snugly lying at anchor, flying the British colours ;
but we listened in vain for the signal guns which the
men had been directed to fire as soon as they should
perceive the smoke of our fire, intensified at intervals
by throwing heaps of green leaves upon it. We after-
Avards learned that it had been found impossible to dis
tinguish between smoke and clouds. A large native
canoe, with its white triangular sail, was seen approaching
the shore, and the blasts of the conch shells could be
heard distinctly, though we were nearly 4000 feet high ;
otherwise there was a deep silence, only occasionally
broken by the dogs, which have become naturalized
in these wilds, as the domestic fowls haAre in_ other
parts of the group)^ The A'egetation encountered"^Avas si
milar to that of Voma Peak in Viti LeAai ; there were
the same bright orange-coloured orchids (Bendrobium
Mohlianum, Reichb. fil.) and the epiphytical ferns, but
also several new species of plants. The Cinnamomum
furnishing a superior kind of Cassia-bark AATas here as
plentiful as in Great Fiji; a kind of Gummi Guttee
(Clusia sessilis, Forst.) also engaged our attention. Buke
Levu is evidently an extinct volcano ; and hot sprmgs

216 A MISSION TO VITI.
at its foot, near the town of Nasau, ascertained by
Colonel Smythe to be 144° Fahrenheit, may possibly
stand in some connection with its former activity. The
outward look of the summit is very much like the cone
of Vesuvius, as it was when I ascended it in 1861 ; but
we did not discover any large crater, simply an insigni
ficant SAvamp.
Having left on one of the trees a Avell-corked bottle
containing the record of our visit, — that of the first
white men who ever ascended the mountain, — we com
menced the descent, which presented in some parts se
rious difficulties, but, thanks to our rope, we overcame
them all ; only one of the lads had a rather serious
tumble, by which he sprained his ankle. Before we
Avere more than halfway down it was completely dark,
when the natives lit bundles of reeds and the stems of
a weed (Erigeron albidum, A. Gray), both of which
make excellent torches. On arriving at the first grove
of cocoa-nut palms a general halt was made, and heaps
of nuts were brought down from the trees and emp
tied of their contents with astonishing rapidity. It Avas
past nine o'clock, just twelve hours after we started,
when we reached Taulalia, where the whole village was
assembled at and about the house of the Wesleyan
teacher, a Fijian by birth, and our native companions
had to give a most circumstantial account of our day's
proceedings. \
We slept at the house of the teacher, which we found
clean and comfortable. Early next morning all who had
accompanied us had to sit in a row, — and a nice long row
it was, — and every one received a butcher's knife, which

INCONVENIENCE OF BARTERING. 217
elicited much clapping of hands, in proof that the gift was
accepted : money would not have pleased half as much,
as its use is not understood. All payments are made in
kind, — a most irksome and cumbrous way, compelling you
to carry a whole heap of things to defray the current ex
penses of a cruise ; articles regarded as small change, and
making one look like a pedlar, you are supposed to have
always about you. In one pocket you carry pipes and to
bacco — in great demand, but held rather cheap ; in an
other, fish-hooks, jews'-harps, and beads, the spare room
to be filled with scissors and knives of various descrip
tions. On board are kept your gold and bank-notes, re
presented by bales of Manchester print, especially navy
blue ; flannel jackets and woollen blankets, — killing the
natives faster than brandy and the so-called vices of
civilization, — and American hatchets, price five dollars
apiece. The inconvenience and expense of paying for
everything by articles of barter is increased by some of
the goods not proving acceptable in all towns, and the
natives refusing certain things because they happen to
differ in some unimportant trifle from those generally
in use. Fashion here, as elsewhere, rules supreme:
knives with white handles instead of black would be
objected to, though their blades might be first-rate ; and
I learned to my cost that it is absolutely useless to
lay in stock at Sydney or Melbourne unless one obtains
exact information regarding the articles in demand\
' / On leaving Taulalia, September the 7th, we steered
eastward, passing Yawe, the famous pottery manufac
tory, in order to bid fareAvell to Mr. Royce, the prin
cipal missionary at Tavuki, under Avhose hospitable roof

218 A MISSION TO VITI.
Ave had previously stayed. AVishing to economize time,
we left Tavuki at sunset for Ovalau ; Ave had put to
sea scarcely an hour Avhen the weather became squally
and very thick, compelling us to take in all canvas ex
cept the foresail. We should have fared ill if it had
not been for the presence of the consular interpreter,
Mr. Charles Wise, who combines Avith a perfect know
ledge of the Fijian language, customs, and manners, the
advantage of being one of the best pilots in the group,
the more appreciated amongst the maze of more than
tAvo hundred islands, of Avhich as yet no reliable chart
has been prepared, though the labours of AVilkes, Bel
cher, Kellett, and Denham, have already done a great
deal toAvards that desirable end. After an anxious night
amongst reefs and shoals, Ave found ourselves off Rewa,
and, as the wind had now become a gale, the rain Avas
coming doAvn in torrents, and the sea Avas very high, we
took shelter inLaucala(=Lauthala) Bay, anchoring op
posite the premises of Mr. Pickering, an old settler in
Fiji. The occupier was absent, but his people made us
comfortable. A small schooner had just arrived from New Zealand
Avith sixteen immigrants on board. The captain called
on the Consul, and brought a file of colonial newspapers
containing the latest European news. Vessels often
making Fiji a week after leaAlng Auckland, we gene
rally had our latest intelligence vid New Zealand. The
captain was going to return immediately, taking oranges,
pine-apples, and yams with him, and intending to come
back with a fresh number of immigrants. Those that
he had brought this time had found shelter at the

ME. moore's seemon. 219
houses of the various white settlers about here. Mr.
Pritchard and I called on several, to see what we could
do for them. In comparison to New Zealand they found
it rather warm in the group, while we, on the contrary,
were quite chilly, and glad to have thick clothes on.
They had not brought any mosquito curtains, and, like
all new-comers, had suffered dreadfully during the first
night from irritating bites, to guard against which in
future the ladies were busy converting their light muslin
dresses into defences against them.
In the evening a boat took us over to the mission-
station of Mataisuva, where Mr. and Mrs. Moore gave
us, as usual, a hearty welcome. The weather still conti
nuing boisterous, we were easily persuaded to remain, es
pecially as the next day was a Sunday, and Mr. Moore,
for the benefit of the new arrivals, was to have service
in English. Sunday morning proved very fine, and
when drums Avere beaten — why does not some kind-
hearted person present this fine church with a good
tolling-bell 1 — boats and canoes poured in from all direc
tions, and there was a large congregation, a gratifying
sight after looking so long upon dark faces. Mr. Moore,
a powerful and eloquent speaker, preached an extem
porary sermon, admirably adapted to those he was ad
dressing. Its tenor was that every man ought to do
his duty in the position it had pleased Providence to
place him in. Amongst his hearers there were probably
very few who belonged to the denomination of which
he is so bright an ornament, but in these out-of-the-
way places all sensible people refrain from troubling
their heads about the nice distinctions into which our

220 A MISSION TO VITI.
Protestant Church has unhappily been split, and all
Christians avIio are not Catholics never raise much ob
jection to forming part of a congregation, the members
of which may more or less differ from them in minor
points of discipline or doctrine.
Leaving Rewa roads on the morning of the 10th of
September, Ave reached Port Kinnaird, Ovalau, on the
following day, where our little schooner was refitted,
and we made every preparation for another, my last,
cruise in the group. Mr. Pritchard's work, which even
in ordinary times was more than he could get through
without the greatest efforts, and sitting up late or even
whole nights, had accumulated to an alarming extent.
The clerks he engaged proved worse than useless, though
the pay which he could offer was three times what
they Avould have got in England. After my departure
he fortunately obtained the co-operation of Mr. Swan
ston as vice-consul, who, shortly after his installation in
office, wrote me a letter, dated Levuka, July 9, 1861, a
passage of which I shall take the liberty to quote, as it
gives some insight into consular duties in this group : —
" There were urgent entreaties from missionaries and white
residents at Rewa, and all along the coast of Viti Levu, to Mr.
Pritchard, to visit them. Complaints from whites to windward
against Tonga movements generally ; and Mr. Henry complains
in particular against Maafu, and seeks consular intervention.
All this, etc., keeps Mr. Pritchard cruising about, and the office
drudgery falls on me, and I have more than I can attend to;
to wit : —
" Naval court yesterday. — Seamen complain against ' Caro
line's ' going to sea unseaworthy. Merchants and others put
in claims against the master ; he drunk and disorderly on the

OFFICE DEUDGERY. 221
beach; have to put him under arrest. My constable gets
intoxicated. Consular officer has to attend to it. Harvie, a Brit.
subject, dead. Mr. Pritchard hands me in papers connected
with the affairs, which he brought from Gau and Koro, whither
he had to go last week on official business. Claims against this
estate; counter-claims, disputes, and trouble to me. Old
T  lodges a complaint against S  ; accuses him of vio
lating the person of his daughter ; Levuka in a state of excite
ment about it. Binner in great distress about disputed land
title of his. Wilson's agent here, with chiefs from Na Lavu
Lavu, to complete land titles. Clarke and Hazelman, ditto,
ditto, from Na Viti Levu. Order from Hort, Bros., to seize
schooner ' Kate/ unlawfully kept out of their possession. Com
plaints from Bob Somebody that Davies has kicked him out
without paying him his wages. Claims against Maafu for debts
due four years ago ; American citizen connected with the affair ;
have to refer to the U. S. Consul; go into the affair to-morrow
if business permits. Maafu here to ascertain why a certain
Fijiman, sentenced some time since to three years' hard labour,
is allowed to be at large ; crime, killing a Tongaman. He offers,
and insists upon his right, to enforce the punishment if the Fiji
chiefs cannot. Wilson's agent lodges complaint against Bothe,
for inducing natives at Wai Levu to give to him logs belonging
to the company of which Wilson is the acting partner.
" And all these in two days ; and so the wheel goes : every
case has to be examined into, evidence heard, judgment given,
papers in connection made out, often in duplicate, and so on,
and so on. I am tired. I have been at it all day; it is now
midnight; so good-bye. " Yours very truly,
" Robert S. Swanston."

222

CHAPTER XIV.
VOYAGE ABOUND VANUA LEVU.  DEPAETUEE FEOM LADO. — EAST COAST OF
VITI LEVU. — NANANU ISLAND. — -THE FIJIAN MOUNT OLYMPUS. — BUA. —
NAICOBOCOBO.  NUKUBATI. — NADUEI. — INTEEVIEW WITH THE CHIEF. —
DISCONTENT OF HIS SUBJECTS.  BECHE-DE-MEE TEADE. — MUA I UDU AND
ITS SUPEESTITIONS.  NA CEVA BAY.  AEEIVAL AT WAIKAVA. — VISIT TO
MY COTTON PLANTATION.  MEETING AT WAIKAVA.  DEPAETUEE.
Our schooner, which had been so much shattered during
the stormy passage from Kadavu to Rewa as to require
a thorough refitting, again left Lado on the 10th of
October. Mr. Pritchard had agreed to meet Colonel
Smythe on the 17th of that month at AVaikava, a town
of CakaudroA^e in A^anua Levu, and to bring thither all
the most influential chiefs of that island. AVe stood
over to the east coast of Viti Levu, and made it near
Tova Peak, the bold cone-shaped outline of which could
be seen from Lado in fine Aveather. The shores looked
charming ; grassy slopes alternating with groves of trees,
rivulets, and inhabited valleys. Towards 4 p.m. we an
chored off Nananu Levu (erroneously called Annan in
the charts), close to the most northerly point of Viti
Levu, and near another small island bearing the name
of Nananu-gata. Like the adjacent coast, it is covered
with grass, isolated screw-pines, and iromvood, and
would seem well adapted for sheep and cattle. Poli-

NA VATU. 223
tically it is under ViAva, which again is tributary to Bau.
There may be about one hundred inhabitants, who lived
in a toAvn defended by a deep ditch and high earthen
mounds. On the top of the island were extensive plan
tations of KaAvai (Bioscorea aculeata, Linn.), and in the
valleys thousands of bread-fruit trees. The people did
not seem to take much notice of us, and altogether be
haved colder than any we had yet come in contact with.
Remaining at anchor all night, our voyage was con
tinued early next morning to Bua, Sandalwood Bay.
The north-eastern portion of Viti LeAn, now fast fading
aAvay, is called Rakiraki, and famous in mythology as
the site of Na Vatu, the Fijian Mount Olympus, and
the abode of the supreme god Degei ( = Ndengei). It
has been supposed that this portion of Viti was the first

NA VATU, FEOM THE NORTH.

224 A MISSION TO VITI.
to be inhabited, because all the tribes of the islands
acknoAvledge Degei as their chief god, and own their
knoAvledge of him to be derived from Rakiraki. There
is nothing very remarkable either in the shape or cha
racter of the mountain, and, as far as our present in
formation goes, Ave are unable to account for the dis
tinction it enjoys. The accompanying sketch, obligingly
furnished by Mrs. Smythe, will help to bear me out.
About noon on the 11th of October Ave were off Bua,
no longer teeming with sandalwood as in days of yore.
Our object was to invite Tui Bua, or King of Bua, to
attend the meeting at Waikava. Our schooner not going
close in, we went on shore in the dingy. The town of
Bua is built on the banks of a river, the mouth of
which for about a mile and a half is densely covered
Avith mangroves. The district is low, the soil a rich
alluvial clay. Bua has proved so unhealthy to Europeans
that the white missionaries, after several deaths had
thinned their ranks, were compelled to relinquish it, and
fill their places with Tonguese teachers. This circum
stance is the more to be regretted as Bua was a most
complete station. /The church is a very neat building,
and has a good tolling-bell, instead of those hideous
wooden drums used in other parts for calling the con
gregation together ; the dAvelling-houses af e also highly
finished/' We found the principal one inhabited by the
Tonguese teacher, who, together with his wife, was
scenting cocoa-nut oil by adding rasped sandalwood and
the white odoriferous flowers of the Bua (Fagrcea Ber-
teriana, A. Gray), a tree from which the place probably
derives its name. They were very attentive to us, and

NAICOBOCOBO. 225
loaded us with baskets full of kavikas, or Malay-apples,
and cocoa-nuts, several bottles of goat's milk, and a fine
log of sandalwood, now in the Kew Museum.
The houses had been stripped of most of their Eu
ropean furniture, the church was rather in want of re
pair, and the whole had that desolate appearance which
all places built by Europeans, but abandoned by them
to natives, invariably possess. After visiting the graves
of those Christian pioneers who had here laid doAvn their
lives in a noble cause, I felt quite melancholy, and was
glad to return on board.
Tui Bua, the chief, being absent, and not expected
back for some days, we made sail without delay. When
evening came on we anchored off Bau lailai, and next
morning rounded Naicobocobo ( = Naithombothombo),
the Avest point of Vanua Levu, which is rocky and thickly-
wooded, and supposed to be a general starting-point
(Cibicibi) for Bulu, the future abode of departed spirits.
It is erroneously called Dimba Dimba by Wilkes and
all those who copied him. On the 12th of October we
anchored off Nukubati, a sandy little island, full of
cocoa-nut trees and breadfruit, a great many of Avhich
had been cut doAvn or otherwise injured by the Ton
guese to revenge themselves on the Chief Ritova, whose
private property the island is, and who had been driven
from power by them to make room for a chief more
willing to comply with their extortions than Ritova had
shoAvn himself to be.\ ¦! went on shore and saw a party
of women making pottery, which they did without a
wheel, and extremely well.
" On the 14th we ran down to Macuata (=Mathuata), Q

226 A MISSION TO VITI.
— not Mocuata or Mudwater, as sometimes written,— a
small, stony isle, densely covered with ironwood, and at
present uninhabited. This isle has conferred its name
on the whole northern coast of Vanua Levu, and Avas
the head-quarters of three branches of the ruling Macu-
ata family, until about twenty-five years ago dissensions
amongst its members broke out, which led to the total
extinction of one of the branches, and proved to the
others that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
The whole coast had been subjugated by Tongamen;
Ritova, the head of the most powerful branch, and the
legitimate king of the district, was in exile ; whilst Bete,
who represented the weaker and subordinate portion of
the family, resided at Naduri, and was a mere puppet in
the hands of the artful Tongamen.
When making Nukubati we met a canoe going to
Naduri, and sent a message by it to Bete, said to be
attending some festival inland, that we were going to
call at his town on the following day in order to make
a communication to him. AVe had scarcely dropped
anchor off Naduri when Bete's spokesman arrived in a
large canoe. The first thing he delivered was a whale's
tooth, dark as mahogany from age and repeated greas
ing, such as Fijians hold to be of the highest value.
It Avas offered to the consul as a soro, or acknowledg
ment of submission and atonement from the chief. Mr.
Pritchard hesitated about accepting it; but as its re
jection would have been a direct insult, he thought it
better to take the tooth, and thus prevent any misun
derstanding and long explanations, both parties being
fully aware of the real meaning of the token.

BECHE-DE-MER TRADE. 227
AVe found Bete sitting in his house surrounded by
councillors. Mr. Pritchard informed him that his pre
sence was required at Waikava at the meeting of chiefs,
and his absence might prove disadvantageous to him
self; but his mind seemed to be made up, and he gave
us to understand that he did not mean to go, as the time
was too short. His Tonguese advisers had probably in
duced him to act in this way.
I went some distance up a rivulet to bathe, and on my
return met a number of Naduri people, who complained
bitterly of the way in which they, were ground down by
the Tonguese, and how wretchedly poor they were in
in comparison with formerly, when bSche-de-mer traders
visited the coast, and they were kept well supplied with
foreign articles of barter in exchange for the sea-slugs they
collected. They said there could be no revival of this
lucrative trade until their old chief Ritova was restored
to power, as Bete was so weak, and so little respected,
that he could not get the requisite number of hands to
gether to make up a cargo. They were most anxious to
know when Ritova was likely to come back, and asked
repeatedly, but I turned off the conversation. There
were a great number of sail-mats in Bete's house, and
the people assured me that they Avere some of the tri
bute which the Tonguese extorted from them.
The sea-slugs, or beche-de-mer (several species of the
genus Holothuria), collectively termed " Dri " by the na
tives,* are found in great abundance on the reefs, espe-
* The different species bear the following native names : — 1. Dri voto-
voto ; 2. Dri alewa; 3. Dri batibuli ; 4. Dritarasea; 5. Dri damu ;
6. Dri valadakawa ; 7. Dri daidairo ; 8. Dri lokoloko ni qio, etc.
To show the profits of the beche-de-mer trade, I extract from Wilkes, of
Q 2

228 A MISSION TO VITI.
cially on the northern shores of Viti Levu and Vanua
Levu. In July, 1862, they figured, perhaps for the first
time in Europe, in the bill of fare at a grand dinner given
in London at Freemasons' Tavern by the Acclimatiza
tion Society. A highly profitable trade in them was car
ried on, principally by the Americans, until a few years
ago, through the political troubles caused by the inva
sion of the Tonga islanders, it became impossible to
collect sufficient for filling a vessel fitted out on purpose.
As peace has noAV been re-established, this trade Avill
probably revive. As soon as a ship was full it sailed
direct to Manila, where merchants were eager to pur
chase its cargo for the Chinese markets : a cargo of tea,
sugar, and silks, was then taken in for the homeward
voyage. Notwithstanding that no insurance of the ves
sels engaged could be effected, on account of the bad
charts of Fiji, the profits realized were very great. A
whole cargo, which cost $1200, brought $12,000 ; and
another, which cost $3500, brought $27,000. As for
nearly ten years no sea-slugs have been collected, any
enterprising shipowner dispatching vessels there would
be able to collect a rich cargo in a very short space of
time. the United States Exploring Expedition, the following costs and returns
of five cargoes obtained by an American, Captain Eagleston : —
1st voyage, 617 piculs, cost $1,100, sales 5 8,021

2nd „ 700

3rd „ 1,080 „ „ 13,396
4th „ 840 „ „ $1,200,
6th „ 1,200 „ „ $3,500:
A further profit also arises from the investment of the proceeds in Can
ton or Manila. This same trader obtained also 4488 pounds of tortoise-
shell at a cost of $5700, which sold in the United States for $29,050 net.

$1,200;

$17,500$15,120$12,600
$27,000

MUA I UDU. 229
Resuming our voyage, we found ourselves, October
15 th, off Namuka, where we sent on shore for water.
The crew, on returning, brought an armful of gardenias,
a species quite new to science (Gardenia Vitiensis, Seem.),
with beautiful white flowers, emitting a delicious scent ;
and the young leaves of the shrub being enveloped in a
thick coating of greenish gum, which, as they expand,
gradually dissolves. There is a strange connection be
tween Namuka and Bau : both having, or rather having
had, the same local gods, the people possess mutual rights
similar to those of the Vasus, visitors being allowed to
take whatever articles they choose. The advocates of
the rights of women will also be glad to learn that the
softer sex of Namuka can take their seats among the
men! On the 16 th we rounded Mua i Udu, as the eastern
extremity of Vanua Levu is termed, where, until lately,
an old screw-pine stood, to which a strange supersti
tion attached: a man who could hit any part of this
tree between the root and the crown with a whale's
tooth, made sure that at his death all his wives would
be strangled. On their way to Naicobocobo the spirits
of the dead are supposed to do the same thing for the
same "purpose, there being a screw-pine at Takiveleyava.
Ratu Mara, a chief well known in the annals of Fiji as
a frequent disturber of the public peace, vainly tried to
hit the tree at Udu ; enraged at his continued failures,
he cut it down. But what use is it to wrangle at fate \
Ratu Mara ended his restless career at Bau, where, for
repeated treacheries, the king thought fit to hang him,
and all his wives escaped the fearful doom of strangu
lation.

230 A MISSION TO VITI.
Having rounded Mua i • Udu, we came in sight of
Rabe and Taviuni, the wind being favourable all the
while. At night we anchored in Na Ceva (=NatheAra)
Bay, partly to avoid rocks and reefs, partly because we
could not keep our crew awake. The bay derives its
name from Na Ceva (i.e. the south-east wind, to which it
is open) ; Natava is therefore an erroneous spelling. In
Wilkes's, and other charts founded upon his survey, it is
not made deep enough, and the isthmus separating it
from the southern shores of Vanua Levu, about ten
miles too wide. The isthmus is scarcely more than a
mile and a half across, and canoes are dragged from one
side to the other, as is the case in Kadavu, though its
surface is hilly. Colonel Smythe made an excursion to
it from Waikava ; and in the chart Mr. Arrowsmith has
constructed for him, this error of long standing has been
corrected, as it is in the map accompanying this work.
On the following morning we called at Rabe, a fine
island, of which the Tonguese have made desperate
attempts to obtain permanent possession, and towards
the afternoon we reached AVaikava, where the mission
aries from Taviuni had now established themselves,
and where the official meeting with the principal chiefs
of Vanua Levu was to be held. We found Colonel
Smythe's vessel, the ' Pegasus,' at anchor, just returned
from Lakeba, where, under pressure from the Tonguese,
the chiefs had behaved rather rudely.
On the following day I ran over to Somosomo, where,
in the beginning of June, I had established an experi
mental cotton plantation. It took me nearly a whole
day to cross the strait of Somosomo, there being almost
a perfect calm. I found the plantation in the best

FIJIAN POLITY. 231
order. To my great joy, there were ripe pods, and I
could gather the produce of the very seeds only set
three months ago. Mr. Coxon was glad to see me again.
and availed himself of my invitation to go for a few days
to Cakaudrove, as the eastern extremity of Vanua Levu
is more particularly called.
Shortly after my arrival, Ritova, the deposed chief of
Macuata, called on me. I told him to leave off black
ing his face, as it set foreigners against him, and was
regarded as a demonstration of heathenism, though it
might not be intended as such. Golea, or rather Ratu
Golea, the chief of Somosomo, also dropped in. He had
cut his hair short, and was so much altered for the
worse, that I did not know him until recognizing him
by his melodious voice. He had now about thirty
Avives ; and Eleanor, the Queen, had quite rec ently given
birth to a fine boy, who would be " Vasu " to Bau, and
about whom the natives were in ecstasy.
The Fijians are not so prepossessing in appearance
as those lazy and handsome felloAvs the Tonga men, who
flock over here in great shoals; but whilst the Ton
guese lose, the Fijians gain by a closer acquaintance.
There is a manliness about them that is extremely win
ning ; and I quite agree with Macdonald, that if their
likenesses could be accurately taken, they would form
quite a contrast to the ill representations of these islan
ders extant. Ratu Vakaruru, whose portrait is given
in the frontispiece, is one of the finest Fijians living ;
but I cannot say that the copy I had made of Mac-
donald's unpublished drawing does justice to him.
Their language, so far as euphony goes, yields to none
I have heard in any quarter of the globe, and to my ear

232 A MISSION TO VITI.
it sounds as pleasing as Spanish or Italian. They are
certainly not an idle people, and though not working
like our own labourers, from six to six, they are great
cultivators of the soil, skilful fishermen, and able builders
and managers of canoes. Far from living under an ab
solute despotism, as is erroneously supposed, all the dif
ferent States of which Fiji is composed have institutions
hallowed by age and tradition, fundamentally almost
identical with those cherished by the most advanced
nations. The real power of the State resides in the
landholders or gentry, who, at the death of a ruler, pro
ceed to elect a new one in his stead from amongst the
members of the royal family. Generally the son, but
not unfrequently the brother, or even a more distant re
lation of the deceased, is elevated to the chieftainship,
and loyally supported in his dignity as long as he car
ries out the policy of those who have set him up. If
this " House of Commons," as by a stretch of language
it may be called, finds its wishes and aims disregarded,
the members avail themselves of the privilege of re
fusing supplies, which, in the total absence of money,
consist in yams, taro, pigs, foAvls, native cloth, canoes
(the naval estimates !), and all the other requirements
of a great Fijian establishment. The intractable chief
who has attempted to play the despot is thus generally
brought to a proper sense of his condition. Of course,
chiefs who, by strong family connections, can afford to
set the " Commons " at defiance, will occasionally do so ;
then new expedients have to be resorted to, and the
trial of strength which follows provides one of the ele
ments of political activity. Europeans might fancy that
a barbarous people Avould readily adopt the more simple

NARROW ESCAPE FROM CANNIBALS. 233
process of getting rid of an intractable chief by knock
ing him on the head ; and certainly that would be the
solution adopted if usage had not provided a law for his
protection, according to which he cannot be killed by
any one inferior to him in birth. We have here the
English law, that a peer cannot be tried except by his
own peers, in its rudest embryonic form. It would be
" taboo " for any commoner or serf to lay violent hands
on a chief ; and, however obnoxious he might have been
to the community, the taboo-breaker would not go un
punished. Outsiders might suppose that amongst a peo
ple destitute of all written law much confusion existed
in regard to the application of this peculiar code of po
lity and customs. Never would a greater mistake be
committed. All their usages are as firmly established,
and as strictly adhered to, both in letter and spirit, as
if they had been engraven on tablets of stone. The
early white settlers soon found this out, and often owed
the preservation of their lives to a thorough knowledge
of this system. Thus, an Englishman, of the name of
Pickering, once fell into the hands of a hostile tribe
long on the look-out for his body. He soon became
aware that they were making preparations for a canni
bal feast, of which he was to be the principal dish,
though these preparations would not have been noticed
by any one less versed in their peculiar customs. He
knew that before they proceeded to kill him a bowl of
kava would have to be made, that a prayer would have
to be said over the beverage when ready, and that the
person saying the prayer could not be the one eaten.
Pretending utter unconsciousness of what was going on

234 A MISSION TO VITI.
around him, he eagerly watched the moment when the
preparation of the kava was advanced to the stage at
which the prayer had to be said, and suddenly, to the
utter dismay of his enemies, he pronounced the well-
known formula. No one would noAV have dared to take
his life, and he had the keen satisfaction of partaking
of the refreshments provided for his own funeral. Ano
ther old settler, American by birth, had also the misfor
tune of being an object of hatred to a tribe opposed to,
and at war with, the chief under whom he lived ; and,
as ill-luck would have it, he met a strong party of his
enemies making straightAvay for his boat. They were
about to open fire upon him, when, with a coolness de
serving all praise, he exclaimed : — " Don't shoot ! I am
a herald of peace, charged with carrying the token of
surrender to your chief, and put a stop to further hos
tilities." The stratagem succeeded, and the self-styled
herald effected his escape.
I returned to AVaikava on Saturday, October 20th,
and on Monday following the official meeting was held.
The chapel had been granted for that purpose. Mr.
Carey, the resident missionary, interpreted the official
business. Neither Bete nor Tui Bua had made their
appearance ; Ratu Golea dropped in when all was over ;
the only three chiefs therefore present were, Ritova,
Bonaveidogo, and Tui Cakau, the king of Cakaudrove.
After all business relating to the cession had been dis
posed of, Mr. Pritchard was occupied several hours in
settling disputes between native and British subjects.
AVaikava, sometimes called Fawn Harbour, derives its
name from a little fish (Kava), which at a certain sea-

DEPARTURE OF THE ' PEGASUS ' FOR NEW ZEALAND. 235
son of the year, enters the river (AVai), on which, the
native town is situated. Tui Cakau, the King, had
almost promised the missionaries that on their removal
from Wairiki he would follow them with his whole
court to Waikava ; but he had not done so as yet, and
fears were entertained that he would not consider the
promise binding. Jetro, the old Manila man, whom
I met at Korovono, was uoav here, employed as a
Scripture-reader. Only one of the missionary houses
being finished, we had to sleep in the chapel, where
large screens of bark-cloth ensured the necessary pri
vacy. Several heathen priests, on becoming Christian,
have proved highly useful to the mission, and at this
place there Avas one who occasionally, when praying
rather more fervently than most people are wont to do,
would suddenly begin to tremble and shake, as he vised
to do in his heathen state, and had no slight difficulty in
checking himself in his old propensity.
After the meeting the ' Pegasus ' returned to Levuka,
where she arrived on the 26 th of October, and as there
was no further occasion for her, she returned to New
Zealand, Colonel Smythe remaining behind. The ' Paul
Jones' left a feAV hours after her the anchorage of
AVaikava, steering for Matei in Taviuni; the Consul
having determined to arrange, if possible, some terms
betAveen Ritova and those who had driven him from his
land and estates, and thus try to heal a sore of old
standing. But in order to understand the real diffi
culties of this case, it will be necessary to sketch the
history of the Tonguese in Fiji, so far as I have been
able to trace it from all the sources accessible.

236

CHAPTER XV.
HISTORY OP THE TONGAMEN IN FIJI. — THEIE PHYSICAL SUPERIOEITY
OVEE THE FIJIANS.  THEIR AEEOGANCE. — CAPTAIN CROKEB's DEFEAT.
— EAE1T INTERCOURSE BETWEEN TONGA AND FIJI. — INCREASE OF TON
GUESE IMMIGRATION. — CHIEF MAAFU. — KING GEORGE OF TONGA VISITS
FIJI. — CONQUEST OF KABA AND BABE. — ARRIVAL OF BRITISH CONSUL.
 CESSION OF FIJI.  MAAFU'S ATTEMPTED CONQUEST. — RITOVA AND
BETE. — MAAFU'S AMBITION CUEBED. — PEACE RESTORED. — RITOVA IN
STALLED IN HIS ESTATES. — TONGUESE INTRIGUES RENEWED.— BETE's
DEATH. — COMMODORE SEYMOUR'S VISIT.  TERMINATION OF THE WAES
BETWEEN FIJIANS AND TONGANS.
/One of the many reasons which induced the King and
Chiefs of Fiji to tender a formal cession of their beau
tiful island to the British Crown, and to ratify it with
alacrity, was to escape from the insupportable exactions
and tyrannies of the Tonguese. The Tonguese, or
Friendly Islanders, may well be called the flower of the
Polynesian race ; and Commander AVilkes was only sta
ting a truism when saying, that there were few spots on
the whole face of the earth where one could behold so
many handsome people together. They are tall men, with
fine intelligent features, dark, often curly, hair, and of a
light-brown complexion. They are far beyond the Fi
jians in good looks. This physical superiority, which,
independent of the difference of race, the Tonguese en
joy over the Fijians, may partly result from the different
treatment to which the women are subjected amongst

THE TONGUESE. 237
these two nations. Whilst in Tonga the women have
been treated from time immemorial with all the consi
deration demanded by their weaker and more delicate
constitution, not being allowed to perform any hard work,
the women of Fiji are little better than beasts of burden,
having to carry heavy loads, do actual field-work, go out
fishing, and besides, attend to all the domestic arrange
ments devolving upon their sex in other countries. In
deed, their position is almost identical with that enjoyed,
or rather endured, by their poor Indian sisters in North
and South America. They have to work hard, and cheer
fully go through all the drudgery forced upon them by
the lords of creation. I remember an eccentric friend
of mine once remonstrating with a Fijian who allowed
his wife to carry a large bundle of sugar-cane, whilst he
leisurely walked by her side. He thought the remon
strance simply a piece of impertinence, and did not see
why an inferior being should not be made to contribute
to the comfort of a superior.*
The Tonguese may also be called the Anglo-Saxons
of the South Seas. Originally sprung from Samoa, at
least their leading chiefs indisputably, they have over
run Tonga ; and finding that group also too small, they
established colonies in Fiji, and of late made desperate
attempts to conquer the whole group. The unqualified
praise given to their good looks by all voyagers has
made them rather conceited, and their success in war
haughty and arrogant in the extreme. It is intelligible
* The accompanying plate, representing Koro Basabasaga, on the Wai
Levu, or great river of Viti Levu, gives a good idea of the treatment ; the
man walking leisurely along, whilst the woman is carrying a heavy load of
sugar-cane.

238 A MISSION TO VITI.
that they should entertain a feeling of superiority over
the native races Avhom they subdued ; but in conse
quence of an unlucky affair, almost forgotten in Eng
land, they look doAvn upon all Europeans, and boast of
having beaten a British man-of-war. In 1840, Captain
Croker, of H.M.S. Favourite, visited the Tongan Islands,
and was persuaded to take part with a body of native
Christians against the heathens that opposed them, then
shut up in several native forts at Bea. Carronades were
brought Avithin 106 yards of the principal fort, and all
hopes of a peaceable arrangement having vanished, —
" The command was given to make the attack, the captain
leading the way. The sergeant of marines was ordered to scale
the barricade and to fire. The attack was soon answered by
the cannon at the entrances [of the fort] , and by a volley of
musketry ; and the captain and several of his men were
wounded. Notwithstanding his wound, Captain Croker ex
erted himself to the utmost to enter the stockade ; but failing
in the attempt, and becoming faint from the loss of blood, he re
tired to a little distance, and while leaning against a tree for
support, was shot through the heart, and dropped lifeless on
the ground. His men continued the attack, but at great disad
vantage : the enemy was screened by their defences ; while the
English, on the open ground, were exposed to the hot fire of
the enemy. This sad affair ended in the death of two officers,
besides the captain. The first lieutenant and nineteen men were
dangerously wounded. It was with great difficulty that the sur
vivors contrived to carry off their dead and wounded." *
The officer who succeeded Captain Croker in com
mand saw the absolute folly of losing any more men,
and relinquished all thoughts of renewing the attack.
One or two carronades had fallen into the hands of the
* ' Tonga and the Friendly Islands.' By S. S. Farmer. London, 1855.
Page 325 et seq.

CAPTAIN CROKER'S DEFEAT. 239
Tonguese. As the case stood, the British Government
did not deem it just to ask for any reparation, and simply
demanded the guns left behind. However, the Ton
guese were not sIoav in taking advantage of this turn of
affairs, and quite ignoring that it was their own govern
ment as much as the foreigners who were repulsed, they
have magnified the catastrophe into a grand victory, and
become so arrogant, that Captain Cook, could he pay
them another visit, would never dream of confirming the
name of the " Friendly Islanders" which he gave them,
in total ignorance of the fact, related by Mariner, that
they had laid two plots to take his life, not carried out
because no agreement could be arrived at respecting the
details of the projected murder.*
Ethnologists have long been watching the spread of
the Tonguese over the South Sea, and Viti has become
a field of high interest, as the light-coloured Tonguese,
a genuine Polynesian people, have here met face to face
powerful representatives of the dark-coloured Papuan
race. There seems to have been an intercourse betAveen
Fiji and Tonga from time immemorial, distinctly spoken
of in the story of the Vasu ki Lagi and the Princess
Vilivili-tabua, and other ancient Fijian legends, as, for
instance, that about the spread of the practice of tatoo
ing. Independent of this legendary evidence, there are
other proofs of an early intercourse. The Tonga islands
not furnishing any large timber, it was necessary to go
to Fiji for materials for canoes. Fine mats and native
cloth, printed in -choice patterns, were bartered away for
permission to cut timber and build canoes. The eastern
* Mariner's * Tonga,' vol. ii. pp. 64, 65.

240 A MISSION TO VITI.
parts of Fiji, Lakeba, and the adjacent islands, being
the most accessible from their proximity to Tonga, were
those chiefly visited ; and as it took considerable time to
construct the larger canoes, a strong influx of Tonguese
blood was soon perceptible in the population of those
districts. Not unfrequently it happened that parties
going or coming were drifted by the preA'ailing winds
on the shores of Kadavu, and hence the mixed race in
habiting that fine island is accounted for. Lakeba and
Cakaudrove were formerly intimately connected, and
the latter being the high-road to Bua, the Tonguese
seem to have become introduced to the locality, Avhere,
above all others, the famous Sandal-wood (Yasi), so
highly valued both in Tonga and Samoa for scenting
cocoa-nut oil, grew in abundance.* They Avere not long
before they made regular trading voyages to Bua, bring
ing with them printed tapa, fine mats, and large pearl-
shells, skilfully inlaid Avith pieces of Avhales'-teeth. Hav
ing often to wait two or three months before a cargo
of sandal-wood could be got ready, a close intimacy
naturally sprang up between the trading parties, inter
marriages took place, and thus another district received
a mixed population.
Up to this period the Tonguese had been peaceful
traders, glad to exchange their manufactures for na
tural products denied to their own islands. Gradually
they adopted a different line of policy. Being men of
athletic frames, of courage and daring, they Avere often
* Cakaudrove (= Thakaundrove) has been corrupted by the Tonguese
into " Tacownove," and in some old charts is applied to the whole of Va
nua Levu.

MAAFU. 241
asked to assist in the feuds in which chiefs friendly
to them were engaged, receiving canoes and other pro
perty in return for their services. From being mere
mercenaries, they gradually' began to act on their own
responsibility, readily avenging every outrage from time
to time committed against any of their countrymen on
the smaller islands of the eastern group, where they
could calculate the exact number of their possible op
ponents.* With the constantly increasing influx of Tongan
immigration, chiefs came over, who undertook the ma
nagement of their countrymen, and among them Tui
Hala Fatai, mentioned by Mariner, and Tuboi Tutai,
spoken of as Tuboi Totai by Wilkes. About 1848,
Maafu, another of their chiefs, and destined to exer
cise a vast influence on Fijian affairs, made his ap
pearance. Married to one of the highest ladies of his
native country, descended from the ancient royal line
(Finau), gifted with great personal advantages, and
possessing as comprehensive and ambitious a mind as
rarely falls to the lot of a Polynesian, Maafu began to
prove a dangerous rival to King George, the chief
seated on the throne of his ancestors. He had already
shoAvn his disposition in a sandal-wood expedition to
the New Hebrides, Avhich originated with Messrs. Henry
and Scott.
"About December, 1842, two vessels under British colours,
the ' Sophia ' and ' Sultana/ and a third which was said to have
carried the flag of Tahiti, arrived [at Tonga] to raise a party
for the purpose of forcibly cutting sandal-wood at the New
* Compare Mariner's 'Tonga,' vol. i. p. 72-76. B

242 A MISSION TO VITI.
Hebrides. A brother of the late King Josiah, Maafu, engaged
with the leader of the expedition (Henry) to furnish sixty men.
They touched at Lakeba to reinforce their numbers, but could
not procure volunteers, and continued their course to Eromango.
Here the party, armed with muskets, were landed, and a quan
tity of sandal-wood cut and embarked. The natives continued
friendly for the first few days, but at the end of that time, some
of them having stolen three axes, a disturbance took place, when
one of the supposed thieves was shot by the Tongans. The fire
was returned by arrows, which wounded a Tongan, who after
wards died. In consequence of this affray they left Eromango,
and proceeded to Vate, or Sandwich Island, where he and his
men were again landed, armed, and directed to cut wood, the
white men remaining on board of their vessels. Before long
they had a battle with the natives, who, having no muskets,
were defeated with a loss of twenty-six killed, none of the in
truders being injured. A fort was afterwards stormed and
taken, when several more were killed ; the remainder retreating
to an island, where they hid themselves in a cave, whither they
were pursued by Maafu and his party. After firing into the
cave, which seemed to have no effect, the besiegers, pulling
down some neighbouring houses, piled the materials in a heap
at its mouth, and, setting fire to it, suffocated them all/'*
King George, the present ruler of Tongaf , having
subdued a rebellion in which Maafu took a prominent
part, deemed it prudent to send Maafu to Fiji, osten
sibly for the purpose of keeping his countrymen in
order, but really to get him out of the way. At the
same time a hint, perhaps more than a hint, was thrown
out that no objections would be made if Maafu did
in Fiji what King George had done in Tonga, make
himself master of the whole group. Maafu's first ex-
* Eskine, ' Western Pacific,' p. 143. Behaving, in fact, as barbarously to
them as a few years later a French General did to an Algerian tribe.
t Farmer's ' Tonga and the Friendly Islands,' p. 398.

MAAFU. 243
ploit took place at Lomolomo. Two Fijian chiefs fight
ing against each other, Maafu's assistance was solicited,
and readily given to the weaker party, to which a Ton
guese teacher of Christianity was attached. After the
stronger party had been defeated by the combined
efforts of its Fijian and Tonguese opponents, the native
conquerors found themselves so' heavily indebted to
their foreign ally, and so much in his power, that they
became easy victims to his intrigues to usurp their au
thority altogether. Maafu never espoused a cause on
its own merits. The principle upon which, in this in
stance, and in almost every other, he seems to have
acted, was to assist the weaker party against the
stronger, and after its defeat turn round upon his
alhes, with whose weaknesses he had become perfectly
acquainted during their familiar intercourse.* The
quarrel at Lomolomo made him master of the whole
grouplet of Vanua Balavu, and having thus obtained a
solid footing, his rise was rapid. Elated with success,
he used to challenge any chiefs to try their courage and
skill in a canoe of equal size, and with an equal number
of men to his own ; but no one, not even Batu Mara,
justly looked upon as the most able sailor and comman
der of Fiji, could be induced to accept the challenge.
The second opportunity that presented itself to Maafu
for extending his power was offered by interfering at
Matuka. There again two chiefs were quarrelling, and
the party to which the Tonguese teacher belonged, was
* Even in Tonga his conduct was identically the same. Compare
Farmer's detailed account of the rebellion in which he took part. ' Tonga
and the Friendly Islands,' p. 398. R 2

244 A MISSION TO VITI.
again the weaker. In a fight between the hostile par
ties the Christian chapel and the house of the teacher
caught fire, and were totally destroyed. Maafu at once
set off to avenge the injury done to his countryman, took
the side of the weaker party, defeated the stronger ; and
then, turning round upon his friends, displaced their
rightful chief by one of his own creatures. A similar
affray took place at Muala, where Maafu, by hook or
by crook, was again victorious.
In March, 1855, King George of Tonga availed him
self of the opportunity presented by the missionary
vessel ' John Wesley,' to pay a visit of state to Cakobau,
the supreme chief of Bau, and titular King of Fiji.
Cakobau was at that particular time in considerable
trouble. Kaba, an important place in the neighbour
hood of his capital, was in open rebellion against him,
headed by Batu Mara ; and as he had but recently lost
much of his influence by renouncing heathenism, he
felt himself scarcely strong enough to put down Kaba
single-handed. In an evil hour he was persuaded to
apply to King George for assistance, and the latter rea
dily complied, on being presented with a canoe fifteen
fathoms long for the promise of assistance. A large
fleet of canoes, and a strong reinforcement of Avarriors,
soon arrived from King George's dominions. By the
combined forces of Bau and Tonga, Kaba, to Fijian no
tions an impregnable fortress, Avas taken (April 7th,
1855*), and the authority of Cakobau re-established.
Maafu and his countrymen had prominently distin
guished themselves on this occasion, and their exploits
* J. Waterhouse, ' Vah-tah-ah,' pp. 111-121.

AN UNEXPECTED AEEIVAL. 245
Avere the subject of comment in the remotest parts of
the group. Bau acquitted itself handsomely of the
debt it owed, by presenting King George with the ' Ca
kobau,' a schooner of eighty tons built in the United
States. The example set by Bau, of putting down re
bellion at home by foreign assistance, was speedily fol
lowed by another Fijian state. Babe (= Rambeh), an
island of considerable size, had disputed the authority
of the ruling chief of Cakaudrove, Tui Cakau; and King
George having proffered assistance, it was readily ac
cepted by Tui Cakau. Babe fell, and the Tonguese
were in the habit of calling it their own, until, in 1860,
Maafu, in the name of King George, received payment
for the assistance rendered.
The conquest of Kaba and Rabe had conferred upon
Maafu and his folloAvers such a high prestige that the
Fijian chiefs began to tremble for their own safety, and
the impolicy of calling in foreigners to suppress rebel
lion at home seemed to daAvn upon the more far-seeing
among them. Maafu was not sIoav in perceiving the advan
tage he had gained, and his favourite plan of subduing
the whole of Fiji appeared now to have arrived at ma
turity. By cunning intriguing and a bold system of
Avarfare, he hoped to carry it into execution. Returning
to Lomolomo, he set about building a schooner of thirty-
fiA'e tons, which should at once place him at an advan
tage with enemies who had to rely solely upon canoes.
Nor did he fail to make other preparations for conquest,
and he would have commenced hostile operations with
out delay, if it had not been for the unexpected arrival
of 11. B. M. Consul, Mr. W. Pritchard, Avho landed in

246 A MISSION TO VITI.
Fiji on the 10th of September, 1858, to take up his
permanent abode in this important group. Bau was
again in trouble. For various outrages asserted to have
been committed against the life and property of Ame
rican citizens, the Government of the United States de
manded indemnity from Cakobau, as supreme chief of
Bau and titular King of Fiji. The corvette ' Vandalia,'
Captain Sinclair, had been sent to enforce the claim,
and as the sum of 45,000 dollars was altogether beyond
the means of the Fijian King to pay, overtures were
made to Mr. Pritchard for the cession of Fiji to Great
Britain, on condition that this sum, which the natives
were going to refund by assigning the proprietorship of
200,000 acres of land, be liquidated. In November,
1858, Mr. Pritchard departed home to lay this offer be
fore her Britannic Majesty's Government, and no sooner
had he left the group than Maafu commenced operations.
Ritova and Bete, chiefs of the Macuata coast of Vanua
Levu, Avere fighting out some old family feuds. Bete,
being worsted, concluded an alliance with Tui Bua, an
other chief of importance on the south-western coast
of Vanua Levu, who owed Ritova a grudge for a defeat
in a former Avar. But even thus strengthened, Bete was
unable to cope with his rival. Maafu saAv that here
Avas his chance. Friendly messages Avere dispatched to
Ritova, aaIio, delighted Avith the moral support of so
powerful a chief, forwarded sail-mats and other valu
able presents. At the same time Maafu sent messages
equally friendly, but more sincere, to Tui Bua, and
through the Tonguese residing there prompted him to
apply for assistance against RitoAra. This idea Avas no

TONGUESE ATTACKING RITOVA. 247
sooner suggested than carried into effect, and Maafu
became the declared ally of Tui Bua and Bete.
This new combination could not but excite deep ap
prehensions at Bau, as tending to derange that poli
tical balance which that power deemed it necessary to
uphold in order to maintain its supremacy. Maafu,
duly informed of the cloud gathering in that quarter,
repaired straightway to the capital, and almost suc
ceeded in dispelling it. He made out that he had
sent only a few men under the charge of his officer
Wai-ni-golo, and he even endeavoured to persuade Ca
kobau to aid him by dispatching canoes to the scene of
action, as the whole affair when terminated would add
fresh lustre to the supremacy of Bau. Cakobau hoAV-
ever contented himself with ordering one canoe to ac
company the expedition, more to watch proceedings
and furnish correct reports than to take any active share
in the operations. On leaving Bau, Maafu gave out
that he was going direct to Bua, to see how his men
were getting on, instead of which he proceeded to Lo
molomo for reinforcement. Wai-ni-golo, the Tonguese
officer previously sent to Bua, had orders to provoke a
direct quarrel with Ritova ; he obeyed them by taking
two villages and putting most of the inhabitants to
death. By the time this was accomplished Maafu and
the reinforcement arrived at Bua, where Tui Bua was
taken on board the Tonguese schooner, and the whole
party proceeded to the Macuata coast. The combined
forces now took toAvn after town, until they reached
Nukubati, Ritova's stronghold, which, after consider
able resistance, fell into their hands. Ritova, nothing

248 A MISSION TO VITI.
daunted, retreated to the mountains at the back of Nu
kubati, where he was regularly besieged. But fate was
against him. Chief Bonaveidogo, one of his followers,
at this critical time went over to Maafu's side, to save his
life and that of his vassals ; and Ritova, finding further
resistance on the Macuata coast hopeless, escaped with
the remnant still firm to him across the mountains to
Solevu, where Tui Wai Nunu, a chief friendly to him,
resided. Solevu (Sualib, of Wilkes) is a little district on the
southern side of Vanua Levu, between Bua and Cakau
drove, which acknowledged a sort of vassalage to Bau,
but was otherwise independent. * In order to humour
Tui Bua, who was eager to annex this district to his
territories, Maafu had promised to subject it for him,
and with that view had already left in it a detachment
of men. By Ritova's retreat to this very district, a fine
opportunity of killing two birds with one stone pre
sented itself. Rounding the western parts of Vanua
Levu, the allied forces appeared before the town of So
levu, which, being strongly fortified, held out against
the invaders three whole months. At the end of that
time, the besieged were in extreme Avant of fresh water,
the besiegers having diverted a rivulet supplying the
town from its course, and all the wells being dry. Un
able to hold out any longer, Solevu surrendered. When
Ritova and Tui Wai Nunu heard this news, they per
ceived it was hopeless to prolong the struggle. Mean
while Maafu had caused it to be knovm that he had
promised Mr. SAvanston, the acting British Consul, to
spare Ritova's life, if he were taken. Ritova therefore

DISPOSAL OF CONQUERED TERRITORIES. 249
thought it advisable to give himself up, and for some
time he was a prisoner under the immediate eye of the
victorious chief. But Maafu's followers were most un
willing to see this promise kept ; they pressed him hard
to get rid of a man at once so bold and so dangerous.
Maafu, on one side assailed by his unruly mob, on the
other bound by a promise which he deemed it prudent
not to treat lightly, solved the dilemma by alloAving Ri
tova to escape to Cakaudrove, and in order to blind his
vassals and allies, he pretended to be enraged at his es
cape, and dispatched men in pursuit of the fugitive.
Maafu now proceeded to dispose of the conquered
territories. Solevu was annexed to Tui Bua's dominion ;
the western part of Macuata was placed under Bete,
the eastern under Bonaveidogo, with the express under
standing that each of the favoured parties had to pay a
stipulated tribute. In this distribution, the claims of
Bau on Solevu had been altogether disregarded. If any
thing had been wanting to open the eyes of Cakobau, it
was furnished by these high-handed proceedings, which
sounded like scorn to a proud people, who had been led
to believe that whatever was done in this war would
tend toAvards extending and consolidating the autho
rity of the supreme power in Fiji. More humiliation
Avas in store for Bau. In order to avoid as long as pos
sible a direct contest with that state, Maafu retired to
Lomolomo to direct his operations. Bau was to be got
between two fires. A strong fleet of canoes was dis
patched to Bega, an island, through ReAAa, subject to
Bau, and which, overawed by the superior force suddenly
appearing, gave itself up to the Tonguese ; whilst Tui

250 A MISSION TO VITI.
Bua was directed to get up a quarrel at Rakiraki, the
north-eastern district of Viti Levu, subject to Bau
through Viwa. Everything was thus progressing favour
ably, and a feAV months more would have brought about
the overthrow of Bau, making Maafu virtually master
of all Fiji. At this critical moment Mr. Pritchard re
turned from England with intimation that her Britannic
Majesty's Government had taken the cession into favour
able consideration. Soon after his arrival, a meeting of
Fijian chiefs took place at the British Consulate, in
Levuka, with the view of ratifying the cession made by
Cakobau, and they availed themselves of the opportunity
to appeal to Mr. Pritchard to check Maafu's grasping
career. They founded this appeal upon the fact that
Fiji was already ceded to the Queen of Great Britain,
and that Maafu, as a foreigner, was taking the country
from her. After a tedious discussion of five hours, Maafu
consented to renounce all political claims on and in Fiji,
and the lands conquered, by signing an instrument to
that effect, in the presence of all the chiefs assembled,
her Britannic Majesty's Consul, and Commander Cam
pion, of her Majesty's ship Elk.*
""Know all men by these presents, — 1. That I, Maafu, a
Chief of and in Tonga, do hereby expressly and definitely state,
that I am in Fiji by the orders of George, King of Tonga, as
his representative, and that I am here solely to manage and
control the Tonguese in Fiji. 2. That I have, hold, exercise,
and enjoy no position nor claim as a chief of or in Fiji. 3. That
all Tonguese claims in or to Fiji are hereby renounced. 4. That
no Tonguese in Fiji shall exact or demand anything whatever
* The English version of this document is here subjoined ; one of the
copies of it I brought home is now in the library of the British Museum.

MAAFU RENOUNCING CLAIMS OF FIJI. 251
from any Fijian, under any circumstances whatever, but they
shall enjoy the privileges and rights accorded to other nations
in Fiji. 5. That the lands and districts of Fiji which have
been offered by various chiefs to me are not accepted, and are
not mine, nor are they Tonguese, but solely and wholly Fijian.
6. That the cession of Fiji to England is hereby acknowledged.
In witness whereof I have hereto set my name, this 14th day
of December, 1859. Maafu.
"We hereby certify that the foregoing Chief Maafu signed the
above document in our presence, this 14th day of December,
1859. — William T. Pritchard, Consul ; H. Campion, Comman
der E.N., H.M.S. Elk.
We hereby certify that we translated the foregoing docu
ment to Maafu, a Chief of Tonga, who has signed, and that he
thoroughly understands its meaning. — W. Collis, Wesleyan
Training Master ; E. P. Martin, Wesleyan Mission Printer."
The peace of the group, which, to the serious disadvan
tage- of trade, had been so long interrupted, was thus at
length re-established ; but the wounds inflicted by the
war were not so easily healed. The Tonguese did not
content themselves with merely taking a place. They
plundered and set fire to the dwellings, cut down the
fruit-trees, filled up the wells, ravished the women, and
put to death as many of the fighting-men as their fero
city prompted them ; even those who had given them
selves up as prisoners were often mercilessly murdered
in cold blood. When Maafu and his hordes had been
at a place, it was as if a host of locusts had descended.
Not only had every vestige of proA'isions, pigs, fowls,
yams, and taros been devoured or carried off, but the
plantations themselves had been ruthlessly destroyed,
forcing the poor natives to seek such wild roots as would
enable them to eke out their miserable existence. Yet,

252 A MISSION TO VITI.
after all their provisions, tools, native cloth, canoes, and
other moveables had either been carried off or destroyed,
they had to set to work making cocoa-nut oil, sail-mats,
and other articles for their conquerors. The intensity
with which a Fijian hates a Tonguese need therefore
cause no surprise. Yet there were not wanting people
who applauded what had been done, and who were
rather displeased to see the policy pursued by the in
vaders brought to such a sudden conclusion. Maafu
knew full well that he stood in need of such friends,
and he had set early about making them. He had
three different bodies to interest in his conquest, — his
OAvn immediate folloAvers, the foreign traders, and the
Wesleyan missionaries. The Tonguese were easily at
tached to his cause by giving them unlimited license to
rob and plunder the country, and ravish the women ; the
foreign traders he made his supporters, by running up
heavy bills for powder, shot, and general stores, Avhich
stood no chance of being paid, unless it was in contri
butions in cocoa-nut oil, tortoiseshell, and beche-de-mer,
extorted from the conquered places ; Avhilst the Wes
leyan missionaries were kept quiet by Maafu making it
the first condition, in arranging articles of peace, that
the conquered should renounce heathenism and become
Christians. The thousands of converts thus added to
their flock, completely blinded the missionaries to the
danger they were incurring in coquetting with so un
scrupulous an adventurer. It was only after Macuata
had been reduced, and public opinion had severely con
demned the massacre of prisoners at Natakala and Na
duri by Jamisi, one of Maafu's officers, that they saw

DEFENCE OF THE MISSIONARIES. 253
the necessity of protesting against the unsanctioned use
which had been made of their name.
I shall probably be accused, by those versed in Fijian
affairs, of an undue partiality for the Wesleyan mission
aries, by viewing their conduct in the light 1 do, and
endeavouring to separate the doings of the missionaries
from those of the barbarous hordes who overran the
country. I admit that the latter is a matter of no slight
difficulty. Christianity had early taken root in Tonga ;
and when, in 1835, the Wesleyans in that group deter
mined to extend their operations to Fiji, they naturally
fixed upon Lakeba, and those parts where a strong popu
lation of Tonguese was already established, and where
they could use a language familiar to them until Fijian
had been learnt. Tongamen were found extremely well
qualified for acting as pioneers in teaching the rudi
ments of the Christian faith ; and during the whole
period that the Wesleyans have been labouring for the
conversion of Fiji, they have employed a large number
of them. They were spread over the whole country, and,
unfortunately, became in Maafu's hand, ready instru
ments for the execution of his plans. They supplied
him Avith reliable information about the quarrels, weak
nesses, and resources of the different territories, were
never tired of praising their great chief, and ever ready
to prompt the Fijian rulers to apply to him in cases of
dispute and war. All these facts cannot be gainsaid ;
and those must be strangely ignorant of the working
of the Polynesian mind, who fancy that doctrines of
so recent a growth as those of Christianity would ever
induce a native of subordinate position to remain in-

254 A MISSION TO VITI.
different to the wishes and orders of his chief. When
King George visited Fiji, it was in the ' John Wesley,'
and it was on board of that vessel the arrangement rela-
lative to the subjugation of Kaba was concluded. Fi
nally, nothing was said by the missionaries whilst Maafu
achieved his conquest, and it was only after great atro
cities had been committed that a letter of remonstrance
was addressed to him.*
Yet, notwithstanding these facts, occasionally urged
with great vehemence, I dismiss, as utterly unfounded,
the idea that the missionaries concocted the whole plan
with the Tonguese. A calm review of all the informa
tion on hand, rather leads to the conclusion that Maafu
was leading the missionaries to believe that he was ad
vancing their interest, when indeed he only abused their
* The following is a copy of a letter sent to Maafu, extracted from the
records of the Wesleyan Missionary Society at Sydney, by the Eev. J.
Eggleston : —
"There is something, Sir, which I wish to tell you, i.e. our hatred of
the deed performed at Nabekavu amongst the people of Natakala. It was
of no use whatever. If it was not done by your orders, please inform me,
that I may defend your character. There is another subject which I de
sire also to make known. It is extensively reported that this war is the
work of the missionaries. If this be true, tell me now which of us has
sanctioned the hostile proceedings. Was it me, or whom? Please inform
me, for it will be published prejudicially all over the world. If we are
belied, be kind enough to vindicate us in your letter to me. Tell your
people also to announce you (as the author), and not to announce us. I do
not wish to prevent your approach to Ulumatua and Wai Nunu. Please
yourself about this ; for yours is its goodness, and yours is its evil. But
command your warriors to announce you ; do not let them announce us, as
we do not sanction it in the least. It is also rumoured that it is our ad
vice that Mara, Bitova, Tui Levuka, and another be put to death. If you
seize these, do not deliver them to be killed, lest it be said that it is by our
advice. We have not come to make known a message of death ; our work
allotted to ns is preaching. But if a man disturb the country, let his chief
bring him to atrial.— ZOth July, 1859."
[I have not seen the answer to this letter, if there was one.— B. S.]

TONGUESE TACTICS. 255
name in order to advance his own ; and they perceived
too late that they had been made the dupes of an un
scrupulous and ambitious man.
At the height of his power, Maafu is supposed to have
had no less than three thousand fighting-men of his OAvn
nation, independent of his Fijian allies, and after the
signing of the document of the 14th of December, 1859,
had placed a curb on his ambition, the number re
maining was still sufficiently great to cause uneasiness
to the natives. On the part of Mr. Pritchard it re
quired extreme watchfulness, lest the bloodshed which
had so seriously diminished the population and injured
the prosperity of the islands should be renewed. Maafu
exhibited little inclination to return to Tonga; there
was still hope that, in case England should reject the
proffered cession, the conquest of the whole group by
Tonguese arms might become a reality. He therefore
enjoined his partisans to remain quite passive until the
danger was past, and not commit any rash act. A cha
racteristic letter to that effect was sent in the middle of
1860 to Bega and Kadavu, the contents of which became
a public secret. But men, wlio had so long been accus
tomed to behave with all the insolence of conquerors,
who regarded Fiji in no other light save a fair field for
lust and plunder, and Avould not disdain to plant the
battle-axe in the public squares, and insultingly demand
either an ample supply of animal and vegetable food or
the heads of so many Fijians — such men were not easily
kept quiet. Complaints were rife wherever Tongamen
resided, how they plundered the natives, and hoAV, by
intimidation, they forced the weaker chiefs to behave

256 A MISSION TO VITI.
discourteously towards the whites. When Colonel Smythe
visited Lakeba, he found its chief so surrounded by
Tonguese, and so much under their immediate influence,
that he almost repudiated the cession, and he could
scarcely prevent their almost insulting him, by crowd
ing the house in which the official meeting took place
to an inconvenient degree. It is impossible to deter
mine whether the Tonguese were emboldened by the
impunity with which they had been able to show them
selves so troublesome on this and other occasions, or
whether the nature of the intercourse of Colonel Smythe
with the Fijian chiefs Avas by them regarded as proof
that the British Government was dissatisfied with Mr.
Pritchard's checkmating them ; but in October, 1860,
they loudly proclaimed their intention to interfere once
more in the affairs of Macuata. Chief Eitova was to
be captured and sent as prisoner to Tonga, whilst the
people living on his patrimonial estates of the islands
of Kia and Cikobia, wrere to be carried over in a body to
Udu, and placed under the control of Chief Bonaveidogo,
whom Maafu had rewarded with the government of
eastern Macuata.
Eitova, since his loss of power, had taken up a tem
porary residence at Matei, in the island of Taviuni, where
a party of adherents gradually gathered around him.
He had repeatedly laid his case before Mr. Pritchard,
showing how unjustly he had been deprived of his patri
monial estates, and asking permission to accept the offer
of friendly brother-chiefs, to reinstate him by force of
arms. Mr. Pritchard thought an appeal to arms un
necessary, and told Eitova that his case should be taken

MEETING AT W7AI KAVA. 257
in hand as soon as the requisite information could be
collected. The exiled chief had found a Avarm sup
porter in the late Mr. Williams, United States Consul,
who called the attention of his Government to the facts,
that since Eitova's removal, American whalers had been
unable to obtain supplies on the northern shores of
Vanua Levu, and that the biche-de-mer trade of Macu
ata, for years carried on by enterprising American citi
zens, and yielding lucrative returns, had become totally
extinct. Mr. Williams's able successor, Dr. Brower, took
the same vieAv of the matter. Others Avere not want
ing who pointed out that any distribution of territories
made by the Tonguese leader had become null and void
by his publicly renouncing every right of interference in
the affairs of Fiji.
On the 22nd of October, 1860, a meeting was held
at Wai Kava (Cakaudrove), to which all the chiefs of
Vanua Levu, Eitova amongst them, had been invited, in
order to give Colonel Smythe an opportunity to inquire
into their views respecting the cession of Fiji, and also
to discuss Avith Mr. Pritchard the affairs of Macuata.
Two of the chiefs, Tui Bua and Bete, did not appear; the
former being on a journey Avhen the message was sent,
the latter pretending that the notice given was too short
to enable him to attend. But Bonaveidogo, who deserted
Eitova in the hour of trial and was rewarded for his
treachery AAith the whole of eastern Macuata, had made
his appearance. Bonaveidogo and Eitova had not seen
each other since then, and as it was necessary, for the
establishment of a durable peace, that the two should
be brought face to face before the public meeting took
s

258 A MISSION TO VITI,
place, Mr. Pritchard arranged an interview. Neither of
them had received the slightest intimation of this ar
rangement, and when Eitova was conducted to a part
of the house screened off by large curtains of native
cloth, and suddenly found himself in the presence of a
former ally and a present enemy, he was quite startled ;
whilst Bonaveidogo, sitting on the matted floor, evidently
thought his last moment come, and involuntarily grasped
his club. When the object of the interview had been
explained to be a mutual adjustment of old grievances,
both chiefs remained mute for some minutes. " Why
did you club Bete's father T' asked Bonaveidogo, in the
course of the altercations that now ensued. " Because,"
replied Eitova, tartly, " he had previously clubbed my
father, and as a Fijian chief I was bound to resent; if
I had known," he added emphatically, " that you were
going to betray me, I should not have hesitated to take
your life also." Words ran occasionally very high, but
gradually the two disputants grew cool ; they promised
mutually to forget and forgive, and finally concluded a
peace over a bowl of kava.
After the meeting about the cession was terminated,
Mr. Pritchard declared that, having carefully gone into
Eitova's case, he had made up his mind to restore him
to his home on Nukubati. There should be no fighting,
and every act that could give rise to provocation must
be carefully avoided. This announcement caused a great
sensation amongst the chiefs and landholders assembled.
No Fijian chief, driven from his land, had ever been
knoAvn to return without hard fighting ; and here was a
white man, with no armed force to back him, who pro-

RITOVAS PLACE OF EXILE. 259
mised to do in his own peaceable way what would have
cost numbers of lives if done in Fijian usage. When the
natives found they need no longer fear being called
to account by Maafu's bullies, they openly rallied round
Ritova. Tui Cakau, the ruling chief of Cakaudrove,
offered his largest canoe, a recent present from Bau,
for Ritova's use ; and his brother Eatu Golea, chief of
Somosomo, insisted upon seeing the exile safe home.
Knowing the effect produced on the native mind by
acting Avith promptitude, the next morning was fixed
for starting. At sunrise, the schooner ' Paul Jones '
fired a gun by way of signal, and steered for Matei, fol
lowed by the native canoes, and having on board, besides
Mr. Pritchard and myself, Eitova and three of his adhe
rents. One of the latter was a young man, whose father
was a strong supporter of Bete, Eitova's rival ; and it
was probably with the approbation of his parent that
he joined Eitova — the Fijian knowing, as well as people
nearer home did in the time of the rebellion, that it
it is rather politic if, in a doubtful quarrel between two
pretenders, the father fight on one side, the son on the
other, Avhen, come what may, the family property is safe,
and there is always one to intercede for the captive.
OAving to the calms nearly always prevailing in the
Straits of Somosomo, Matei was not reached until the
second day after our departure, Avhen Eitova went on
shore to inform his people of Avhat had passed, and
order them to get ready for starting without delay for
Nukubati. Great was the joy caused by this announce
ment, and everything was at once bustle and activity.
The women were packing up the household goods ; the
S 2

260 A MISSION TO VITI.
boys and young men hastened to the forest to dig wild
yams, and catch crabs for the voyage ; whilst the old men
busied themselves about the canoes and other matters
requiring more skill and experience. Eitova's warriors
were all able-bodied men with fine athletic frames, and
well armed. A collision with them would have been
attended with fatal consequences. They were much ex
asperated at the proposal of the Tonguese to dispose of
then- relations and friends in the manner detailed, and
were quite ready to make a desperate stand against the
enemy. Mr. Pritchard thought it advisable to send an
official letter to Maafu, informing him that Ritova was
about to be restored to his own island, and reminding
him that, in accordance with the document signed, an
attack on the life and property of any Fijian would not
be permitted.
All being ready for starting, on the 26th of October
sails were set. The schooner ' Paul Jones ' had to go
outside the reef encircling the eastern shores of Vanua
Levu, whilst the canoes, not drawing so much water,
were able to avail themselves of the advantage of going
inside. Toward sunset of the following day, Naduri Avas
reached, where Bete, the chief placed in possession of
Eitova's estates by Maafu, resided. To prevent future
complications it was necessary to come to some arrange
ment with him, and a message was dispatched to request
his attendance on board. Contrary to expectation, he
refused to attend, but was ready to see us on shore. As
this would have been a concession implying Aveakness,
a message was sent to the principal landholders (Mata
ni vanua) that they might come to receive a communica-

CHIEF BETE. 261
tion intended for the whole community. This measure
had the desired effect. Finding that the landholders
were going on board, and act independently of him, Bete
deemed it prudent to change his mind, and he soon after
stepped on board.
Long ere this the sun had set, but the moon made
every object distinctly visible. Bete was accompanied
by the Tonguese teacher of his town, and his principal
spokesman, who, however, hardly uttered a word during
the Avhole interview. Having shaken hands all round,
the chief was asked to sit down on deck, and all of us
did the same. A Fijian chief is generally a fine man
physically, considerably taller than his subjects, and pos
sessing that commanding air wliich shoAvs that he feels
himself a chief. Bete, though more than the middle
height, had nothing imposing in his bearing, and his
face portrayed weakness and irresolution of character.
Though backed by the whole influence of Maafu, he
never acquired any ascendency over the people he Avas
set to govern ; they openly disobeyed his orders ; and
foreigners found it useless to enter into any arrangement
with him about the revival of the beche-de-mer trade, as
he had not poAver sufficient to compel the necessary
number of people to procure a shipload full of that
valuable article. When younger, he had been guilty of
murdering a white man of the name of Cunningham,
who had a handsome wife from Eotuma, whom his
father afterwards added to his harem. Nor had vessels
going near his place been ahvays safe : a few years ago
the ' Paul Jones ' and another little schooner, the ' Gla
diator,' Avith British subjects on board, Avere fired into,

262 A MISSION TO VITI.
and obliged to leave so inhospitable a neighbourhood
Avith all possible speed. Eitova, on the other hand,
is the exact contrast of Bete. He is a tall, well-made
man, with intelligent features ; every inch a chief. Both
his mother and grandmother were the great Macu
ata Queens, which gave him an advantage over Bete,
whose mother AA'as a degree below them in birth. All
over Fiji the rank of the mother is of importance in
regulating that of her offspring, but in Macuata a still
greater stress is laid upon this circumstance than else
where ; hence, after Bete's father died, the office of Tui
Macuata, or King of Macuata, vacant by his death, was
offered by the landholders to Eitova as the highest
chief. HoAvever, he waived his claims in favour of his
son, who accordingly was duly elected, and invested
with the title. After Eitova had been driven away,
Maafu made Bete King of Macuata ; hence there were
two claimants to that dignity. In his dealings with the
white men, Eitova ahvays behaved creditably. Traders
left large stocks of goods in his hand, taking no other
security for their payment than his reputation for ho
nesty, and that at a time when nearly the whole of Fiji
was addicted to cannibalism, and the lives of foreigners
trembled in the balance. In the complicated process of
collecting and curing Mche-de-mer, Eitova displayed as
much energy in making his people work as he did ho
nesty in the pecuniary transactions which it involved.
The benefits arising from the beche-de-mer trade were
felt on all hands, and when, Avith Eitova's removal, this
lucrative traffic came to an end, even the most humble
became mindful that they had not simply experienced a

EITOVA. 263
change of masters. What impressed me most favour
ably Avith Eitova Avas, that I once caught him, with his
hands at his back, walking up and doAvn in silent medi
tation behind his house, and on inquiry I found that
such was his usual habit. Amongst Europeans this may
be nothing uncommon, but amongst Fijians, or Polyne
sians in general, it is worth recording.
Mr. Pritchard opened proceedings by expressing re
gret that Bete had not visited Cakaudrove, Avhere his
opinion might have influenced the result arrived at re
garding Macuata affairs. He then told him that, having
refused his council, it had been settled without him that
Ritova should return to Nukubati, and enjoy the undis
puted rights of his patrimonial estates. Ritova was uoav
called, and though the two chiefs had for many a long
year been neighbours, separated by a few miles, they
noAV, for the first time in their lives, shook hands with
each other : interested parties on both sides had ahArays
kept up a state of enmity between them. Bete, ad
dressed as Tui (King of) Macuata, according to a pre
vious arrangement with Eitova, was asked to express his
vieAvs on the subject; but he at once begged that Eitova
might take precedence, calling him the "Vunivalu,"
the highest title he could apply. Eitova expressed his
desire to live in peace on his lands, to devote his ener
gies to the development of agriculture and trade ; hoping,
at the same time, that all old feuds might be consigned to
oblivion. Bete echoed the same sentiments, and had no
objection to sign a document to that effect, in which the
two chiefs pledged themselves not to attack each other,
or set on foot any measure or intrigue that might be at-

264 A MISSION TO VITI.
tended with evil consequences to either party ; to refer
all matters of dispute betAveen them to H.B.M. Consul,
to disavow all allegiance or dependence on Maafu, and
to suffer punishment, even to the loss of their chieftain
ship, in case of non-compliance with any article of the
convention. A document of this nature was accordingly
drawn up, ably translated by the consular interpreter,
Mr. Charles Wise, signed by the two chiefs, and wit
nessed by Mr. Pritchard, the Tonguese teacher, the in
terpreter, and myself.
Early the next morning we made for Nukubati. This
island, scarcely a mile in circumference, still bore ample
traces of the mode of warfare carried on by the Ton
guese. All the houses had been destroyed by fire, with
the exception of one, the temporary residence of Maafu
during the fight. The trunks of most of the cocoa-nut
palms were charred by the conflagration that had con
sumed the town; nearly all the other fruit-trees had
been cut down, and hundreds of cocoa-nut trunks felled,
to make a high stockade, dividing the island into two sec
tions, and serving as a breastwork, impenetrable to bul
lets. The wells had been filled up with rocks, logs, and
rubbish ; in fine, every damage that could possibly be
conceived to change a flourishing town and a fruitful
island into a AA'ilderness, had been done. Quite recently
a few7 settlers had collected on Nukubati, busily engaged
in re-establishing the plantations and erecting houses.
Hardly had we dropped anchor Avhen a deputation
from the island, headed by the local chief, waited upon
Eitova. They brought with them presents of Avild
yams, ready cooked, and carried on a tray of cocoa-nut

A TONGUESE TEACHER. 265
leaves. The local chief, a man somewhat advanced in
years, and of rather venerable aspect, came to shake
hands with Eitova ; whilst his followers kept at a re
spectful distance, and none of them ventured to stand
upright as long as they were on board. This old man
had been one of Eitova's most faithful friends, having
shared his exile for some time. The two friends were
quite overcome, and ready to cry. None of them could
speak for some minutes ; at last the old chief said, that
he was sorry to have to come empty-handed, but they
AA^ere so poor that they had nothing to give. Eitova
replied, that to be able to look once more upon his
dear old face was more than all the presents he could
have brought; they would apply themselves manfully
to rebuild their toAvns, and the intercourse with the
white men would soon place them in possession of
plenty of goods. They then went on shore, where the
people wrere overjoyed to behold their great chief
again. The Tonguese teacher of Naduri had been invited by
us to preach that day at Nukubati, for which we made
him a handsome present ; and all hands went on shore
to attend Divine service, which, in the absence of a pro
per place of worship, was held in the chief's house.
Instead of dwelling on the importance of the happy
result that had been brought about by the arrangement
just concluded, and thanking God that peace had been
preserved in the land, the teacher preached a pointed
sermon at Eitova, about the evils that jealousy had pro
duced in Tonga, — Tonga is ahvays put first by these
conceited islanders, — Europe, and Fiji. Seeing several

266 A MISSION TO VITI.
Eoman Catholics present, he dwelt on the errors of their
dogmas, and abused the Virgin and the Saints in un
measured terms. It would have been hardly possible
to preach a more impracticable sermon, or exhibit Avorse
taste or less discretion. Eitova, on pointing out the site
for a church, begged the Consul to write to the head
quarters of the missionaries about sending him Chris
tian teachers ; but, if possible, not a Tonguese or a man
of extreme sectarian views, aaIio, by widening the breach
between Eoman Catholics and Protestants, might endan
ger the peace, whilst a man of moderate views would
have little difficulty in making the whole population
of one way of thinking on religious subj ects. He after
wards recurred to this topic when he saw me again, say
ing — though of course using different language — that the
ethical part of Christianity, that Avhich Avas the basis
of both denominations, had a deep interest to him, but
that he attached little value to mere dogmas. This was
a proof to me that this man had thought much more
deeply on religion than he had received credit for. When
lonely pacing up and down the trodden path behind his
hut, he had evidently sought to arrive at some solution
respecting the conflicting vieAvs rival denominations pre
sented to him.
One of Eitova's large canoes had come along with us.
but all the others had not made their appearance the
second day after our arrival. Some uneasiness being felt
lest the Tonguese had captured them, heavy laden as they
were with passengers, goods, and live stock, a messenger
was dispatched to the island of Kia, Avho returned with
two other canoes, having Eitova's son (Tui Macuata) on

DEPARTURE FROM NUKUBATI. 267
board. They had not thought it possible that affairs
Avith Bete could be arranged amicably, and therefore had
not come direct. When Eitova's son soon after stepped
on shore, he could scarcely believe that he was actually
treading on his native isle. " Is this really the sand of
Nukubati'?" he exclaimed ;." really my home 1 Yes, it
is, thanks to the Consul." His companions felt equally
grateful, but gratitude in the Fijian always seeks ex
pression in gifts, and their greatest soitoav was that
they had nothing to give ; even Eitova Avas uneasy on
this point. If any brother-chief had effected his resto
ration, custom Avould have demanded that Eitova should
collect all the goods he could by the twelvemonth, or
later, invite his allies to a great festival, and publicly,
Avith an appropriate speech, hand the presents over to
them. The Consul explained in unmistakeable language
that all he asked in return for what had been done, was
the resumption of Ritova's former activity in trading
Avith the AAhite men, and the same friendly treatment
of his customers he had invariably bestowed upon them
when chief ruler of Macuata.
On the 30th of October a schooner arrived from Ova
lau with dispatches, urgently calling Mr. Pritchard's
attention to another part of the group. Going on shore
to aaIsIi Eitova good-bye, we met deputations delivering
addresses from towns AAliich had heard of his return,
and sent whales' teeth and other acceptable presents in
proof of their devotion. When Ave returned on board,
the large triangular sails of the missing canoes appeared
on the horizon : all Eitova's little property Avas safe.
We fired a salute by way of fareAvell, and hoisting all

268 A MISSION TO VITI.
canvas, soon lost sight of Nukubati and its young com
munity.* Macuata now began to revive. Eitova eagerly set
about rebuilding his town on Nukubati, and white
traders again flocked to the coast, as in days of yore.
This turn of affairs was far from pleasing to the Ton
guese ; they were indefatigable in promoting discontent
and disturbance, and scarcely had Eitova's toAvn been re
built than the Tonguese burned it doAvn again. Bete, "
Maafu's Avilling tool, could not resist the temptation of
playing once more the traitor. Under the pretext of
making a durable peace, he coaxed Eitova over to
Naduri, where he had arranged with a party of moun
taineers to rush into the toAvn and club Eitova and his
family. Eitova went into the trap : fortunately his son
heard of the scheme, and reported it to his father. Ri
tova Avent off in one of his canoes, professedly to drink
kava, in reality to hold a council Avith his old men;
whilst the son remained on shore to lull suspicion.
Bete, in order to bring Eitova on shore, invited him to
a bowl of kava ; and the son, seeing the moment had
arrived when all were to be massacred, told his father
their imminent peril. They were all in Bete's power :
what were they to do 1 The son urged the necessity of
assuming the offensive, and killing Bete without delay ;
Eitova hesitated, but the young fellow went ashore, met
Bete just in front of his house, charged him with the
* It is only up to this date that I can speak from personal experience
of the events that occurred ; what follows has been derived from a com
munication in the 'Athenaeum,' from private letters, and from Commodore
Seymour's and other dispatches published in the ' Fijian Blue-book.'

bete's death. 269
diabolical plot he had laid, and that had his father not
followed the Consul's adrice to act honestly, he Avould
never have been in his power. " I have three balls in
my musket for you, Bete ;" he said, " you, who want to
kill my father, his son, and all his people, in cold blood."
With these words he fired, and twro balls lodged in
Bete's body ; he died instantly. A great uproar followed ;
some of Eitova's friends, and they were numerous, voted
for killing all Bete's followers and razing the town.
Ritova, who had all the while been on board his canoes,
rushed on shore, quelled the excitement by his presence,
and harangued the crowd. " People of Naduri," he said,
"you who deserted me, your proper chief, when the
Tonguese drove him from the land of his forefathers,
you may all live ! Were it not for my solemn promises
to the British Consul, you would all die this day with
the man you followed ; he has told me to spare my ene
mies, therefore, be pardoned ; keep quiet ; I will send
for Christian teachers — not Tonguese — European or
Fijian, and we will all endeavour to live in peace, and
cultivate agriculture and trade." *
Everything was going on quietly again when Maafu
dispatched his lieutenant, Wai-ni-golo, to Macuata, and
troubles at once recommenced. The very excellence of
this, the finest district in Fiji, makes these artful and
bold Tonguese crave after it so much. Fortunately,
about the middle of July, 1861, Commodore Seymour,
in H.B.M. S. Pelorus, arrived at Ovalau, and extracts
from his dispatch shall carry on the story.
* ' Athenaeum,' No. 1791, p. 261. — Also private letters from residents
in Fiji.

270 A MISSION TO VITI.
" Her Majesty's ship, under my command, sailed from Coro-
mandel harbour, east coast of New Zealand, on the 8th July, and
arrived at Levnka harbour, island of Ovalau, on the 15th, after
a favourable passage made under sail. Having been informed
by Mr. Pritchard tbat the trade in beche-de-mer on the north
west coast of Vanua Levn was entirely stopped in consequence
of a war which was being carried on there between two rival
chiefs, one of whom was supported by a body of Tongans,
whose usual residence is on Lakeba, one of the windward is
lands, I decided on endeavouring to put a stop to a state of
affairs so prejudicial to British interests ; and in order that my
measures should be backed by the highest native authority in
Fiji, I requested Mr. Pritchard to propose to Cakobau and
Maafu to accompany me to the Macuata district in the ' Pelorus.'
This, after a little diplomatic snuffling, they consented to do;
and having received them, Mr. Pritchard, and the consular in
terpreter, on board, we left Levuka on the morning of the 18th,
entering the great reef which encircles Vanua Levu by a pass
a little to the northward of the Nadi passage, after which our
course lay through a very intricate channel formed by sunken
reefs and patches, of which no regular survey exists, but
through which we were piloted in the most able manner by one
of the English residents at Ovalau (Christopher Carr), the
owner of a small beche-de-mer trader. Under his direction we
reached anchorage off Levnta, about twenty miles from our desti
nation, Macuata, that evening; and the following morning, having
weighed as soon as the sun was sufficiently high to enable us
to distinguish the shoals, we anchored in Naduri Harbour,
Macuata Bay, about 1500 yards from where some houses were
visible on the beach.
" On sending on shore to ascertain the state of affairs, we
found, as I had anticipated would be the case, that the com
bined force of the Tongans and Fijians had driven their "oppo
nents off the mainland, and tbat the latter had taken refuge on
Kia Island, about ten miles from our anchorage. Since their
expulsion tbeir enemies had committed great havoc amongst
their plantations, had destroyed nearly all the large canoes,

COMMODORE SEYMOUR'S VISIT. 271
for which this district was formerly famous, and almost daily
put one or more persons to death, whose only crime was being
related to the vanquished party. In these outrages the Ton
gans were the most prominent actors ; and I may here state my
opinion, that in the event of her Majesty's Government accept
ing the Fijis, it will be necessary, from the very first, to put a
stop to the raids which the Tongans have for the last five years
been in the habit of carrying into the various islands lying to
the west of Lakeba.
" On the morning of the 20th I sent over to the island of Kia
for Ritova, the chief of the tribe which had been driven out of
Macuata, and in the afternoon he came on board in a cutter of
the ' Pelorus,' followed by fifteen canoes filled with his retainers.
After he had had an hour's conversation with Cakobau and Maafu,
we made a preconcerted signal, on seeing which Wai-ni-golo,
Maafu's lieutenant, and two Fijian chiefs, came on board ; and
after they and their opponents had discussed matters for an
hour, I told them, through the consular interpreter, that we
had no wish to injure or interfere with either the Fijians or
Tongans in any way ; but that, owing to the senseless quarrels
of the former, fomented by the latter, the interests of the white
traders in Fiji were compromised, and that I was determined on
putting a stop to a state of affairs which was equally prejudicial
to their own and to British interests. I should therefore leave
them to settle, by what means they could arrange, matters
amongst themselves, and any advice I could give them was at
their service. My observations were listened to with attention
by both parties of Fijians, but were evidently unsatisfactory to
the Tongan chief, who, throughout the entire business, was less
manageable than either his associates or his enemies.
" The discussion, which terminated at sunset, was renewed
the next day, when the following terms were agreed to by the
chiefs of Fiji and Tonga present, being those which, with Mr.
Pritchard's concurrence, I had decided from the first on seeing
carried out : —
"Between Ritova and Bonaveidogo, chiefs of Fiji.
" 1st. To forget all past grievances and causes of quarrel.

272 A MISSION TO VITI.
" 2nd. To commence from this date an era of peace and friendship.
" 3rd. To receive and protect the teachers of the Christian religion.
" 4th. To encourage trade and commerce throughout the Macuata ter
ritories, and to protect all legitimate traders and settlers.
" 5th. To dissolve all political connection, and to confine themselves to
legitimate and friendly intercourse with the Tongans.
" Between Ritova and other chiefs of Fiji and Maafu, chief of
Tonga.
" 1st. That Wai-ni-golo shall, within fourteen hours, retire for ever
from the Macuata territories, and shall not again appear within the line
of country from Nacewa Bay on the one side, to Bua Bay on the other.
" 2nd. That no Tongans shall visit the Macuata territories, or appear
within the above-named limits, for twelve months from this date.
" 3rd. That Tongans in the service of the Wesleyan or other missions
are exempted from the above restrictions.
" 4th. That if any of the above articles are infringed, Maafn agrees
that Wai-ni-golo shall be sent from Fiji to his native country.
" The three last articles were inserted in the treaty at my re
commendation, as I foresaw that if the Tongans were allowed
to remain on the Vanua Levu, any good effect which might
otherwise result from our visit would be completely done away
with ; and in compliance with them at dawn on the morning of
the 22nd of July, the two large double canoes, in which Wai-
ni-golo and his followers had come to Macuata, were launched,
and by eight a.m. were under weigh, with a strong and fair
wind, for Lakeba; a more picturesque scene than their depar
ture, as they crossed the ' Pelorus's ' bow, beating their drums
and cheering most lustily, I have seldom witnessed. In the
course of the same day Cakobau and Maafu quitted the ship,
and sailed for Levuka in Cakobau's large canoe, and in the
afternoon I landed at Macuata, accompanied by Ritova, and
saw him and many of his people re-established in their former
habitations. " Having thus seen tranquillity re-established in Vanua Levu,
I quitted Macuata on the morning of the 23rd July, having
Ritova and two of bis retainers on board, they being desirous
of seeing the working of the engines ; and on getting clear of
the Mali passage we discharged them and Mr. Pritchard to the

TERMINATION OE THE TONGUESE WARS. 273
latter's schooner, after which we made sail, by noon were clear
of Kia Island, and steering a course for Aneiteum." *
Commodore Seymour's visit thus proved of material
benefit to Fiji, and was felt as such on all hands. " I
am directed by Earl Russell to request," Avrites Mr.
James Murray, of the Foreign Office, to Sir T. Eogers,
Bart, December 31, 1861, "that you will state to the
Duke of Newcastle, that his Lordship has learnt with
satisfaction the steps taken by Commodore Seymour for
terminating the wars which have been raging between
the Tongans and Fijians. "\
* It will be seen how closely this statement agrees with the more con
densed account in the ' Athenaeum ' of February 22, 1862.

274

CHAPTEE XVI.
GENEEAL BEMABKS ON THE ASPECT, CLIMATE, SOIL, AND VEGETATION OP
FIJI.  COLONIAL PEODTJCE.  STAPLE FOOD.  EDIBLE BOOTS.— KITCHEN
VEGETABLES.  EDIBLE FETTITS.  NATIONAL BEVEEAGES. — KAVA.
Viti, or Fiji, is an archipelago in the South Pacific
Ocean, midway betAveen the Tongan islands and the
French colony of New Caledonia, having, according to
Dr. Petermann's recent calculations, a superficial area
equal to that of Wales, or eight times that of the Ionian
Islands. The exact number of islands and islets com
prising it is merely approximately known, only a partial
hydrographical survey of the whole group having as yet
been made ; 230 would probably be rather below than
aboAre the number. Viti Levn, Kadavu, Vanua Levu,
and Taviuni, are of primary, Eabe, Koro, Gau, and Ova
lau, of secondary, magnitude. Situated between lati
tudes 19° 47' S. and 15° 47' S., and longitudes 180° 8' W.
and 176° 50' E., the climate is tropical, but the heat
is moderated, in the winter season by the south-east, in
the summer by the north-east trade-wind. 62° Fahr. is
the loAvest temperature observed in Lakeba by Mr. "Wil
liams, in Kadavu by Mr. Eoyce ; but, though the mean
temperature of the whole group may be stated to be
80° Fahr., the thermometer has been known to rise to

CLIMATE, SOIL, AND ELORA. 275
121° Fahr. The country is remarkably free from fever,
— that curse of the Samoan group, — and the only dis
ease Fijians and Europeans have reason to fear is dysen
tery, unknown, if a current belief may be relied upon,
before the visits of foreigners to these shores, and hence
often termed " the white man's disease " by the natives.
The time from October till April is the hottest, that
extending over the other months the coolest, part of the
year. It is during the former when the most rain falls,
but the dry and rainy seasons do not strictly correspond
Avith this division, nor is the difference between the wet
and dry very marked. There are occasional showers
during the so-called dry season in all parts of the group,
and in localities like the Straits of Somosomo they may
even be termed frequent. The fine weather is expected
to set in about May. June, July, August, September,
and October, are generally dry, and from their low tem
perature looked forward to by European settlers. How
many inches of rain annually fall has not been ascer
tained ; nor would a gauge kept in a single locality only
give a fair approximate result of the average amount,
since the difference of the meteorological conditions ex
isting between the leeAvard and windward islands, the
lee side and the weather side of the larger islands, are
too great.*
Speaking generally, the Vitian islands may be said to
* A gauge, kept by the Eev. Mr. Whitley (probably at Levuka, B.S.),
showed that ninety inches of rain had fallen in six months, and four in
the night of February 12th, 1860. This statement I find in an obscure
publication, the ' Primitive Methodist Juvenile Magazine,' London, 1862,
vol. xi. p. 50. Not having seen it confirmed, it may possibly be incorrect,
like several others in the article from which it is taken.
T 2

276 A MISSION TO VITI.
owe their origin to volcanic upheavings and the busy
operation of corals. There are at present no active vol-
canos, but several of the highest mountains, for in
stance, Buke Levu, in Kadavu, and the summit of Tavi
uni, must in times gone by have been formidable craters.
Hot springs are met with in different parts, earthquakes
are occasionally experienced, and between Fiji and
Tonga a Avhole island has of late years been lifted above
the level of the ocean, whilst masses of pumice-stone
are drifted on the southern shores of Kadavu and
Viti Levu ; all showing that Fiji, though not the focus
of volcanic action, is not secure against plutonic dis
turbances and their effects. The deltas and alluvial de
posits of the great rivers excepted, there is little level
land. Most of the ground is undulated, all the larger
islands are hilly, and the largest have peaks 4000 feet
high ; Voma, in Viti Levu, and Buke Levu, in Kadavu
(both of Avhichwere ascended by me), being the most
eleArated. The soil consists in many parts of a dark-red
or yelloAvish clay, or decomposed volcanic rock, which
soon becomes dry, but being plentifully supplied with
water, proves very productive. There is hardly a rod of
land that might not be converted into pasture or be
cultivated. Almost at every step one discovers that
most of the land has at one time or other produced
some crop. Though on the Aveather side dense and ex
tensive woods exist, few of them can be regarded as
virgin forests, most having re-established themselves
after the plantations once occupying their site had been
abandoned. Kadavu does not appear to have an acre of
virgin forest beyond what is clustered around the very

CLIMATE, SOIL, AND FLORA. 277
summit of Buke Levu. The re-establishment of the
woods on ground at one time under cultivation can
scarcely be adduced as a proof that the population has
seriously diminished, but rather that the Fijians have
for ages followed the same system of agriculture as they
do at present, that of constantly selecting new spots for
their crops Avhen the old ones, which their ignorance
prevents them from fertilizing by the introduction of
manure, become exhausted. The displaced vegetation
quickly resumes its former sway, until perhaps, after the
lapse of years, it has once more to make room for cul
tivated plants.
The aspect of the weather side of the islands is essen
tially different from that of the lee side. The former
teems with a dense mass of vegetation, huge trees, in
numerable creepers, and epiphytical plants. Hardly
ever a break occurs in the green mantle spread over hill
and dale, except where effected by artificial means.
Eain and moisture are plentiful, adding ever fresh
vigour to, and keeping up the exuberant growth of,
trees, shrubs, and herbs. Far different is the aspect of
the lee side. Instead of the dense jungle, interlaced
with creepers and loaded with epiphytes, a fine grassy
country, here and there dotted with screw-pines, pre
sents itself. The northern shores of Viti Levai and
Vanua Levu bear this character in an eminent degree, and
their very aspect is proof that rain falls in only limited
quantity ; the high ridge of mountains, which form, as it
Avere, the backbone of the two largest islands, intercept
ing many showers, but sending down perpetual streams to
fertilize the low lands of the coast. The lee side would

278 A MISSION TQ VITI.
therefore more readily recommend itself to the white
settler, as it requires hardly any clearing, and would be
immediately available for cattle-breeding and cotton-
groAving. The coast-line of most of the islands is enriched by
a dense, more or less broken, belt of cocoa-nut palms.
White beaches, formed of decomposed corals, may be
traced for miles ; whilst good soil in many instances ex
tends quite to the water's edge, and trees, not numbering
amongst the strictly littoral vegetation, overhang the
sea. Mangrove SAvamps are limited, and chiefly confined
to the mouths of the rivers ; hence the almost total
freedom of the country from malignant fevers. In the
windward islands, Lakeba and its dependencies, the
weeping iron-wood (Casuarina eguiseti folia, Forst.), in
termingled with screw-pines (Pandanus odoratissimus,
Linn.), abounds, and considerable tracts of country are
covered with the common brake and other hard-leaved
ferns: they prefer an open country, and have taken
possession where little else will grow. Wherever these
forms of vegetation occur on the Aveather side of the
group, the soil may be expected to be rather poor. It
would, however, be erroneous to apply the same rule to
the leeward side, where they are also tolerably abun
dant, not because the soil is too poor to support a dense
herbaceous or woody vegetation, but because the air is
destitute of that excessive moisture, and the country
less visited by numerous showers of rain, promoting the
luxuriant growth on the weather side.
The general physiognomy of the flora is decidedly
tropical ; tree-ferns, branching grasses, six or seven dif-

CLIMATE, SOIL, AND FLORA. 279
ferent kind of palms, Scitamineous plants, epiphytical
orchids, ferns, and pepperworts, fully accounting for
this fact. Whole districts, however, possess a strictly
South Australian look, owing to the presence of tAvo
phyllodineous Acacias (A. laurifolia, Willd., and A.
Richei, A. Gray), two Casuarinas, several kinds of Me-
trosideros, with either scarlet or yellow blossoms, a
climbing Bubus, Smilax, and Geitonoplesium * and Fla-
gellaria, as well as the peculiar habit of various other
species. There is little change in the nature of the
vegetation until one reaches about 2000 feet elevation,
where the plants peculiar to the coast region are re
placed by mountain forms. Flollies, Myrtaceous, Mela-
stomaceous, and Laurinaceous trees, Epacridaceous and
Vacciniaceous bushes, forming the bulk ; scarlet orchids,
astelias, delicate ferns, mosses, and lichens, crowding
their branches. None of the explored peaks have as
yet disclosed any genuine alpine vegetation, — perennial
herbs forming ceespitose masses and prostrate shrubs, ge
nerally bearing large and gay-coloured flowers. Should
it ever be met with, there would indeed be a rich bota
nical harvest.
Nature has been truly bountiful in distributing her
vegetable treasures to these islands ; but perhaps the
best proof of their extreme fertility and matchless re
sources is less furnished by the fact that a country with
a population of at least 200,000 souls, constantly sup
plying provisions to foreign vessels, having an immense
* The natives term this plant Wa Dakua, from Wa, creeper, and
Dakua, Kowrie pine, because its leaves closely resemble those of the
Fijian Dammara.

280 A MISSION TO VITI.
number of cocoa-nuts withdrawn from consumption by
a primitive and wasteful method of making oil for ex
portation, and cultivating, comparatively speaking, only
a feAv acres of ground, than by the almost endless series
of vegetable productions — an enumeration of which
forms the subject of the succeeding pages.
Colonial produce, properly so called, such as sugar,
coffee, tamarinds, and tobacco, may be expected from
Fiji in considerable quantities, as soon as Europeans
shall have devoted their attention to the subject; since
the plants yielding them, long ago introduced, flourish
so well, that a judicious outlay of capital might prove a
profitable investment. The sugar-cane (Saccharum offi-
cinarum, Linn.), called Dovu in Fijian, grows, as it Avere,
Avild in various parts of the group, and a purple variety,
attaining sixteen feet high and a corresponding thick
ness, is cultivated to some extent. No foreigners haAe
as yet set up mills, nor are the natives at present ac
quainted with the process of making sugar ; they merely
chew the cane, and employ the juice for sweetening
their puddings. In the greater part of the group the
leaves are used for thatching the roofs of houses ; it is
only in Lakeba and others of the eastern islands where
those of a screw-pine (Pandanus odoratissimus, Linn.)
are preferred, whilst those of the Boreti (Acrostichum
aureum, Linn.), a common seaside fern, are still less
frequently used, though in the central islands they, in
common with those of the Makita (Parinarium laurinum,
A. Gray), supply the chief materials for covering the
side walls of houses, churches, and temples. Coffee
(Coffea arabica, Linn.) will one day rank amongst the

COLONIAL PRODUCE. 281
staple products of the country ; the mountain slopes of
the larger islands, especially those of Viti Levu, Vanua
Levu, and Kadavu, and, above all, those of the valley of
Namosi, seeming well adapted for its growth. Several
old coffee-trees are to be found in the Eewa district,
showing the plant to be not of recent introduction.
Dr. Brower, American Consul, has established a plan
tation on his estate at Wakaya, which gives fair pro
mise ; and Mr. Binner, of Levuka, has in his garden a
number of thriving seedlings. The tamarind (Tamarin-
dus Indica, Linn.) was introduced about eighteen years
ago ; and there is a fine tree, thirty feet high, and of
corresponding dimensions, on the Somosomo estate of
Captain Wilson and M. Joubert, of Sydney.
Tobacco (Nicotiana Tabacum, Linn.), a pink-flowering
kind, is grown about towns and villages in patches,
never exceeding a few rods in extent, but in sufficient
quantity to keep the bulk of the population sup
plied. Both men and women use it for smoking only,
either out of pipes or made into cigarettes with dry
banana-leaves"; the filthy habit of chewing or taking
snuff does not seem to be practised by them, though,
had they been so inclined, they might have learned it
from the lower class of white settlers. Being unac
quainted with the process of curing the leaf successfully,
the natives greatly prefer our tobacco to their OAvn, and
are thankful for the gift of a piece, however small, but
rather loth to regard it in the light of payment for
goods or services rendered, preferring any other article
of barter, inferior though it may be in value to the to
bacco offered.

282 A MISSION TO VITI.
Oil and vegetable fat next claim our attention. The
most valuable oil produced in Fiji is that extracted from
the seeds of the Dilo (Calophyllum inophyllum, Linn.),
the Tamanu of Eastern Polynesia, and the Cashumpa of
India. It is the bitter oil, or woondel, of Indian com
merce. The natives use it for polishing arms and greas
ing then- bodies when cocoa-nut oil is not at hand. But
the great reputation this oil enjoys throughout Poly
nesia and the East Indies rests upon its medicinal pro
perties, as a liniment in rheumatism, pains in the joints,
and bruises. The efficacy in that respect can hardly be
exaggerated, and recommends it to the attention of Eu
ropean practitioners. The oil is kept by the natives in
gourd flasks, and, there being only a limited quantity
made, I was charged about sixpence per pint for it,
paid in calico and cutlery. The tree yielding it is one
of the most common littoral plants in the group, and its
round fruits, mixed with the square-shaped ones of Bar-
ringtonia speciosa, the pine-cone-like ones of the sago-
palm, and the flat seeds of the Walai (Entada scandens,
Bth.), are found densely covering the sandy beaches, a
play of the tides. Dilo oil never congeals in the lowest
temperature of the Fijis, as cocoa-nut oil often does
during the cool season. It is of a greenish tinge, and
a very little of it will impart its hue to a whole cask
of cocoa-nut oil. Its commercial value is only partially
knoAvn in the Fijis, and was found out accidentally.
Amongst the contributions in cocoa-nut oil which the
natives furnish towards the support of the Wesleyan
missions, some Dilo oil had been poured, Avhich, on ar
riving at Sydney, Avas rejected by .the broker Avho pur-

OILS AND VEGETABLE FAT. 283
chased the other oil, on account of its greenish tinge
and strange appearance. On being shown to others, a
chemist, recognizing it as the bitter oil of India, pur
chased it at the rate of £60 per tun ; and he must have
made a good profit on it, as the article fetches as much
as £90 per tun. The Dilo grows to the height of sixty
feet, and the stem is from three to four feet in diameter,
generally thickly crowded with epiphytal orchids and
ferns. The dark oblong leaves form a magnificent crown,
producing a dense shade ; and when, during the flower
ing season, they are interspersed with numerous white
flowers, the aspect of the whole tree is truly noble.
The exudation from the stem is, according to Bennett,
the Tacamahaca resin of commerce, used by Tahitians
as a scent. Carpenters and cabinet-makers value the
Avood on account of its beautiful grain, hardness, and
red tinge. Boats and canoes are built of it, and it is
named with the Vesi (Afzelia bijuga, A. Gray) as the
best timber produced in Fiji. In order to extract the
oil, the round fruit is allowed to drop and the outer
fleshy covering rot on the ground. The remaining por
tion, consisting of a shell somewhat of the consistency
of that of a hen's egg, and enclosing the kernel, is baked
on hot stones, in the same way that Polynesian vegeta
bles and meat are. The shell is then broken, and the
kernel pounded between stones. If the quantity be
small, the macerated mass is placed in the fibres of the
Vau (Paritium tiliaceum and tricuspid), and forced by
the hand to yield up its oily contents ; if large, a rude
level press is constructed by placing a boom horizontally
between tAvo cocoa-nut trees, and appending to them per-

284 A MISSION TO VITI.
pendicularly the fibres of the Vau. After the macerated
kernels have been placed in the midst, a pole made fast
to the lower end of the fibres, and two men taking hold
of its end, twist the contrivance round and round till
the oil, collecting into a Avooden boAvl standing under
neath, has been extracted. Of course, the pressure thus
brought to bear upon the pounded kernels is not suffi
ciently great to allow every particle of oil to escape, and
with the proper machinery the waste would amount to
little indeed.
The candle-nut (Aleurites triloba, Forst.), termed
" Lauci," " Sikeci," and " Tuitui," in the various dialects
of Fiji, contains a great deal of oil, of Avhich, however,
the natives make only a limited use for polishing, though
in other parts of Polynesia lamps are fed with it, and in
the Hawaiian islands the entire kernels are strung on a
stick and lighted as candles. The fruit is better known
as a dye, and plays an important part at the birth of
a child; for no sooner is a baby born than the mid
wife rushes to the Lauci to gather a fruit fresh from the
tree, which she places in the mouth of the interesting
young stranger, with the conviction that its milky juice
will clear the throat, and more effectually enable it to
announce its welcome arrival. Mr. Wilson, the manag
ing director of Price's Patent Candle Company, at Vaux-
hall, writes to me : — " The oil of the Aleurites triloba is
fine and hard, worth at least as much as sesame or rape
oil, in this market. It is held very lightly in its matrix,
and should be pressed Avhere groAvn. If the ' nuts ' were
brought home in their shells, the freight would be ex
pensive ; and if shelled, insects would eat them." The

OILS AND VEGETABLE FAT. 285
candle-nut tree is of middle size, common throughout
Fiji, and rendered a conspicuous object by the whiteness
of its leaves, produced by a fine powder easily removed.
The ground underneath is always densely covered with
" nuts," and large quantities might be collected.
The croton-oil plant (Curcas purgans, Med.), intro
duced from the Tongan islands, is employed for living
fences in Lakeba and other parts ; but the oleaceous pro
perties of its seeds have as yet been turned to as little
account as those of the castor-oil plant (Bicinus commu
nis, Linn.), named " Uto ni papalagi " by the natives,
and naturalized throughout the group.
The oil of the cocoa-nut palm, or Niu dina (Cocos
nucifera, Linn.), has long been one of the articles of ex
port ; nevertheless, it is difficult to arrive at any definite
result about the average annual quantity. The Wesleyan
mission, in negotiating with an island trader for the trans
port of the oil received from the natives as contribu
tions to its funds, were ready to guarantee that at least
sixty tuns should pass through his hands. This, at the
rate of £20 per tun, the average value of the oil on the
spot, would give £1200 per annum — a sum tolerably well
agreeing with that usually advertised on the wrapper of
the 'Wesleyan Missionary Notices' as the Fijian share
towards the support of the Society. Exact data for
forming an opinion of the quantity shipped by the ac
tual traders are altogether Avanting. On consulting with
several about this subject, they pretty nearly all agreed
in fixing three hundred tuns as the utmost limit of the
annual export of the Avhole group,=£6000 on the spot.
Hitherto, there has been great waste in the making of

286 A MISSION TO VITI.
oil, the native process being of a primitive description.
To remedy this evil, Captain Wilson and M. Joubert, of
Sydney, have set up proper machinery on their estate at
Somosomo, after one of the partners had familiarized
himself with the latest improvement in that branch of
industry in Ceylon ; and it is their intention to take ad
vantage of the luxuriant manner in which Coboi, or
lemon-grass (Andropogon Schcenanthus, Linn.), grows in
Fiji, by cultivating it for the purpose of making citro-
nella oil. Cocoa-nut oil congealing at a temperature of
about 72° Fahr., and the thermometer during the cool
months often falling below that degree, a proper amount
of warmth will be kept up whilst the operation of press
ing the pulverized kernels is going on, and thus another
step be taken towards the making of the largest quan
tity of oil from the least number of nuts. Wilkes, upon
the authority of one of the scientific men attached to
his expedition, states that there were only two varieties
of cocoa-nut, a green and a brown. Closer attention to
the subject would have shown this to be a mistake; not
only the colour, but also the average size and shape of
the fruits, the height of the trees, and the insertion of
the leaflets, or rather segments, offer marks of distinc
tion between the numerous varieties with Avhich the is
lands are studded. The most striking kind is the one
having fruits not much larger than a turkey's egg, and
bearing more than a hundred of them in each bunch.
Several trees were noticed at Kadavu, about Yarabale,
a narrow isthmus, where canoes are dragged across from
sea to sea. The curious phenomenon of a cocoa-nut
palm becoming, as it were, branched by the division of

OILS AND A7EGETABLE FAT. 287
the trunk, has occasionally been witnessed in Fiji ; and
tAvo interesting instances of it are given in Williams's
' Fiji and the Fijians,' Avhere one of the trees is described
Avith five branches. In Samoa Mr. W. Pritchard saw a
tree with two heads, regarded with just pride by the
natives who possessed it, and cut down during a war by
their enemies. As in other parts of Polynesia, the trunk
is made into small canoes, or supplies materials for
building and fencing ; stockades of it are impenetrable
to bullets. The leaves are made into different kinds of
mats and baskets ; yam houses are occasionally thatched
Avith them, but these roofs do not last much longer
than a year. The spathe enclosing the flowers is used
for torches; the fibres surrounding the nut are made
into " sinnet," used for fastenings of all kinds. The
young flesh is delicious eating, and the "water" con
tained in the nuts a refreshing drink, which, as the
fruit advances, undergoes a gradual change, for all of
Avhich there are distinctive names. New-comers soon
fix upon a certain stage most agreeable to their palate,
and on indicating it to the natives they Avill readily pick
it out by knocking Avith their fingers on the outside of
either the husked or the unhusked nut, and be guided
by the sound. This process requires long practice, and
though I tried hard to learn at least the sound of that
stage I preferred, I did not succeed in accomplishing it.
The ripe nuts are grated and used for puddings, or given
to foAvls and pigs. Some persons have a predilection
for nuts when just in the act of germinating — a taste
which the Asiatic shares in eating the young palmyras,
and the African in consuming the seedlings of the

288 A MISSION TO VITI.
Borassus ? JEthiopicum, Mart. It is to be regretted that
so feAV plantations of cocoa-nut trees are formed by
white settlers. The annual value of a fruit-producing
tree is never less than one dollar ; and hoAV easily might
10,000 nuts be set in the ground, and the value of an
estate be permanently raised. Every part of the smaller
islands and the sea-borders of the larger are suitable lo
calities. Only Bau, Viwa, and the districts adjacent,
form an exception: the trees, as soon as they have
reached a certain height, become diseased ; their leaves
look as if dipped in boiling water, and their fruits are
few in number, poor, and often drop off before they
arrive at maturity ; a thick layer of marl, forming the
subsoil of those districts, seeming to oppose that ready
drainage the cocoa-nut tree requires, and which it enjoys
in so eminent a degree on the white beaches of sand and
decomposed corals.
Starch is produced by four indigenous plants, viz. Eoro
{Cycas circinalis, Linn.), Yabia dina (Tacca pinnatifida,
Forst.), Yabia sa (Tacca sativa, Eumph.), and Niu soria
or Sogo (Sagus Vitiensis, Wendl), to AAliich of late years
has been added the Cassava root of Western America
(Manihot Aipi, Pohl), commonly termed by the Fijians
" Yabia ni papalagi," i. e. foreign arrowroot. The Eoro
(Cycas circinalis, Linn.), a tree thirty feet high, is by
no means a common plant in the islands, having been
encountered only at Viti Levu and Ovalau in isolated
specimens ; and as the pith-like substance contained in
the trunk was reserved for the sole use of the chiefs,
and forbidden to the lower classes, no inducement ex
isted on the part of those debarred from it to extend it

STARCH. 289
by cultivation, as is done in the Tongan islands. The
two kinds of Yabia are the arroAvroot of Fiji, errone
ously stated by Wilkes and others to be the Maranta
arundinacea, Linn. They are both species of Tacca;
their foliage springing up in great abundance in the
beginning of the warm season, and their tubers ripening
about June, when leaves and flowers die off. The most
common is that kind termed on the Macuata coast
Yabia dina (genuine arrowroot), the Tacca pinnatifida,
Forst. It delights in light sandy soil, and is therefore
most frequently encountered on the seashore ; whilst
the second species, known in Macuata as " Yabia sa,"
is almost entirely confined to the sides of hills and
heavy soil. The natives prefer the first-mentioned spe
cies for the purpose of making arrowroot, though they
own that there is no difference in the quality of the
farinaceous substance prepared from either. In most
parts of Fiji there are no distinctive names for the two
kinds, both being called "Yabia;" yet the natives are
perfectly well acquainted with their various characters
and peculiarities of habitat. The leaf, stalks, and scape
of the Yabia sa are prominently speckled, and the seg
ments of the leaves are long and narrow, by which it is at
once distinguished from its ally. The tubers, when quite
ripe, are dug out of the ground and rasped on the mush
room coral (Fungia sp.). The fleshy mass thus pro
duced is Avashed in fresh water to enable the starch to
settle at the bottom of the vessel in which the operation
is carried on ; by pouring off the dirty water, and re
peated washings, the starchy sediment may be made to
assume any desired degree of whiteness. Since Fijian
u

290 A MISSION TO VITI.
arrowroot has become an article of foreign demand, it
has been pointed out to the natives that the impurities
imparting a greyish colour to the production, caused
partly by not peeling the tubers previous to rasping
them, partly by not washing the sediment a sufficient
number of times, must be removed in order to raise the
marketable value of the article. When a satisfactory
degree of whiteness has been attained, the starch is
dried in the sun. For their own consumption the Fiji
ans do not dry their arrowroot, but tie it up in bundles
of leaves and bury it in the ground, when it speedily
ferments, and emits a rather disagreeable odour. South
Sea arrowroot fetches from threepence halfpenny to
fourpence per pound in London ; and, as it is invaluable
when taken in cases of dysentery and diarrhoea, — the
bane of the South Seas, — it is necessary to have it genu
ine. The Tonguese have of late years been known to
adulterate it to a great extent with lime in order to in
crease its weight and volume, but this fraud may readily
be detected by watching the arrowroot when it first
comes in contact with water ; if adulterated with lime, it
will fizz. Care should also be taken to guard against
the starch of the Cassava or Tapioco plant being passed
off for Polynesian arrowroot, which, from its slightly
purgative tendency and poisonous properties, is ill-
adapted for bowel complaints. It is much whiter than
the arrowroot made of Tacca, sticks to the hands like
flour, and when a little water is allowed to act upon it,
it assumes a pinkish colour ; whilst the arrowroot made
of Tacca has a granulated feel, does not adhere to the
hand like flour, and is not changed in colour by contact

SAGO. 291
with water. The Cassava root has of late years been
introduced into Fiji, and grows remarkably well.
The Niu soria or Sogo (Sagus Vitiensis, Wendl.) is a
genuine sago-palm, growing in swamps on Viti Levu,
Vanua Levu, and Ovalau, and was first discovered by
Mr. Pritchard and myself when on our first visit to
Chief Kuruduadua. By asking the natives respecting
the various palms of the islands, they described one
which I was led to consider as the sago-yielding tree,
and hence we made inquiries at all the places we called,
but did not obtain a sight of it until we reached Taguru,
on the southern coast of Viti Levu, and thence west
ward it was encountered in abundance. Fine groves,
several miles in extent, were seen by us on the various
branches and deltas of the Navua river. It was after
wards ascertained to grow on Ovalau ; and Mr. Water-
house, when accompanying Colonel Smythe, found an
extensive grove on the north-eastern parts of Vanua
Levu. The natives of Ovalau term this palm Niu soria,
those of Viti Levu, Sogo (pronounced " Songo ") ; the lat
ter name reminding one of " Sago " or " Sagu," by which
some species of Sagus are known in other islands inha
bited by the Papuan race ; and rendering the discovery
of this palm ethnologically as interesting as it is impor
tant commercially, by adding another raw product to
the export list of the islands, and botanically, by ex
tending the geographical range of sago-yielding palms
1500 miles further south-east than it was previously
known to exist. The natives of Fiji were unacquainted
with the nutritious qualities residing in the trunk, until
Mr. Pritchard and myself extracted the sago from it.
U 2

292 A MISSION TO VITI.
The Sogo groAvs in swamps, and the natives occasion
ally take advantage of the open places among the groves
to plant taro, or even clear Sogo land for that purpose.
The dimensions of the finest specimens Avere accm-ately
measured. The largest trees felled Avere from forty to
fifty feet high, and their trunks, in the thickest parts,
from three feet nine inches to four feet four inches in
circumference. The trunk is very straight, and densely
covered with aerial roots, six to twelve lines long, all
having the peculiarity of being directed upwards. The
croAvn generally consists of about sixteen living leaves
in all stages of development, and there are mostly five
or six dead ones still adhering to it. The pinnatifid
leaves are of a dark green, seventeen feet long ; Avhilst
the leaflets, gracefully drooping at the tips, are from
three and a half to four feet long, and three and a half
inches broad. The petiole is covered with spines, which
at its base are arranged in connected rows extending
from side to side, and towards the top in horse-shoe-
shaped collections. The spines are brown, and from one
and a half to two and a half inches long. When the
tree has attained maturity there appears a terminal pa
nicle about twelve feet high, and divided into twenty
or more branches. These branches measure eight feet
in length, and are again divided into about fourteen
branchlets (each averaging from fourteen to sixteen
inches). The fruit, in outer appearance resembling an
inverted pine-cone, is beautifully polished and of a
yelloAvish brown, much lighter than that of Sagus Bum-
phii, Mart. This palm forms a prominent feature in the
landscape, the foliage fluttering like gigantic plumes in

sago. 293
the Avind, and outbidding the cocoa-nut in gracefulness
of outline and movement; the bold look of the flowers
suddenly starting from the extremity of the trunk, and
proclaiming, as it were by signal, that the time has
arrived when nature has completed her task of laying up
stores of nutritious starch, and that unless the harvest is
at once gathered in, nothing will remain of the produce
of years save the receptacle in which it was treasured up.
Even the old dead trees, standing like so many skeletons
amongst a host of young plants, present an interesting
appearance, reminding one of the posts with their many
arms over which the wires of electric telegraphs are
carried. Mr. Pritchard and myself felled six trees, and
carried two logs to Lado, where we made sago of one of
them by grating and Avashing the yellow-white substance
Avith which the inside was filled. The term " spongy "
does not Avell apply to this substance ; it has rather the
consistency of a hard-baked loaf, and that taken from
the base of the tree has a sweet and pleasant taste ; to
wards the top it was more insipid. For the purpose of
collecting sago it is of the highest importance that the
tree should be cut down just at the time when the
floAvers begin to show themselves ; if felled sooner the
tree has not attained its proper development, and the
quantity of farinaceous matter will not be so great as at
the period indicated ; if, on the other hand, the cutting
down is deferred until the fruit has been formed, a con
siderable diminution of the quantity of sago meal Avill
be observed ; and the longer such a postponement takes
place, the less chance there is of collecting a remunera
tive amount, as the tree, Avhen it has borne floAver and

294 a mission to viti.
fruit, which, unlike the cocoa-nut palm, it does only
once during the term of its existence, speedily dies and
crumbles into dust. The trees are easily felled, only the
outer layers of wood possessing any hardness, the central
parts being as soft as bread, so that a few strokes with
a good axe will bring the largest tree to the ground.*
Several kinds of spice are indigenous, or have become
naturalized. Turmeric (Curcuma longa, Linn.), termed
" Cago " by the Fijians, grows abundantly in all the
lower districts. The whites use the rhizome in the pre
paration of curry, and the natives the powder of it as
food, or more commonly to daub over the bodies of
women after childbirth and those of dead friends — a
custom also prevailing in the Samoan group, according
to Mr. Pritchard. In the few districts that have as yet
not been brought under the immediate influence of the
British Consul or the missionaries, the heathen Avidows
are painted Avith it before strangulation. In fact, tur
meric powder is with the Fijian what rouge and Eow-
land's preparations are with us, a cosmetic. Promoting
in their opinion health and beauty, it is put on with no
sparing hand by the women, and pointed remarks are
made about too great a proximity if a man be unfortu
nate enough to have some stains of turmeric on his body
or scanty dress. The manufacture of turmeric is similar
to that of arrowroot, and is generally managed by the
women. The receiving pits dug in the ground are lined
Avith herbage, so as to retain the juicy parts. The grated
rhizome is afterwards placed in the body of a canoe, and
* Dr. Bennett, of Sydney, found a sago palm on Rotuma, north of Fiji,
possibly identical with the Fijian, but there are no specimens.

spices. 295
rolled up and strained through a fine basket lined with
fern leaves. It is then carried aAvay in bamboos, and
for several days exposed to the air, Avhen the fluid is
gently poured off, and a sediment, the Eerega of Fiji or
turmeric of commerce, is found at the bottom. A species
of ginger (Zingiber Zerumbet, Eosc.) also .abounds in the
lower districts of the group, where it is called " Beta."
The rhizome, though less pungent than that of the spe
cies exported from China, has been found to make tole
rably good preserves, and answers all the other purposes
for which genuine ginger (Zingiber officinale, Linn.) is
commonly employed. During our journey we often
used it with turmeric, a feAV leaves of an aromatic Zingi-
beraceous plant termed " Cevuga " (Amomum sp.), and
a feAV fruits of the bird's-eye pepper for making curry,
which, all the ingredients being fresh, proved of excel
lent flavour. A species of Nutmeg (Myristica castanew-
folia, A. Gray), termed " Male," is found in the larger
islands, forming trees sixty to eighty feet high, but
yielding a very inferior kind of timber, which rapidly
decays when exposed to the influence of the weather.
Both its mace and nut prove a good substitute for those
of the genuine nutmeg (Myristica moschata, Linn). The
" nut " was turned to no account until the whites
pointed out its valuable properties. It is about the size
of a pigeon's egg ; the mace (arillus) is of a fine pink
colour, and the shape of the nut it encloses is too oblong
to allow this kind of nutmeg ever to be passed off for the
genuine and best sorts of the Indian Archipelago, though
the Fijian produce may resemble them in every other
respect. Bird's-eye pepper (Capsicum frutescens, Linn.)

296 A MISSION TO VITI.
is met with in every part of the islands, especially in
places under cultivation, producing rich harvests of
red pungent fruits. The Fijians call it " Boro ni papa
lagi" (i. e. foreign Boro), in contradistinction to " Boro ni
Viti," or Fijian Boro (Solanum anthropophagorum, Seem.,
and S. oleraceum. Dun.) ; thus indicating that the bird's-
eye pepper has been introduced by the white man, and
is merely to be looked upon as naturalized, not wild.
The staple food is the same all over Polynesia, being
derived, with the total exclusion of all grain and pulse,
from the yam, the Taro, the banana, the plantain, the
breadfruit, and the cocoa-nut; but the bulk of it is
furnished in the different countries by only one of these
plants. In the Hawaiian group the Taro takes the
lead, whilst the cocoa-nut is looked upon as a delicacy,
from which the women were formerly altogether cut off.
In some of the smaller coral islands the inhabitants live
almost entirely upon cocoa-nuts. The Samoans place
the breadfruit at the head of the list. Again, the Fijians
think more of the yam than of the others, though all
grow in their islands in the greatest perfection and in an
endless number of varieties. A striking proof of how
much the yam engages their attention is furnished by
the fact of its cultivation and ripening season being made
the chief foundation of their calendar ; and that only
such of the eleven months, into which the year is divided,
bear no names indicative of it, in which the crop re
quires no particular attention, or has been safely housed.
A version of this calendar has been published by Wilkes
in ' The Narrative of the United States Exploring Ex
pedition,' and is placed in juxtaposition Avith one die-

STAPLE FOOD. 297
tated to me by an intelligent Bauan chief, and the con
sular interpreter, Mr. Charles Wise. The names given
by me, as well as their succession, do not quite agree with
those given by Wilkes. This discrepancy is partly ex
plained by Wilkes having taken down his list from the
lips of Europeans imperfectly versed in Fijian, and by
his adopting a loose Avay of spelling. The names of the
months may also be different in different parts of the
group. The subject, however, requires still further in
vestigation. If, as has been averred, the Fijians inva
riably commenced the months with the appearance of
the neAV moon, there Avould soon have been a vast dif
ference betAveen the lunar and the solar year. To guard
against the irregularity that Avould thus have been in
troduced into the seasons, and to make the lunar year
correspond Avith the solar, it would have been necessary
either to intercalate a moon after every thirty-sixth
moon, or to allow a greater period of time for one of
the eleven months into which the Fijian year is divided.
The latter seems to have been effected by the Vula i
werewere (clearing month). Hazehvood (' Fijian and
English Dictionary,' Viwa, 1850, p. 180) alloAvs four
months, May, June, July, and August, for it ; but this
cannot be correct, as it would derange the others. By
restricting it to two or thereabouts, June and July, a
proper arrangement is effected. I place the Vula i
werewere first in my list instead of the month answering
to January, because it is in the spring of the year (June
and July), and the commencement of the agricultural
operations and natural phenomena upon which the ca
lendar is based.

298

A MISSION TO VITI.

Fijian Calendar.

ACCOEDING TO SEEMANN.
1. Vula i wereivere = June,
July, clearing month ;
when the land is cleared
of weeds and trees.
2. Vula. % cukicuki = August;
when the yam-fields are
dug and planted.
3. Vula i vavahadi = Sep
tember ; putting reeds
to yams to enable them
to climb up.
4. Vulai Balolo lailai = Oc
tober; when the balolo
(Palolo viridis, Gray), a
remarkable Annelidan
animal, first makes its
appearance in small
numbers.
5. Vula i Balolo levu = No
vember; when the ba
lolo {Palolo viridis,
Gray) is seen in great
numbers ; the 25th of
November generally is
the day when most of
these animals are caught.
6. Vula i nuqa lailai = De
cember ; a fish called
"nuqa" comes in in iso
lated numbers.
7. Vula i nuqa levu
uary ; when the nuqa
fish arrives in great num
bers.

= Jan-

ACCOEDING TO WlLKES.
1. Vulai were were, weeding
month.

2. Vulai lou lou, digging
ground and planting.
3. Vulai Kawawaka.

4. Bololo vava Konde.

5. Bololo lieb.

6. Numa lieb, or Nuga lailai.

7. Vulai songa sou tombe sou,
or Nuga levu; reed blos
soms.

STAPLE FOOD.

299

Vula ni sew — February;
when offerings of the
first dug yams (ai sevu)
are made to the priests.
Vula i Kelikeli = March ;
digging up yams and
storing them in sheds.

Vulai songa sou seselieb,
build yam-houses.

9. Vulai Matua, or Endoye
doye ; yams ripe. (N.B.
— Vulai Endoye doye,
probably is meant for
Vula i doi ; the Doi is a
tree (Alphitonia zizy-
phoides, A. Gray), B.
Seemann.)
10. Vulai mbota mbota.

11. Vulai Tcelekele, or Vulai
mayo mayo ; digging
yams.

10. Vula i gasau = Aprd ;
reeds (gasau) begin to
sprout out afresh.
11. Vula i doi = May; the
Doi {Alphitonia zizy-
phoides, A. Gray), a tree
plentiful in Fiji, flowers.
The yam principally cultivated is the Bioscorea alata,
Linn., having a square climbing stem without prickles.
The natives distinguish a number of varieties, all of
which are known by the collective name of " Uvi."
Some have large, some small roots, of either a white or
more or less purplish tinge ; and upon these differences,
as well as their shape and time of maturity, the distinc
tions are founded.* At Navaia, in Viti Levu, Chief
Kuruduadua showed us a lot of yams six feet long and
nine inches in diameter, perfectly mealy, and every part
good eating ; and specimens, eight feet long, and weigh
ing one hundred pounds, are by no means rare in the
group. Skilful growers maintain that in order to pro-

* These varieties are called Dannini, Keu, Kasokaso, or Kasoni, Voli,
Sedre, Lokaloka, Moala, Uvi ni Gau, Lava, Namula, Eausi, Balebale, etc.

300 A MISSION TO VITI.
duce large and abundant roots the settings ought to be
put into hard and unprepared soil. According to their
notion the yam ought to meet Avith resistance ere it will
put forth its Avhole strength, or, as they sometimes ex
press themselves, it must get angry before it will exert
itself. I even heard of a bet won by a woman who
pursued this simple plan, and Avho fully made good her
word, that she would produce a root large enough to feed
twenty people ; whilst the man who bet with her could
only raise one that Avould not have fed one-third of that
number, though he took great pains to pulverize and
prepare the soil for the reception of the setting. The
general signal for planting is the flowering of the Drala
(Erythrina Indica, Linn. ). As soon as its blossoms be
gin to appear, which happens about July and the be
ginning of August, all hands busy themselves about it.
The land having already been cleared during the pre
vious months, hillocks, about two feet high and four or
five feet apart, are thrown up ; these hillocks are known
by the name of " Buke," whence the highest mountain
in Kadavu, for the first time ascended on the 6th of
September, 1860, by Mr. Pritchard and myself, and re
sembling them in shape, takes its name of Buke Levu,
or large yam-hillock. There are no spades or any other
iron tool for digging ; all is done with staves made of
mangroAre-Avood, and the bare hands. Pieces of old
yams are set on the top of these hillocks, and Avithin
a short space of time they begin to sprout out. In less
than a month they require reeds for climbing, after
which little else is needed than keeping the plantations
free from weeds. About February the first yams begin to

STAPLE FOOD. 301
ripen, and in the heathen districts offerings of them are
made to the priests. In March and April the principal
crop comes in, and is stored in sheds thatched with
cocoa-nut leaves. As the season advances the contents
of these sheds require at least a monthly overhauling ;
the roots exhibiting any kind of decay have to be re
moved to prevent their contaminating the healthy ones.
Yams are eaten baked, boiled, or steamed, and the na
tives can consume great quantities of them. Whole
cargoes have occasionally been taken with profit to
New South Wales and New Zealand, and Avhaling and
trading vessels never touch at the group without laying
in a good supply.
There is another esculent root, the Kawai (Bioscorea
aculeata, Linn.), also planted on artificial hillocks, though
not so high as those of the yam. The stem of this
creeper is round, and full of prickles, but it is not ac
commodated with reeds as that of the last-mentioned
species. It ripens about June; on the 27th of that
month all the leaves Avere dead. According to the na
tives it never flowers nor fruits, and I looked in vain
over many a field in hopes of being able to disprove
the statement. It is propagated by planting the small
tubers or roots, which, like the old ones, are oblong,
of a broAvnish colour outside, and a pure white A\ithin.
When cooked, the skin peels off like the bark of the
birch-tree, as Wilkes expresses it. The root is very
farinaceous, and when well cooked looks like a fine
mealy potato, though of superior whiteness. The taste
recalls to mind that of the Aracacha of South America ;
there is a slight degree of sweetness about it which

302 A MISSION TO VITI.
is very agreeable to the palate. Altogether the Kawai
may be pronounced one of the finest esculent roots in
the world, and I strongly recommend its cultivation in
those parts of the tropics still deprived of it.
Several species of Avild yam, such as the Tikau, Tivoli,
and Kaile, trail in graceful festoons over shrubs and trees
of nearly every wood. The Tivoli (Bioscorea nummularia,
Lam.) has a prickly stem like that of the cultivated
Kawai, and climbs very high ; its roots are long, cylin
drical, and as thick as a man's arm. When engaged in
the forest the natives will often dig up these roots Avith
a stick, roast, and eat them on the spot, when they taste
extremely palatable. The Kaile (Helmia bulbifera, Kth.)
somewhat resembles the Tivoli in look, and is often found
entwined with it, but its stems and branches are round
and unarmed, and its roots, being acrid, require to be
soaked in water previous to boiling. The dish prepared
from them has the appearance of mashed potatoes, and
is made so thin that it can only be eaten with spoons,
which are either furnished by the leathery leaves of the
spoon-tree or Tatakia (Acacia laurifolia, Willd.), or any
other substantial leaf that happens to be at hand.
The Taro, or, as the Fijian language has it, the Dalo
(Colocasia antiquorum, var. esculenta, Schott), is grown
on irrigated or on dry ground, perhaps more on the
latter than on the former. The water is never allowed
to become stagnant, but always kept in gentle motion.
When planted on dry ground, generally on land just
cleared, a tree or two with thick crowns are left stand
ing in every field, which, as the natives justly conclude,
attracts the moisture, and favours the growth of the

STAPLE FOOD. 303
crop. A considerable number of varieties are known,*
some better adapted for puddings, some for bread (ma-
drai), or simply for boiling or baking. The outer marks
of distinction chiefly rest upon the different tinge ob
servable in the leaf, stalks, and ribs of the leaves —
white, yellowish, purple. When the crop is gathered
in, the tops of the tubers are cut off, and at once re
planted. The young leaves may be eaten like spinach ;
but, like the root, they require to be well cooked in
order to destroy the acridity peculiar to Aroideous plants.
The Fijians prefer eating the cooked Taro when cold —
a taste which few Europeans share with them ; on the
contrary, the latter relish them quite hot, and, if pos
sible, roasted.
Besides the Taro, which is occasionally seen wild on
the hanks of rivers, there are three other indigenous
Aroideous plants, the corms of which are used as arti
cles of food : the Via mila, the Via kana, and the Daiga.
The Via mila (Alocasia Indica, Schott), always growing
in swamps, is a gigantic species, often twelve feet high ;
the trunk or corm of which — the edible part — is, when
fully developed, as large as a man's leg : a single leaf
weighing three and a half pounds. The petiole Avas
found to he four feet long, and ten inches in chxum
ference at the base ; the blade of the leaf three feet two
inches long, two feet six inches broad, and thirteen feet
six inches in circumference ! The plant emits a nau
seous smell, amply warning, as well as the various popu-
* The different kinds of Dalo (Taro) are, Basaga, Bega, Dalo ni Vanua,
Karakarawa, Keri, Kurilagi, Mumu, Quiawa, Sikaviloa, Sisiwa, Soki,
Toakula, etc.

304 A MISSION TO VITI.
lar names it bears, against any incautious contact with
it. Besides the name of Via mila, which signifies " acrid
Via," we have that of Via gaga, or poisonous Via. What
may be the meaning of Via sori, and Dranu, occasion
ally applied to it, I have not been able to find out. In
order to remove the acrid properties, the trunk is baked,
or first grated, and then treated as madrai (bread) in the
manner to be explained below ; yet, notwithstanding
all precautions, the natives are frequently ill from eat
ing it. The Via kau, or Via kana (Cyrtosperma edulis,
Schott), is in every respect a similar species, also grow
ing in swamps, not only wild, but frequently cultivated
like Taro. It requires fewer preparations to render its
root fit for food than that of the Via mila, and its fla
vour is considerd more agreeable.
The Daiga (Amorphophallus sp.) differs from the
three preceding Aroideous plants both in habit and mode
of growth. It is always found on dry ground, and ap
pears in the spring of the year, together with arrowroot,
turmeric, and ginger. Its foliage consists of a single
leaf, which rises from a roundish tuber to the height of
from two to four feet, having a petiole full of soft
prickles, and a blade spreading out somewhat like an um
brella, and divided into numerous, deeply cut segments.
The flower, or rather the spathe, is of a dull colour, not
put forth until the leaf is beginning to die off, and emits
an offensive carrion-like odour. In the cosmogony of the
Samoans, the office of having, by means of its singular
foliage, lifted up the heavens when they emerged from
chaos, is assigned to this plant ; and the Fijians recom
mend it as a safe place of refuge when the end of the

ESCULENT BOOTS. 305
world approaches, the Daiga being in their opinion a
" Vasu " to heaven (Vasu kilagi). A Vasu, it should
be added in explanation, is, according to widely-
spread Polynesian custom, a nephew who holds the
movable property of his mother's brothers at his almost
absolute disposal, having the power to do whatever he
pleases with it. Some Vasus even venture so far as to
dispose of the very lands belonging to their maternal
uncles. There are Vasus to every family, town, and
kingdom. A Vasu to heaven is the climax of the Avhole
system, cleverly employed in the charming Fijian story
of the Princess Vilivilitabua. The root of the Daiga
is acrid, but after being freed from that property, es
teemed on account of its nutritious qualities. Being
thought to assist fermentation, some of it is mixed with
the leaven of bread ; for the Fijians, though not grow
ing any grain, or importing flour, prepare what they call
" Madrai," or bread, from the fruits of the lvi (Inocarpus
edulis, Forst.), Kavika (Eugenia Malaccensis, Linn.), Ba
nana, Plantain, Breadfruit, Dogo kana or mangrove,
and the roots of the Taro (Colocasia antiquorum, Schott,
var. esculenta, Schott), Kawai (Bioscorea aculeata,
Linn.), Via mila (Alocasia Indica, Schott), Via kana,
and the Daiga. A hole, having the shape of an inverted
cone, is dug in the ground, and having been lined with
leaves, the different materials are put in, covered with
leaves, earth, and stones, to undergo fermentation, and
become fused into a homogeneous mass. Two or three,
ay, even nine months are allowed for that process.
When taken out, the dough emits a sour foetid smell. It
is then either baked on hot stones, or steamed in large
x

306 A MISSION TO VITI.
earthenware pots; but the taste is such that few fo
reigners acquire a partiality for it, and the natives them
selves infinitely prefer our bread and biscuit to their
own madrai. Yet it is most fortunate that in a country
where numerous kinds of fruits and edible roots, how
ever abundant at certain seasons, are subject to such
rapid decay, the natives are acquainted with a simple
process, by means of Avhich they are able to store up
their provisions, and thus effectually guard against ex
treme want in a land of plenty.
A few other esculent roots remain still to be men
tioned. Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum, Linn.) grown in
Mr. Moore's garden at Mataisuva I found tolerably good.
An attempt made by Mr. Carey, at Wairiki, to raise
radishes, did not succeed. Shalots are cultivated to a
considerable extent by the natives. Turnips have been
produced from imported seeds. The sweet potato {Ba
tatas edulis, Chois.) is an introduction probably from
New Zealand, as the Fijian name (Kumara) proves iden
tical with that given by the Maoris. It succeeds well,
but does not seem to be much valued. The MasaAve or
Vasili Toga (Braccena sp.), is a shrub with obovate
leaves, cultivated, and perhaps, judging from the name
Vasili Toga (= Tonga) it bears in some parts of the
group, an importation from the Tongan islands. Its root
is large, weighs from 10 to 14 lbs., and when baked, re
sembles in taste and degree of SAveetness, as near as pos
sible that of stick-liquorice. The Fijians chew it, or use
it for sweetening puddings. They were ignorant of the
art of extracting an intoxicating liquor from it, knovm
to the Hawaiians. There is another species of Braccena

ESCULENT BOOTS. 307
closely resembling the Masawe, and employed for making
fences. It grows wild in the woods, and bears in Viti
Levu the name of Vasili Kau. It is as much as fourteen
feet high, and has lanceolate leaves, which, in common
with those of its allies, are good fodder for sheep, goats,
rabbits, and cattle. Its root is small, and thought unfit
for food. The Vasili damudamu or Ti Kula (Braccena
ferrea, Linn.), has leaves similar in shape, but the idea
of its being possibly a variety of the preceding is pre
cluded by the fact of its having large and edible roots.
Amongst the esculent roots growing wild, and eagerly
sought for just before the regular crops come in, or in
times of scarcity caused by intertribal wars during the
planting season, or by unfavourable weather, may be
named the Yaka or Wa yaka (Pachyrhizus angulatus,
Rich.), a Papilionaceous creeper, with trifoliated leaves
and whitish flowers tinged with purple. In September
and October its tubers send forth neAV shoots, which
grow with rapidity and yield a tough fibre, invaluable
for fishing-nets. The plant delights in open exposed
places and a rich vegetable soil, where the roots, which
generally assume a horizontal direction, often attain
from six to eight feet in length and the thickness of a
man's thigh. When cooked, they have a dirty white
colour, and a slightly starchy but otherwise insipid fla
vour, much inferior, I thought, to that of wild yams.
However, Mr. Charles Moore, of Sydney, ate them in New
Caledonia, and is inclined to pronounce more favourably
upon their taste. Living plants were brought by him
to the Sydney botanic garden, where they are now grow
ing with native vigour in the open air. x 2

308 A MISSION TO VITI.
Kitchen vegetables are supplied by a number of wild
and cultivated plants. The natives boil the leaves of
several ferns, among them those of the Litobrochia
sinuata, Brack., and in times of scarcity those of the Ba-
labala (Alsophila excelsa, E. Br.) ; those of the Ota (An-
giopteris evecta, Hoffm.), a species Avith gigantic foliage,
are peculiarly tender, and their taste not unlike that of
spinach. The common brake (Pteris aquilina, Linn.,
var. esculenta, Hook, fil), though plentiful, does not
seem to be used as it is by the Polynesian tribes of New
Zealand. The leaves of the Boro ni yaloka in gata (i. e.
serpent's-egg boro), our Solanum oleraceum, a spiny kind
of herbaceous nightshade, serve as " greens " to both the
natives and foreigners. The young shoots of the Vaulo
of Viti Levu (Flagellaria indica, Linn.), known also, if I
am not misinformed, by the names of Tui, Vico, Turuka,
and Malava in different districts, after having been
boiled, are eaten with taro and yams, but only by Fijians.
Tavo kinds of purslane, termed " Taukuku ni vuaka " in
Taviuni (Portulaca oleracea, Linn., et Portulaca quadri-
fida, Linn.), are common weeds which, during my stay
at Somosomo, were frequently brought to table. The
natives sometimes grow whole fields of the Bete or Vau
vau ni Viti (Hibiscus [Abelmoschus] Manihot, Linn.), an
erect shrub, attaining six or eight feet in height, bear
ing yellow flowers and lobed leaves, which, especially if
not quite developed, are tender eating, relished even by
Europeans. The Boro dina (Solanum anthropophagorum,
Seem.), a straggling shrub with glabrous leaves and
scarlet or yellow berries, possessing a faint aromatic
smell, and resembling tomatos in shape, has also edible

KITCHEN VEGETABLES. 309
leaves and fruit. The Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum,
Mill), as a tropical production, is quite at home. The
Cajan, pigeon-pea or pea-tree (Cajanus Indicus, Spr.),
introduced from the United States, is cultivated success
fully. Its seeds, when young, make a tolerably good
substitute for green peas, acceptable in a country well
supplied with both wild and tame ducks. The Dra-
lawa {Lablab vulgaris, Savi) grows in great abundance
about Somosomo, covering whole acres of ground, and
if not indigenous, has at all events become perfectly na
turalized in that and various other parts of the group.
It seems to bear without interruption throughout the
year, its numerous white flowers being always seen
Avherever the plant has established itself. The beans
are extremely tender, and after having been boiled in
AA'ater and salt, oil and vinegar will convert them into
an excellent salad. A species of Bolichos was noticed
at Levuka, in the garden of a French settler. Indian
corn (Zea Mays, Linn.), termed " Sila ni papalagi"
(/. e. foreign Sila), from its resemblance in habit and
foliage to the indigenous Sila (Coix Lachryma, L.) —
our Job's tears — has as yet been raised sparingly, as
the Fijians and Polynesians in general have never been
accustomed to grow any grain whatever, and most of
the white settlers are English, ignorant of the innu
merable uses to which the Americans apply it. There
is only one rather inferior kind, a small yellow-grained
one, and the introduction of the larger and better sorts
would be a boon easily conferred upon the islands. The
settlers sadly complain that their domestic fowls (toa)
become wild, and instead of keeping near the houses

310 A MISSION TO VITI.
take up their abode in the woods, where they have to be
shot when required. If more Indian corn were grown,
and these birds fed with it regularly, they would pro
bably preserve their domestic habits as thoroughly as
they do in other countries. Hitherto no attempts have
been made to cultivate our so-called European vege
tables in the cooler regions of the mountains, where
they would doubtless thrive well. None have been
raised except on the coast, where the heat of the tropics
is not moderated by elevation, and the unchecked in
fluence of the sea air proves destructive to many kinds.
Yet even here cabbages and turnips have been produced
from foreign seeds, and parsley may be looked upon as
a permanent acquisition.
Bananas and plantains — understanding by the for
mer those Musas the fruit of which may be eaten raAV,
by the latter those which have to undergo some pro
cess of cooking before eating — are knoAvn by the col
lective name of " Vudi." There are about eighteen
different species, or rather say kinds (for the boundary
between species and variety has never been determined
Avith accuracy in this genus) — all of which bear distinc
tive names.* With the exception of one, the Soaqa
(Musa Troglodytarum, Linn.), none are found wild, and
this wild one even is occasionally met with in planta
tions. It grows spontaneously in the depth of the forests,
* The following are the different kinds known to me : — Vudi ni papa-
iagi {Musa Chinensis, Sweet [Cavendishi, Paxt.]), Soaqa (Musa Troglo
dytarum, Linn.), Balawa ni Bakiraki, Bati, Dreli, Buli, Droledrole, Gone-
gone, Leve ni Ika, Mudramudra, Soqo, Tumoutala, Ura, Vudi dina, Vudi
Kalakala, Vudi ni Toga, Waiwai Leka, Waiwai Salusalu, Waiwai Vula,
and Sei.

EDIBLE EEUIT. 311
often in ravines, and is distinguished from all con
geners by its bunches, instead of hanging down, being
perfectly upright, and presenting a dense collection of
orange-coloured fruits. The Polynesians, ahvays ready
to account for any deAiation from a normal type, have
not failed to exercise then- ingenuity here. The Sa
moans assure us that once upon a time all the bananas
and plantains had a great fight, in which the Soaqa
(then Fae) came off victorious, and proudly raised its
head erect ; whilst the Aanquished became so humiliated
by the defeat sustained, that they were never able to
hold up their heads again. An important addition to
their stock the Fijians received in the Vudi ni papalagi
(i. e. foreign banana), our Musa Chinensis, which the late
John Williams, better known as the Martyr of Ero-
manga, brought from the Duke of Devonshire's seat at
Chatsworth to the Samoan or NaAigator Islands, whence
again, in 1848, the Eev. George Pritchard carried it to
the Tongan or Friendly Islands, as well as to the Fijis. Its
introduction has put an effectual stop to those famines
Avhich previously were experienced in some of these is
lands. Never attaining any greater height than six feet,
and being of robust growth, it is little affected by the
violent winds which cause such damage amongst planta
tions of the taller kinds, and this advantage, coupled
with its abundant yield and fine flavour, have induced
the natives to propagate it to such an extent that,
notwithstanding its comparatively recent introduction,
the Vudi ni papalagi numbers amongst the most common
bananas of the country. The fruit of the different Musas
is variously prepared by the native cooks. Bananas split

312 A MISSION TO VITI.
in half, and filled with grated cocoa-nut and sugar-cane,
make a favourite pudding (vakalolo), which, on account
of its goodness and rich sauce of cocoa-nut milk, has
found its Avay even into the kitchen of the white settlers.
Wilkes has already mentioned that the natives, instead of
hanging up the fruit until it becomes mellow, bury it
(occasionally, it should be added) in the ground, which
causes it to appear black on the outside, and impairs the
flavour. The fresh leaves are used as substitutes for
plates and dishes in serving food or for making tempo
rary clothing, the dry instead of paper for cigarettos
(sulu ka). In place of the finger-glasses handed round at
our tables after dinner, Fijians of rank are suppliedewith
portions of the leafstalk of the plantain, — not a super
fluous luxury when forks are dispensed Avith except at
cannibal feasts.
The breadfruit is seen in regular forests, and in a great
number of varieties, which a new-comer has some diffi
culty in distinguishing until he has learnt to observe
that in the shape of the leaves — which are either entire,
pinnatisect, or bi-pinnatisect — their size and their either
bullate or even surface, the shape and size of the fruits,
the time of its maturity, the absence or presence, as well
as the length of the prickles on its outside, and the
abortion of its ovules or their development into seeds,
offer good marks of distinction. The general Fijian
name for the breadfruit is " Uto," signifying " the heart,"
from the resemblance of the form of the fruit to that
organ, whilst the varieties are distinguished by additional
names. Those less frequently cultivated are, however,
not knoAvn by the same names throughout the group, but

EDIBLE FEUIT. 313
bear different ones in different districts. Hence, the ex
act number of varieties cannot be accurately determined,
until there shall be a botanic garden in Fiji, AA'here a
complete collection of breadfruits is cultivated. I have
identified several names of the most prominent Ararieties,
but hesitate about others, as I could only take the leaves
with me from place to place, and often did not see the
fruit, or had to carry it in my mind's eye. The principal
breadfruit season is in March and April, but some kinds
ripen considerably later or earlier, whilst in some dis
tricts the season itself is altogether later. It may thus
be said, speaking generally, that there is ripe breadfruit,
more or less abundant, throughout the year, in either
one part or the other. The fruit is made into puddings
or simply boiled or baked. Quantities of it are pre
served underground, to make madrai or native bread.
Some kinds are best adapted for puddings, some for
bread, or culinary purposes of a still more simple de
scription. Besides the fruit, the wood of the breadfruit
tree is useful, but that of some kinds better adapted for
canoes and buildings than others. The bark is not
beaten into cloth, as in other parts of Polynesia ; but
the gum (drega), issuing from cuts made into the stem,
is used for paying the seams of canoes.
The two most common sorts are Uto dina and Uto
buco. The Uto dina, or true breadfruit, has pinnatisect
leaves, the surface of Avhich is even, and destitute of that
bullate appearance which imparts to the Koqo and other
varieties an almost sickly look ; the fruit, bearing abor
tive ovules, is nearly round, smooth on the outside, and
supported on stalks four to five inches long, which from

314 A MISSION TO VITI.
the very first are bent downwards. It is this variety
which most botanists consider as the type of the species,
and the adjective " dina," true or genuine, given by the
Fijians, may be cited as a proof of the correctness of this
surmise. But if we have to look for an original stock
from which all other sorts have sprung, we ought not to
select one which, like the Uto dina, has invariably abor
tive ovules, and can therefore not produce seeds from
Avhich new varieties can be raised. The Uto sore, Uto
vaka sorena, or Uto maliva, as it is termed in different
districts, has not that deficiency, but does yield ripe
seeds in abundance, and has, therefore, greater claims to
be regarded as the type from which all the other varieties
may have been raised. The name of Uto dina (true or
genuine breadfruit) may perhaps have been applied on
account of its goodness, which, I believe, is undisputed.
The Uto buco also has pinnatisect leaves with an even
surface as opposed to the bullate one of other sorts, and
an obovate obtuse fruit of larger size than that of the
Uto dina, and quite free from any prickles on the out
side Avhen fully ripe.*
* In order to obtain a clearer insight into the varieties, it will be best to
subjoin a synopsis of all the breadfruits cultivated in Fiji : —
I. Leaves entike or quite entibe.
1. Uto lolo bears this name in the Straits of Somosomo, and is called
Uto cohocoho in the Eewa district ; perhaps, also, identical with the TJlo
dogodogo and Uto draucoho mentioned in the Fijian dictionary. It looks
different from all others, the leaves, especially when the tree gets older,
being quite entire ; in young plants they are sometimes obscurely lobed.
The fruit is without seeds. II. Leaves pinnatisect.
5J. Uto dina. — Known by that name, and that name only, throughout
Fiji. Leaves with an even surface ; fruit without seeds, nearly spherical,

EDIBLE FEUTT. 315
Other edible fruits, some of delicious flavour, are met
with throughout the group, either perfectly wild or in
a state of cultivation. Most of them have been in Fiji
from time immemorial, and only a feAV, such as the pine-
with a smooth surface, and supported on stalks, four or five inches long,
nodding from the first.
3. Uto buco. — Known by that name throughout the group. Leaves with
an even surface. Fruit ovate obtuse, larger than that of most sorts, des
titute of seeds, and with a smooth surface when ripe.
4. Uto Tcoqo. — Known by this name throughout the group, but in some
dialects called Oqo and Qoqo. Leaves bullate ; fruit without seeds, and
as large as that of Uto dina, smooth on surface.
5. Uto votovoto. — Known under this name throughout the group. Leaves
with an even surface ; fruit oblong without seeds, and covered with prickles
three-quarters of an inch long.
6. Utovaraqa. — Known by this name in Rewa and Bau; Uto varaJca
in some dialects. Leaves larger than those of any other kind ; fruit
roundish, of middle size, without seeds, and with a rough surface.
7. Uto bohasi. — Known by that name in Eewa and Ovalau. Leaves with
even surface ; fruit obovate, with a smooth surface, without seeds, erect
when young, nodding when ripe, and arriving at maturity early in the
season. 8. Uto sore. — Known by that name in Eewa, by that of Uto vaha sorena
in Ovalau, Uto asalea in the Straits of Somosomo, and Uto maliva at Nn-
kubalaon. Uto sasaloa may also prove a synonym. " Sore " or " Sorena,"
signifies a seed ; hence Uto sore, or Uto vaha sorena, is the seed-bearing
breadfruit ; the only kind in which the ovules develope into seeds, render
ing it probable that this kind is the parent of all the others. Leaves with
even surface.
9. Uto rolcouta. — Known by that name at Namara, near Bau. Leaves
bullate, giving the tree a sickly look.
10. Uto balekana. — Known by that name in the Straits of Somosomo and
at Ovalau. Leaves with even surface ; fruit small but of superior quality,
according to the natives.
11. Uto qio. — Known by that name in Ovalau. Fruit almost as large
as that of Uto buco. " Qio " is the name for shark, and was probably
given to this fruit from the surface its resembling in roughness that of
the fish.
12. tto vonu. — Known at Somosomo. Leaves . . . ; fruit largish.
III. Leaves bi-pinnatifid.
13. Uto halasai. — Known by that name in Eewa, and by that of Uto

316 A MISSION TO VITI.
apple, the papaw, the custard-apple, and the Chinese
banana, have been introduced of late years. The most
prominent place among the native fruits undoubtedly
belongs to the Wi (Evia dulcis, Comm., = Spondias
dulcis, Forst.). The tree appears to be self-sown, and is
met Avith in abundance about toAvns and villages. It is
often sixty feet high ; the bark is smooth and Avhitish,
the leaves pinnate, glabrous, and of a dark green, form
ing a fine contrast Avith the yellow oval-shaped fruits
Avith AAliich the tree is heavily laden. The fruit has a
fine apple-like smell, and a most agreeable acid flavour,
rendering it highly suitable for pies ; indeed, the Wi is
the only Fijian fruit which recommends itself for that
purpose. At Eewa I weighed and measured several
highly developed ones, and found the largest to be ex
actly one foot in circumference, and one pound two
ounces in weight. The natives are as fond of Wis as
the white settlers, and quite content to make their
dinner of Taro and Wis. The DaAva (Nephelium pin-
natum, Chamb., = Pometia pinnata, Forst.) is more
plentiful than the Wi ; entire forests of it are frequently
sawesawe in the Straits of Somosomo. The leaves, especially when the
plant is young, are distinctly bi-pinnatifid, in which respect this kind dif
fers from all others ; fruit, according to natives, rather oblong and covered
with prickles.
Of the following I know nothing, save the names, partly taken from
Hazelwood's Dictionary, partly from a list of breadfruits known at Ovalau,
and kindly communicated by Mr. Binner, of Levuka. Most of them will
doubtless prove synonyms of those enumerated above : — Draucoko ( = Co-
cocokoP), Bucotabua, Utoga (= Koqo), Waisea, Utoloa (=Uto loloP),
Matavesi, Dregadrega (N.B. Drega is the name of the gum issuing from
the stem), "Buco uvi." The "Bucudo" of Wilkes's Narrative, and is
probably identical with Buco, though he mentions the latter name spelt
" Umbuda ;" but what can be meant by his " Botta-bot "?

EDIBLE FEUIT. 317
encountered, and there appear to be several varieties.
It is sixty feet high, and shares with most Fijian fruit-
trees the peculiarity of yielding a useful timber. The
leaves are pinnate, the leaflets serrate, and when first
opening, display a brilliant red tinge, which at a dis
tance looks as if the tree were in bloom. The flowers,
arranged in terminal panicles, are whitish and of dimi
nutive size. The fruit, ripening in January and Febru
ary, has rather a glutinous honey-like taste, and attains
about the size of a pomegranate. The Fijians deem the
Dawa peculiar to their islands. It certainly does not
occur to the eastward in a wild state, as the Tonguese
are said to have obtained it from Fiji ; but it seems to
be quite common in all the groups lying westwards, the
New Hebrides, New Caledonia, and others. A native
of Were assured me it was plentiful in his island, and
Dr. Bennett, of Sydney, found it cultivated under the
name of " Thav," at Eotuma, a little island to the north
of Fiji, as recorded in his ' Gatherings of a Naturalist.'
I succeeded in carrying living plants to the botanic gar
den at Sydney, where they were left in charge of Mr.
Moore, and whence they may perhaps find their way to
the new colony of Queensland, and prove acceptable
additions to the fruits of that country.
The Kavika or Malay-apple (Eugenia Malaccensis,
Linn.) abounds in all the forests. As in the Hawaiian
and other Polynesian islands, there are two varieties;
the purple (Kavika damudamu) and the white (Kavika
vulavula). When the tree, which attains about forty feet
m height, is in flower, the ground underneath is densely
covered with petals and stamens, looking, especially if

318 A MISSION TO VITI.
the tAvo varieties groAV together, like a fine Turkey car
pet. I have often seen the natives gathering handfuls
of them to strew on their heads. In their idea, there is
scarcely a finer tree than the Kavika ; and Avhen in their
fairy tales the imagination runs riot, and describes all
that is lovely and beautiful, the Kavika is rarely omitted.
The Hawaiians, as I have stated elsewhere (' Narrative
of the Voyage of H.M.S. Herald,' vol. ii. p. 83), thought
this tree worthy of supplying materials for their idols;
and thus, like the Fijians, recorded their veneration for
it. A botanist, himself more than half a tree-worship
per, can fully sympathize with them. The fine oblong
leaves, their smooth shining surface, the deep purple
or pure white flowers, and afterwards the large quince-
shaped fruits, with their apple-like smell and deli
cate flavour, are well calculated to justify much of the
praise Polynesians bestow upon the tree. The lvi, or
Tahitian chestnut, as it has been called by voyagers
(Inocarpus edulis, Forst.), is one of the common trees,
and when fully grown has a most venerable aspect. I
still see in my mind's eye a fine group on the banks of
a rivulet between Wairiki and Somosomo, diffusing a
dense shade. Sixty, often eighty feet high, the lvi
bears a thick croAvn of oblong leathery leaves, small
white flowers emitting a delicious perfume, and kidney-
shaped fruits, which contain a kernel resembling chest
nuts in taste. The kernel is either baked or boiled, and
eaten without further preparation, or grated on the
mushroom coral (Fungia), and made into puddings or
bread (madrai). The stem is most singular. When young,
it is fluted like a Grecian column ; when old, it has re-

EDIBLE FEUIT. 319
gular buttresses of projecting wood. Ferns, orchids, and
wax-flowers frequently take up their abode on the soft
spongy bark. The roots of old trees appear above the
ground somewhat like those of the bald cypress of
North America (Taxodium distichum, Eich.). Thousands
of seedlings are continually springing up around the old
plants, and nothing, save the dense shade of their pa
rents, and the close proximity in which they grow to
each other, exercise a check upon their engrossing all
the adjacent ground. If the fruit of the lvi is com
pared with the chestnut, that of the Tavola (Terminalia
Catappa, Linn.) may be likened to the almond, both in
shape and whiteness, though not in taste — the Tavola
having none of the flavour imparted by the presence of
the essential oil of almonds ; hence the name of " Fijian
almonds," given by the white settlers, must be received
cum grano salts. The natives are extremely fond of
the Tavola as a tree, and frequently plant it around
then houses and public buildings. The branches, ar
ranged in whorls, somewhat like those of pines, though
perhaps not quite so regular, have a horizontal ten
dency, upon which the natives improve by placing
weights upon them. The large obovate leaves are de
ciduous, and before falling off assume a variety of tints,
—brown, red, yellow, and scarlet, such as one is wont
to behold in a North American forest before the ap
proach of winter. The flowers are white and small ; the
wood hard and applicable to a variety of purposes. A
close ally of the Tavola is the Tivi (Terminalia Moluc-
cana, Lam.), a timber-tree, always growing on the sea-
beach, and bearing seeds sometimes eaten by children.

320 A MISSION TO VITI.
Like its congener, it changes the colour of its foliage,
but the tints are neither so rich as those of the former,
nor is the general habit of the tree so striking. The
Oleti or papaw-tree (Carica Papaya, Linn.), has been
introduced in the early part of this century, and has
spread with such rapidity that there is hardly a part of
the group in which it is not to be found ; neither the
natives nor the white settlers (who sometimes will per
sist in calling it mamey-apple, a very different fruit)
seem to care much for it. Only a feAV seem to be aware
that saponaceous properties reside in the leaves, Avhich,
in the absence of soap, may be, and in tropical America
are, turned to advantage ; that both the leaves and the
fruit act in an hitherto unexplained way upon the ani
mal fibre, and make the toughest meat tender, if either
boiled with portions of them, or even wrapped up in
the leaves ;* that the fruit is very good eating, either
raw or boiled ; and that the seeds, distinguished by a
mustard-like pungency, are an efficacious vermifuge for
children. The Guayava (Psidium Guayava, Eaddi) is
another fruit of recent introduction, that has spread ra
pidly over the country, and is eaten either raw or made
into SAveetmeats. One of the custard-apples (Anona
squamosa, Linn.) has not made such progress. I met a
few trees on the Somosomo estate of Captain Wilson
and M. Joubert, of Sydney, and a few at Levuka, in the
garden of a French settler. The loquat (Eriobotrya Ja-
ponica, Lindl.) is of recent introduction, and seems to
* I heard a wag telling a story of an old bachelor, who, sitting for a
while under this tree with a young lady, became so tender-hearted as to
pop the question.

EDIBLE FEUIT.

321

promise fair results. A number of healthy-looking
plants grow in the garden of Mr. Binner, of Levuka,
where the grape-rine ( Vitis vinifera, Linn.) and various
other useful plants, recently brought to the islands, are
also to be met with. The different species of Citrus,
shaddocks, oranges, lemons, and Seville oranges, are
known collectively as " Moli," and distinguished from
each other by additional names. The shaddock (Citrus
decumana, Linn.) or Moli kana (i. e. edible Moli), is ex
tremely common, and thickly lines the banks of rivers ;
as, for instance, that of Namosi in Viti Levu, where,
during our stay in August, 1860, the stillness of night
was frequently broken by the heavy splash of the fall
ing fruits. There is a variety with white, another with
pink, flesh, both of which are much liked by the natives.
The Moli kurukuru (Citrus vulgaris, Eisso) is equally com
mon, but the Fijians do not make use of it as an article
of diet. The Moli kara, or lemon (Citrus medica, Eisso).
has been brought from Tahiti, about 1823, by Mr. Yan-
derford, and is almost exclusively confined to the neigh
bourhood of present or former habitations of white
settlers. The Moli ni Tahaiti (Citrus Aurantium, Linn.)
is the common variety of the orange, also derived, as
the native name indicates, from the Society Islands,
whence it was introduced simultaneously with the le
mon, by Mr. Vanderford. Like the other species of
Citrus just mentioned, it succeeds well, and small car
goes of it have occasionally been shipped to New Zea
land. The pomegranate (Punica Granatum, Linn.) is a
recent acquisition. The pine-apple (Ananassa sativa,
Lindl.), vernacularly termed " Balawa ni papalaqi," or

322 A MISSION TO VITI.
foreign screw-pine, thrives well, especially near the sea.
There is, besides the common Arariety, a proliferous one,
having many different sprouts emerging from the top of
the fruit. The water-melon (Citrullus vulgaris, Schrad.)
is as plentiful as the Vaqo, or bottle-gourds (Lagenaria
vulgaris, Ser.), which supply the natives with vessels for
their oil. Melons (Cucumis melo, Linn.), cucumbers
(Cucumis sativa, Linn.), and pumpkins or squashes (Cu-
curbita Pepo, Linn.), have also found their way to the
islands, and, in common Avith indigenous Cucurbitaceous
plants, are collectively called " Timo."
There is besides a number of fruits eaten and even
esteemed by the natives, but most insipid to a Euro
pean palate. Foremost amongst them stands the Tara-
wau (Bracontomelon sylvestre, Blume), which is also con
nected with native superstitions. The Tarawau does not
seem to be regarded as a sacred tree in the light of
those mentioned above (p. 87), it not being worshipped;
but it is held to be the business of the dead to plant it,
and believed to grow not only in this world, but also in
Naicobocobo, the Fijian nether-Avorld, or perhaps, more
correctly, the general starting-place for it. Hence arose
the expression, " Sa la'ki tei tarawau ki Naicobocobo,"
literally, " He has gone to plant Tarawaus at Naicobo
cobo ;" i. e. he is dead. It is difficult to guess why these
trees should have been deemed worthy of such distinc
tion ; they grow to the height of sixty feet, have fiattish
branches, pinnated leaves, insignificant whitish flowers,
and a tough insipid fruit, only palatable to the natives ;
moreover, they are regarded as the emblem of the truth-
speaking man, not having, as so many others, a number

EDIBLE FEUIT. 323
of false or sterile flowers. There is also the Loselose
{Ficus sp.), the Kura (Morinda citrifolia, Linn.), the
Balawa (Pandanus odoratissimus, Linn.), the Wa gadro-
gadro (Bubus tiliaceus, Smith) having a fruit resembling
the raspberry in appearance, and being occasionally
used by white settlers for pies; the Bokoi (Eugenia
Bichii, A. Gray), with a fruit someAvhat like the Kavika
¦{Eugenia Malaccensis, Linn.), but inferior in flavour;
the Sea (Eugenia sp.), still more insipid, if possible, than
the last-mentioned; and the Nawanawa (Cordia subcor-
data, Lam.), producing an edible kernel — a tree twenty-
feet high, often mistaken for the Cordia Sebestena, Linn.,
of the West Indies, which it closely resembles in habit,
but its orange flowers are neither so brilliant nor so
numerous. Nor must the Vutu kana, or Vutu kata
{Barringtonia excelsa, Blume), be forgotten. It is a
tree forty feet high, cultivated about Bau, and distin
guished from the other Barringtonias of Fiji by its egg-
shaped, not angular, fruit, eaten either raw or cooked.
Another species of Barringtonia, closely resembling the
foregoing, is the Vutu dina, which is also edible ; but
whilst the fruit of the Vutu kana (i. e. edible Vutu) has
a soft outside, that of the Vutu dina has a hard one,
requiring the application of a knife before the edible
portion can be got at. Finally must be mentioned the
Somisomi, Sosomi, Tomitomi or Tumitumi, as the dif
ferent dialets have it, — the Ximenia elliptica, Forst. It
is a sea-side shrub, having simple leaves, and a spherical
fruit containing a kernel like a cherry-stone, and emit
ting, especially when green, a most powerful smell of
essential oil of almonds. The fruit when quite ripe is
y 2

324 A MISSION TO VITI.
orange-coloured, and has, though a tart, not a disagree
able flavour. The natives share a partiality for it Avith
the wild pigeons, which flock to it in numbers. The
wood of the shrub is very hard, and used for making
those peculiar pillows (Kali) of the country, which the
Fijians 'doubtless invented in order to prevent the de
rangement of their enormously large heads of hair,
curled and dressed as they are with infinite care.\
The national beverage is the Kava, or, as the Fijians
term it, " Yaqona," prepared from the root of the Piper
methysticum, Forst., or, as its modem name is, Macro
piper methysticum, Miq., a species of pepper, of which
there are six varieties, distinguished by the height of
the entire plant, the length and thickness of the joints,
and the more or less purplish or greenish tinge of the
stem and leaves. The best Yaqona, for this name applies
to the plant as well as to the beverage extracted from
it, grows from 500 to 1000 feet above the sea-level, and
in the islands of Kadavu and Viti Levu. The plant is
cultivated throughout the group in small patches, and
isolated specimens are frequently noticed around pubhc
and private houses. It is propagated by offshoots. The
highest shrubs are about six feet, and then stem from
an inch to an inch and a half in diameter ; the leaves
are cordate, and either green or more or less tinged
with purple. The root and extreme base of the stem
are the parts of which the drink is prepared ; they are
preferred fresh, but are nearly as good when dry. After
the roots have been dug up, they are placed in an airy
spot, generally on a stage over the fireplace. In order to
prepare the beverage, it is necessary to reduce the roots

NATIONAL BEVEEAGES. 325
to minute particles, which, according to regular Polyne
sian usage, is done by chewing — a task in Fiji devolving
upon lads who have sound teeth, and occupy a certain
social rank towards the man for whom they perform the
office. In other Polynesian islands it is done by young
women. When a sufficient quantity has been chewed,
the masticated mass is placed in a bowl made of the
wood of the Vesi {Afzelia bijuga, A. Gray), and having
four legs and a piece of rope attached to it, which, when
the bowl is brought in, is thrown towards the greatest
man present, and guides those who happen to arrive in
ignorance of his rank in observing the ceremonies re
quired from them. Some Fijians make it a point to
chew as great a quantity as possible in one mouthful ;
and there is a man of this sort at Verata, famous all
over the group, who is able within three hours' time to
chew a single mouthful sufficient to intoxicate fifty per
sons. Fortunately, Kava, unlike distilled spirits, does not
render people quarrelsome;, and Fijians, on extolling
the virtues of their national beverage, often make this
observation. On public occasions, or at convivial meet
ings, when the chewed root is placed in the boAvl, and
water is poured on, the whole assembly begin to chant
appropriate songs, accompanied by the beating of little
sticks on a bamboo- or log of wood, and this is kept up
until the dregs of the root have been strained through
the fibres of the Vau (different species of Paritium), or
in the absence of them, through fern leaves. When the
beverage is ready, the chant is discontinued, and the
priest or any head man present pronounces a toast or
prayer over it, after which the first cup — a cocoa-nut

326 A MISSION TO VITI.
shell — is handed to the person of highest rank in the
company. The Kava is taken out of the bowl by means
in the strainer, which is dipped into the fluid, and then
squeezed. Although both bowl and cup are always care
fully dried and cleaned after having been used, a crust
invariably forms at the inside, giving them the appear
ance as if they had been enamelled. This crust, after a
lapse of three or four months, is carefully scraped off,
and makes the strongest of all Yaqona. The beverage
has the look of coffee with plenty of milk in it, and an
aromatic slightly pungent taste, which, when once ac
quired, must, like all acquired tastes, be perfectly irre
sistible. Drunk in moderation, it has probably no bad
effect, and acts upon the system somewhat like betel-nut ;
but taken in excess, it generates all sorts of skin-diseases,
and weakens the eyesight. Nearly all the lower class of
whites in the Fiji are Kava drinkers, some regular drunk
ards ; and it is generally accepted as a proof of a man
belonging to the more respectable portion of society if
he refrains from touching this filthy preparation. Most
of these whites prefer it prepared in true Polynesian
fashion ; only a few have the root rasped on a grater — a
process said to impair the flavour considerably. Eoots of
Yaqona are presented to visitors as tokens of goodwill,
and to the temples as offerings. I have also seen the
leaves of the plant hung up in the temples, together
with the little twigs of the Waltheria Americana. As
we in Europe, when engaging soldiers or servants, hand
a small coin in proof that the bargain has been ac
cepted, so the Fijians, when effecting a bargain or sale
give or take a small deposit, Avhich is called the " Ya-

NATIONAL BEVERAGES. 327
qona," and either consists of a piece of Kava-root, or
any other article that may prove acceptable. Drinking
KaA'a being peculiar to all Polynesian tribes, Thomson
('Story of New Zealand:' London, 1859: vol. i. p. 193)
expresses surprise that the Maoris of New Zealand
should have forgotten the art of extracting it, " seeing
that the plant (Piper methysticum, Forst.) grows abun
dantly in the country." But the Piper found wild in
New Zealand is not, as Dr. Thomson supposes, the Piper
methysticum, Forst. (the true Kava plant), but the Piper
excelsum of the same author (Macropiper excelsum, Miq.).
Hence it can form no surprise that a genuine Poly
nesian people should have forgotten the art alluded to
during the long lapse of time intervening between their
departure from Samoa and their discovery by Europeans.
They have, however, preserved the name of " Kava,"
which they have transferred to their indigenous pepper
(Kawa-kawa), and also to a beverage (Kawa) made of
the fruits of the Coriaria myrtifolia, Linn., by them
termed Tupa-Kihi, Tutu, or Puhou. Kawa-kawa, ac
cording to Colenso's statement in J. D. Hooker's ' Flora
of New Zealand,' signifies "piquant." Thomson at
tempts to trace Kawa, Kava, or Ava, as the various Poly
nesian dialects have it, to the Sanscrit " Kasya," which
seems to be a general term for intoxicating beverages.*
* The medicinal properties of the Kava-plant have of late claimed some
attention. In the French translation of Golding Bird's work on Calculous Af
fections, Dr. O'Eorke has inserted, amongst others, the following remarks: —
"The Kava-plant is the most powerful sudorific in existence, and its
stimulant qualities render it applicable in those cases in which colchicum
is prescribed. . . . The intoxication it produces is not like that caused by
spirituous liquors, but rather induces a placid tranquillity, accompanied by

328 A MISSION TO VITI.
Besides their favourite yaqona, the Fijians drink the
natural liquor of young cocoa-nuts ; but they had ab
solutely no other beverage save Avater. They Avere igno
rant of extracting an intoxicating drink from the sac
charine roots of their Masawe (Dracama terminalis,
Linn.), so much employed for that purpose by the Ha-
waiians and other Polynesians. They were even stran
gers to infusions and decoctions made of aromatic leaves,
and the so-called Fijian tea, vernacularly termed Ma
tadra, was never used by the natives. The European
settlers, who first employed it as a substitute for Chi
nese tea, by drying and then boiling the leaves, brought
the custom from the eastern groups of Polynesia. The
Matadra (Missiessya corymbulosa, Wedd.) is a straggling
shrub, belonging to the nettle-tribe, having slender
branches, and generally growing as underwood. It at
tains from six to eight feet in height, has leaves some
what resembling those of the elm, but AAliite underneath,
and minute floAvers and fruits arranged in corymbs.
incoherent dreams. Kava is as powerful in its therapeutic action as lig
num vitae or guaiacum, sarsaparilla, etc., and the islanders use it as a
specific against the diseases brought over to them by foreign vessels. On
the other hand, this drug, used to excess as an intoxicating agent, over
excites the skin by its sudorific effects, and eventually even occasions
elephantiasis. . . . The chemical constituents, according to Gobley, are as
follows :— carbon, 62'03; hydrogen, 6'10 ; nitrogen, 1/12; oxygen, 30'75.
It contains 26 per cent, of cellulose, 49 per cent, of starch, one of methys-
ticine, a crystallizable principle, two of an acrid resin called Kawine, and
about 7 per cent, of gum, iron, and magnesia, and a few substances of
minor importance." In a paper, which M. Cuzent laid before the Academy
of Sciences at Paris, in 1861, the chemical composition of the Kavahine
(thus it is spelt in the report at hand), the active crystallizable principle
of the Kava, identical, it would seem, with what Gobley terms " Me-
thysticine," is thus given : no nitrogen, 66 per cent, of carbon, 6 of hydro
gen, and 28 of oxygen.

NATIONAL BEVERAGES. 329
Some people have drunk a decoction of its leaves with
out perceiving it to be different from Chinese tea.
There is another negative fact of singular ethnolo
gical importance connected with this subject. Neither
the Fijians nor the Polynesians in general were ac
quainted Avith the art of extracting toddy from the un-
expanded flowers of the cocoa-nut palm. It is only
in quite recent times that Europeans have instructed
them in it. This, in a great measure, seems to strengthen
the position of those who maintain that the Polyne
sians did not come from the Malayan or any other dis
trict of Asia ; that they would never have migrated con
trary to the direction of the prevailing trade-winds ; and
that the identity of certain Malayan and Polynesian
words, thought to be an overpowering argument in
favour of that exodus, cuts both ways, and may be made
to prove either that these words came from purely Ma
layan to Polynesian districts, or from a genuine Polyne
sian to a Malayan ; and exactly the same dilemma is
encountered in dealing with the geographical distribu
tion of Polynesian plants and animals. Passionately
fond as are the Polynesians of intoxicating drinks, they
would never have discontinued making toddy, if they
had ever known the way to make it, especially as a tree
yielding it, the cocoa-nut palm, is common throughout
Polynesia. In order to reconcile this fact with the hy
pothesis that the Polynesians are of Malayan origin, it
might be assumed that they left the cradle of their
race before the extraction of toddy from the cocoa-nut
tree, or even the cocoa-nut tree itself, was known there.
Tradition, historical evidence, and observed facts, all

330 A MISSION TO VITI.
agree in showing the progression of the cocoa-nut tree
from west to east. Numerous cocoa-nuts are annually
drifted on the eastern shores of NeAV Holland, where
they often germinate and grow, until the seedlings are
killed by the low temperature of the winter months.
Ceylon, now covered with immense forests of cocoa-nut
palms, has a distinct tradition that at one time the tree
was unknown there, and there is even a statue not far
from Galle, recording the event of its becoming known
there ; Avhilst the oldest chronicles of the island, known
by the name of the MaraAvansa, and the historical value
of which is noAV fully admitted, are absolutely silent on
everything relating to the cocoa-nut, while they never
fail to record every accession to the plantations of other
fruit-trees made by the native princes. This seems to
prove that the cocoa-nut Avas not always knoAvn, and
that it would have much sooner found its way there
than it did if it had been indigenous to India Proper ;
whilst the fact that all other species comprising the
genus Cocos are strictly confined to the interior of tropi
cal America, and only this one species (C. nucifera, Linn.),
a sea-side plant, unaffected by drifting on sea-water, is
spread over Polynesia and the Old World generally,
offers another important consideration. But even if the
introduction of the cocoa-nut tree to Asia took place
after the assumed departure of the Polynesian tribes, the
latter must have been well acquainted with the art of
making toddy, as there is a number of palms in Asia,
about the true native country of which there is no doubt
whatever, yielding toddy — a beverage of so ancient a
date that even the oldest language of that continent has

NATIONAL BEVERAGES. 331
a name for it, — toddy being only a corruption of the
Sanskrit Avord " tade." Had, therefore, the Polynesians
once knoAvn the process by which they might have ob
tained, not only a strong liquor, but also sugar, vinegar,
and yeast, they would have operated as readily upon
the cocoa-nut tree in the South Sea, as the people of
Southern Asia did when the cocoa-nut tree came to their
shores. Taking, probably, its departure from Western
America, the cocoa-nut was drifted by prevailing winds
to Polynesia, where its toddy-yielding properties were
not suspected ; thence it drifted on towards Asia, and
there was perceived to be as capable of yielding a fa
vourite beverage as the Palmyra, the wild date-tree,
the Arenga saccharifera, and the various species of the
singular Caryota palms had done from time immemorial.

332

CHAPTEE XVII.
VEGETABLE POISONS. — MEDICINAL PLANTS. — SCENTS AND PEBFUMES. — MA
TERIALS FOE CLOTHING.  MATS AND BASKETS.  FIBEES USED FOE
,-COEDAGE.  TIMBER.  PALMS.  OENAMENTAL PLANTS.  MISCELLANEOUS.
Vegetable poisons are extracted by certain natives who
make a profound secret of their art, and it would re
quire an intimacy of years before any reliable infor
mation on this point could be elicited. I was ready
to make presents of hatchets, knives, and other valued
articles, to get some insight into their toxicology ; but
Mr. Pritchard begged me to abstain : the natives would
take alarm at my inquiry, and if perchance any great
man should be taken ill or die during my visit, it would
at once be said that 1, availing myself of the knowledge
acquired, had administered a fatal dose — a most unde
sirable charge in the present state of political ferment.
The Fijians have both slow and acute poisons, and when
a man is gradually sinking (often, no doubt, from a very
different cause), it is readily believed that " he has had
a dose." He will then seek the advice of some skilful
native physician, if possible one at Bau, the capital, to
administer the necessary antidotes, and restore him to
health. However, very often there is no time to inter
pose betAveen the fatal dose and its consequences, the

vegetable poisons. 333
effect being almost instantaneous. When, in October,
1860, 1 revisited Cakaudrove, a poisoner had just been
strangled by orders of the ruling chief; he having been
detected in putting a certain drug into a cigarette, Avhich
proved fatal to the smoker. The poisoner, on finding
himself condemned to die, not only pleaded guilty to
this crime, but also confessed to haAing been instru
mental in bringing about the death of no less than three
hundred people, all victims to his infamous art.
There being no chance of gaining any direct informa
tion about the more subtle poisons from the lips of the
natives themselves, an examination of all plants possess
ing narcotic properties would supply the deficiency, if it
were not for an anomaly, as yet insufficiently explained,
that certain species shunned as poisonous in one country,
are eaten with impunity in another. There are mush
rooms AA'hich in England are absolutely noxious, and on
the Continent wholesome food. In Fiji, the leaves of
the Boro yaloka ni gato (Solanum oleraceum, Dun.),
a spiny species, closely allied to Solanum nigrum, Linn.,
and those of the Boro dina (Solanum anthropophagorum,
Seem.) as well .as the fruit of the latter and that of the
Bora Sou or Sousou (Solanum repandum, Forst.), are
eaten ; the latter in soups or with yam. I was in some
measure prepared for this, having seen quantities of
the first-named species, as well as another nightshade
(Solanum nigrum, Linn.), exposed for sale in the market
of Port Louis, Mauritius, and learnt on inquiry that they
Avere common pot-herbs, eaten both by the white and
coloured population, as intimated by Bojer in his Hortus
Mauritanus. Strychnos colubrina, Linn., is met with in

334 A MISSION TO viti.
Viti Levu, but I have not been able to learn whether
the natives are aware of its containing strychnine. A
kind of Upas tree (Antiaris Bennettii, Seem.), commonly
termed " Mavu ni Toga," probably because it has been
introduced from the Tonga islands, was formerly planted
about heathen temples, and is even now to be found in
towns and villages. It is a middle-sized tree, Avith a
thick crown of dark foliage, oblong glossy leaves, and a
fleshy fruit of the size of an apricot, covered with a vel
vety skin of a most beautiful crimson colour. A gum
exuding from the stem and branches is used for arrows.
The exact nature of its poisonous properties has not
yet been ascertained. That they are not equal to those
ascribed to the true Upas tree of Java (Antiaris tori-
caria, Leschen.) is proved by the manner in which the
natives handle it ; but it is impossible to say whether
one of the reasons for its cultivation near temples, and
its probable introduction from Tonga, may not be found
in its yielding a poison of which the heathen priests
may have occasionally made use. Sir E. Home gathered
it in Wallis Island, and Dr. Bennett, of Sydney, found
it cultivated in Tucopia for making bark-cloth.
Amongst the trees most dreaded by the natives on
account of their noxious qualities, the Kau Karo, lite
rally itch-wood, occupies a prominent place, and seems
to act someAvhat like Bhus venenata or Semecarpus Ana-
cardium. Mr. Pritchard and myself first heard of its
existence during our visit to the southern shores of
Viti Levu, in July, 1860, and on the banks of a river
were fortunate enough to obtain specimens of the tree,
proving it to be the Oncocarpus Vitiensis, A. Gray =

VEGETABLE POISONS. 335
Bhus atrum, Forst., an Anacardiaceous plant. The tree,
when fully developed, is about sixty feet high, bearing
large oblong leaves and a very curious corky fruit, some
what resembling the seed of the walnut. On handling
the specimens a drop of the juice fell on the hand of
one of our party, and instantly produced a pain equal to
that caused by contact Avith a redhot poker. Mr. E. A.
Egerstrom, a Swedish gentleman, residing on the island
of Naigani, had been still more unfortunate in his ac
cidental contact with the Kau Karo ; and on visiting
his hospitable roof on the 2nd July, 1860, he was just
recovering from the effects of the accident. Having de
sired a native carpenter to procure him a spar suitable
for a flag-staff, one Avas brought of Kau Karo, about
forty-two feet long, and twenty-two inches in girth at
the foot, having a Avhite wood and a green bark, not
unlike that of the Vau dina (Paritium tiliaceum, Juss.)
and light-coloured when peeled off. Ignorant of the
poisonous properties of the tree, Mr. Egerstrom himself
peeled off the bark, and found the sap beneath it very
plentiful. " In the evening," — I quote Mr. Egerstrom's
own words, in a letter to the British Consul, — " I was
troubled with considerable itching about my legs, and
every part of my body which had come in contact with
the spar, especially about the abdomen and lower parts,
having sat across the tree when barking it. All the parts
affected became red and inflamed, breaking out in innu
merable pustules, which emitted a yellowish matter with
a nauseous smell. The itching was exceedingly painful
and irritating, and my arms having been bare when ope
rating upon the tree, also became inflamed and broke

336 a mission to viti.
out as already described. The neighbouring natives,
who came to watch my proceedings, now warned me, too
late, not to touch the tree, as it was a poisonous one, and
advised my keeping quiet and not to touch or scratch
the parts inflamed. This advice, however, I could not
follow, the irritation for several days being excessive.
I employed no remedy, but bathed daily, as usual, in
fresh water, although advised to the contrary, but did
not get rid of the injurious effect of the itch-wood for
nearly two months."
Another tree, the contact with Avhich is avoided by
the Fijians, is the Sinu gaga (Exccecaria Agallocha,
Linn.) or poison Sinu, called so in contradistinction to
the Sinu damu (Leucosmia Btirnettiana, Bth.) and the
Sinu mataivi ( Wikstrcemia Indica, C. A. Meyer), both of
which, like the Sinu gaga, are littoral plants. The Sinu
gaga is found in mangrove swamps or on dry ground,
just above high-water mark. It is sixty feet high, has
a glossy foliage, oblong leaves, and minute green flowers
arranged in catkins. It is difficult to exterminate, for
unless the stumps are taken up, innumerable young
shoots spring up the moment the main stem is felled.
When the tree is wounded abundance of white milky
juice flows, which causes a burning effect on coming in
contact with the skin. Some natives, however, can
handle this poisonous juice with perfect impunity (era
sinu dranu), analogous to what I Avitnessed in the Man-
zanillo or Manchineel tree of tropical America, the sap
of which caused me the greatest agony after it had acci
dentally entered my eyes, and never raised even as much
as a blister on being allowed to dry on the hands of a

VEGETABLE POISONS. 337
travelling companion. The smoke of the burning wood
affects the eyes with intolerable pain, exactly as does
that of the manchineel tree, of which I gave an instance
in the ' Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Herald,'
vol. i. p. 141, — one of our boat's crew becoming blind
for several days after lighting a fire with manchineel
wood. None, save those who have been sufferers from
the effect of these poisons, can form any adequate con
ception of the agonies endured, and the courage dis
played, by a Fijian who voluntarily submits himself to
being cured of leprosy by the smoke of the Sinu gaga
wood. The Eev. W. Moore, of Eewa, was well ac
quainted with a young man of the name of Wiliami
Lawaleou, who underwent the process of being smoked.
Mr. Moore gave me the full particulars of this remark
able case when I was his guest in 1860, and he has also
published a full account of it in ' The Wesleyan Mis
sionary Notices,' Sydney, 1859, p. 157. After stating
that he knew Wiliami as a fine healthy young fellow, Mr.
Moore was surprised to find him one day so much altered
by the effects of leprosy. Some time after he again met
him full of health, and on inquiry learnt the treatment
adopted to bring about this change. Taken to a small
empty house, the leper is stripped of every article of
clothing, his body rubbed all over with green leaves, and
then buried in them. A small fire is then kindled, and a
few pieces of the Sinu gaga laid on it. As soon as the
thick black smoke begins to ascend the leper is bound
hand and foot, a rope fastened to his heels, by means
of which he is drawn up over the fire, so that his head
is some fifteen inches from the ground, in the midst of
z

338 a mission to viti.
the poisonous smoke. The door is then closed and his
friends retire a little distance, Avhilst the poor sufferer
is left to cry and shout and plead from the midst of the
suffocating stream ; but he is often allowed to remain
for hours, and finally faints away. When he is thought
sufficiently smoked the fire is removed, the slime scraped
from the body, and deep gashes cut into the skin until
the blood noAVS freely. The leper is now taken doAvn
and laid on his mats to await the result. In some cases
death — in many, life and health. Wiliami had under
gone this fearful process. He had taken some of the
youths of the place, and on his way to the smoking-
house told them his pitiable condition, his shame as an
outcast, and his willingness to suffer anything to obtain
a cure, and much would depend on their firmness. They
were not to be moved by his groans and cries, and for
the love they bore him he begged them to do the ope
ration Avell, and threatened to punish them if they per
formed it only half. Imagine the scene ! They proceed
to the lonely house. Wiliami's companions, as much
afraid of overdoing as underdoing their sad task, leave
the poor leper drawn up by his heels in the midst of a
thick black smoke ; they retire to some distance, and
presently are horrified by his piteous cries and groans.
Some weep, some run home, others rush into the smo-
king-house to take him down; but, with Spartan-like
endurance, he commands them not to terminate his suf
fering until the process is complete. At last they take
him down — he is faint and exhausted — the operation
has been successful. Wiliami is no longer a leper, but
again Avalks God's earth a healthy man.

VEGETABLE POISONS. 339
The materials employed by the natives for poisoning,
or rather stupefying, fish, a custom as prevalent all over
Polynesia as it is amongst the Indians of America, are
the square fruit of the Vutu rakaraka (Barringtonia spe-
ciosa, Linn.) and the stem and leaves of the Duva gaga
{Berris uliginosa, Benth.), both plants growing in abun
dance on the sea-beach, just above high-water mark. As
soon as these materials, — pounded to render them more
efficacious, — are thrown into the water, or drawn through
it by means of a line or creeper to which they have been
attached, the fish turn on their back and appear on the
surface. They are perfectly stupefied, and are thus easily
taken ; but they soon recover their lost activity, and are
believed not to die from the effects of the treatment
they have received.
The nettles, — those mosquitoes of the vegetable king
dom, irritating but never killing as they do, — are collec
tively termed " Salato" — a name also including those ani
mals familiarly known as sea-nettles. There are two
kinds. The Saloto ni eoro is an annual weed (Fleurya
spicata, Gaud., var. interrupta, Wedd.), which abounds
about towns and villages (hence the specific appellation
of "ni eoro"); and although the virulence of its sting
is not to be compared with that of our European nettles,
the natives so carefully avoid all contact with it, and ran
away in such fright when I gathered specimens of it for
the herbarium, that one is tempted to fancy their skins
more keenly affected by it than ours. Still greater is
their dread of an Urticaceous tree (Laportea, sp.), forty
to fifty feet high, which they simply term " Salato "
(nettle), and which, when touching the skin, produces
z 2

340 A MISSION TO VITI.
a burning pain similar to that ascribed to the sap of
Malawaci (Trophis anthropophagorum, Seem.). Milne
(Hook. Jour, and KeAV Misc. ix. p. 110) states, that "if
you should be so unfortunate as to sting yourself, you
will feel the effects for some months. I am suffering at
this moment," the writer continues, " from an accident
which occurred a month ago. There is no eruption ;
but it is most painful when exposed to the influence of
water."
; .-- The medicinal plants employed by the natives are as
difficult, perhaps more difficult, to find out than the
poisonous ones used for illegal purposes. Those Avho
profess to be acquainted with their properties — often
women, and answering to our herbalists — cannot be
tempted by any presents to disclose secrets which to
them prove a lucrative source of income for life. It is
only the virtues of plants generally known that a casual
inquirer has any chance of learning. The high estima
tion in which the oil of the Dilo (Calophyllum inophyl-
lum, Linn.) is held by the whole population, as an effi-
caceous remedy for rheumatism and other pains, has
been mentioned in another place. The leaves of the
Kura (Morinda citrifolia, Linn.), a middle-sized tree,
with shining leaves and white flowers, not unlike those
of the coffee-shrub, are heated by passing them over
flame, and their juice squeezed into ulcers, whilst the
leaves themselves are put on the wound as a kind of
bandage. The bark of the Danidani (Panax fruticosum,
Linn.), a shrub about eight feet high, and cultivated
about the native houses on account of its deeply-cut,
ornamental foliage, is scraped off, and its juice taken

MEDICINAL PLANTS. 341
as a remedy for macake, the thrush — ulcerated tongue
and throat. The properties of the Sarsaparilla (Smilax
sp.), as a means of purifying the blood, are well known.
The creeper is found throughout the group, especially
on land that has at one time been cleared, and might
be gathered in quantities if there were any demand
for it. In the London market it would at present be
unsaleable. It belongs to that section of sarsaparillas
distinguished by pharmacologists as the " non-mealy,"
the most valued representative of which is the Jamaica
sort. Moreover, it has no "beard," or little rootlets
The natives of Ovalau, Viti Levu, and Vanua Levu,
name it Kadragi and Wa rusi ; those of Kadavu, " Na
kau wa," literally, " the Avoody creeper." I met with it
years ago in the Hawaiian group ; it is said to be also
common in the Samoan and Tongan groups, and pre
pared sarsaparilla occasionally imported to the two last
mentioned has found no market, the indigenous being
preferred to the foreign production. Curious to add, in
Fiji it is not, as with us, the rhizome that is used, but
the leaves, which are chewed, put in water, and strained
through fibre, like the Yaqona or Kava (Piper methys
ticum, Forst.), before being taken. Strong purgative
properties reside in the Vasa or Eewa (Cerbera lactaria,
Ham.), a sea-side tree, twenty-five feet high, with soft
Avood, smooth shining leaves, and white scented flowers,
used for necklaces by the natives. The aromatic leaves
of the Laca (Plectranthus Forsteri, Benth.), a weed
abounding in cultivated places, and having purple bracts
supporting pale blue flowers, cure, it is said, " bad eyes "
and headaches on being brought in contact with the

342 A MISSION TO VITI.
affected parts. It is also recommended for coughs and
colds, in common with an Acanthaceous herb inhabiting
swamps (Adenosma triflora, Nees), AA'hich shares its aro
matic properties. The people of Somosomo declare
that the leaves of the Vulokaka ( Vitex trifoliata, Linn.),
with which their beach is thickly lined, when reduced
to a pulp by chewing, are employed by them for stuffing
holloAv teeth. The leaves and bark of another sea-side
shrub, the Sinu mataiavi (Wikstroemia Indica, C. A.
Meyer), are employed for coughs, the bark alone for
sores. Through a native connected with the Wesleyan mis
sion, I succeeded in purchasing a knowledge of the drugs
employed about Bau for procuring abortion. It appears
there are five plants which furnish them, two Mal
vaceae, a Buttneriacea, a Convolvulacea, and a Liliacea
— namely, the Kalakalauaisoni (Hibiscus diversifolius,
Jacq.), a spiny shrub, growing in swamps ; the Waki-
AA^aki (Hibiscus [Abelmoschus] moschatus, Moench),
closely resembling the latter, and bearing large yellow
floAvers like it, but being destitute of spines, and inva
riably preferring dry ground ; the Siti ( Grewia pruni-
folia, A. Gray), a small tree, abounding in the groups,
and producing a fruit eaten by the Fijian bat ; the Wa-
vuti (Pharbitis insularis, Chois.), a blue-flowering sea
side creeper, and the Ti Kula, Te Kula, or Va sili da-
mudamu (Braccena ferrea, Linn., var.). Of the Kalaka
lauaisoni, WakiAvaki, and the Wa buti, the juice of the
leaves, — of the Ti kula, that of the heart of the leaves
and surface of the trunk, are used. The Ti kula is held
to be the most efficacious, and only administered when

SCENTS AND PEEFUMES. 343
the other drugs have failed to produce their murderous
effects. >
'"/Perfumes for scenting cocoa-nut oil, which the na
tives profusely apply to their hair and naked body, are
supplied by the wood of the Yasi (Santalum Yasi,
Seem.), the bark of the Macou (Cinnamomum sp.), the
flowers of the Uci (Evodia hortensis, Forst.), the Ma-
kosoi {Uvaria odorata, Lam.), the BalaAva (Pandanus
odoratissimus, Linn.) and the Bua (Fagrcea Berteriana,
A. Gray), and the fruit of the Makita (Parinarium
laurinum, A. Gray), and the Leba (Eugenia \Jambosa~\
neurocalyx, A. Gray).
The Yasi or sandal-wood (Santalum Yasi, Seem.) is
confined to the south-western parts of Vanua Levu, and
formerly abounded near Bua or Sandal-wood Bay. The
high estimation in Avhich it was held by the Tonguese
early induced them to undertake regular trading voy
ages to Fiji, long prerious to those attempted by our
selves. Mariner, who was a resident in Tonga from
the year 1806 to 1810, affords us a tolerable insight
into them (J. Martin's Account of the Natives of the
Tonga Islands : London, 1817: p. 319, 333), in narrating
the adventures of' Cow Mooala, a Tonguese chief, who
had been about fourteen years from home, and had ori
ginally set out on a sandal-wood expedition. Attempts
had been made, he assures us, to extend the range of
the wood by cultivation, both in Fiji and Tonga ; but
the tree, though successfully transplanted, yielded a
produce with little or no scent, absolutely useless for
the purposes for which it was required. The demand
continuing, and the article becoming scarcer every day,

344 A MISSION TO VITI.
prices went up. At one time the Fijians would give a
considerable quantity for a few nails. "But noAV,"
Mariner continues, " they demand axes and chisels, and
those, too, of the best quality, for they have gradually
become judges of such things : Avhales' teeth are also
given in exchange for it. The chiefs of the Fiji is
lands very seldom oil themselves, and consequently re
quire very little of this Avood, the principal use of it
being to scent the oil. The natives of the Tonga is
lands, hoAvever, who require a considerable quantity of
it for the above purpose, complain heavily of its scar
city ; and what renders the matter still worse for others
is, that the Fiji people, demanding a greater number of
axes and chisels for a given quantity of wood, these im
plements are growing very scarce at the Tonga islands,
and plentiful at Fiji. Before the Tonga people ac
quired iron implements, they usually gave Avhales' teeth,
gnatoo (bark cloth) mats for sails and platt ; but whales'
teeth are exceedingly scarce, and the other articles are
too bulky for ready exportation. The sting of the fish
called sting-ray was also occasionally given ; but these
stings, which they use for the points of spears, are by
no means plentiful. This- fish is found in the greatest
quantity at an island called Ovoa, which lies about
midway betAveen Vavau and Samoa.- Another article of
exchange is a peculiar species of shell, which they find
only at Vavau, and is also scarce." It does not seem
that Europeans engaged in the sandal-Avood trade until
toAvards the close of the eighteenth century, when it
Avas taken up by Manila vessels for shipment to China.
HoAAever, so great Avas the demand for this article, both

SCENTS AND PERFUMES. 345
in the Chinese and Polynesian markets, that about the
year 1816 there was scarcely enough left for home
consumption — several thousand tons having probably
been exported, worth in China from £20 to £30 a
ton. In 1840, the United States Exploring Expedition
with difficulty obtained a few specimens for the her
barium. To save the tree from utter destruction in
the islands, the Eev. Mr. Williams planted one in the
garden of the mission station, at Bua, which, when I
visited the place, in 1860, was in full vigour and bloom.
When sandal-wood Avas still plentiful, a butcher's knife
Avas usually exchanged for ten sticks of three feet
long. At present, fancy prices are readily given for the
little that now and then turns up. In 1859, Tui Le
vuka, chief of Ovalau, had nearly half a ton of it in
his possession, but that seems to have been the largest
quantity of late years brought together ; a year later
Mr. Hennings, a German, trading in Fiji, could only
succeed in obtaining a feAV pieces. On visiting Bua,
in October, 1860, a log, six feet long and two or three
inches in diameter, was presented to me, and thought
quite a valuable gift by my native attendants. The
Yasi has very much the appearance of a Myrtaceous
plant, and the Fijians, who possess a quick eye for dis
cerning natural affinities, class it with several species
of Eugenia, Avhich they respectively distinguish as Yasi
ni wai, Yasi dravu, etc. The leaves are opposite and
lanceolate, and the flowers very minute, and on first
opening they are white, but gradually change to pink,
and ultimately to a brownish purple. The fruit is in
shape, size, and colour like that of the black currant.

346 A MISSION TO VITI.
The wood is of a light-brown, and highly charged with
aromatic oil, especially in the central portion of the
stem and branches, • developed in the highest degree in
the oldest trees and near the root. It is grated on
the mushroom coral (Fungia) and mixed Avith cocoa-
nut oil by the Fijians, as well as by all the Polynesian
tribes Avho are fortunate enough to obtain possession of
it. In China, the larger pieces Avere used for ornamental
work, and the sawdust and other remnants made into
joss-sticks, burned before idols and images.
The bark of the Macou, as it is termed in the Bau
dialect, " Mou " in that of Kadavu, and " Maiu " in that
of Namosi, is a kind of Cassia bark, which may prove
of commercial importance, and is used by the Fijians
for scenting cocoa-nut oil. The tree yielding it — a spe
cies of Cinnamomum — is about thirty feet high, four to
five inches in diameter, and is met with above an eleva
tion of 1500 feet, in dense virgin forests. I met it on
Buke Levu, island of Kadavu, and on Voma peak, Viti
Levu ; and Mr. Pritchard received fine specimens from
the island of Gau, where they had been collected by
W. Berwick, a coloured man, residing there. The bark
has a fine aromatic smell and flavour, a light-brown
colour, is thicker than that of the cinnamon of com
merce, and resembles some of the laurineous barks,
such as the Sintoc and CulilaAvang, brought from the
Moluccas. In Namosi it is used as a sudorific. Unfor
tunately, I did not see the tree in flower, and hence am
unable to determine Avhether the " buds " are equal to
the best " Cassia buds " of commerce. The resemblance
of the Fijian names to that of " Massoy," given to a fine

SCENTS AND PERFUMES. 347
quality of Cassia bark, from New Guinea, deserves in
vestigation. .
The flowers of the Uci or Sacasaca (Evodia hortensis,
Forst.) diffuse, like those of most Biosmacew, an over
powering, rather sickly odour, highly esteemed by the
natives, but only appreciated by those Europeans who
can enjoy patchouly, musk, and scents of a similar cate
gory. The perfume emitted by the flowers of the Ma-
kosoi (Tfvaria odorata, Lam.) and of the Balawa (Pan-
danus odoratissimus, Linn.) commands a greater number
of European admirers, whilst that of the Bua (Fagrcea
Berteriana, A. Gray) may be said to be universally in
haled vrith delight. The Bua blossoms in September
and October, and one of the months of the Fijian ca
lendar is occasionally called the Vulai Bua, or Bua
month. The flowers, or rather corollas, are gathered
after they have dropped on the ground, and brought
home in baskets. They are tubular, Avhite, and fleshy,
and are either strung into necklaces, which retain their
delicious and powerful perfume long after they are dry,
or they are placed while still fresh in cocoa-nut oil, in
order to impart scent to it. Sandal-Avood and Bua
flowers are often put into the same vessel of oil. The
abundance of the tree (which yields a hard, white
wood) at Sandal-wood Bay may have given rise to its
native name " Bua," — a form of " Pua," by Avhich the
plant is knoAvn in the Society Islands.
Another perfume largely employed in scenting oil is
furnished by the Makita (Parinarium laurinum, A.
Gray), a tree about fifty feet high, supplying tough spars
for canoes, and haAing oblong leathery leaves, formerly

348 A MISSION TO VITI.
used exclusively in thatching heathen temples, but now
also for common dwelling-houses. The flowers are small
and white, slightly tinged with purple, and the fruit has
a rough, woody outside, of a light-brown colour, con
taining a large kernel, Avhich possesses a scent much
esteemed by the Fijians, but in AA'hich we detect no
thing remarkable either as regards strength or beauty.
The fruit of the Leba {Eugenia \Jambosa~] neurocalyx,
A. Gray), a middle-sized Myrtaceous tree, Avith large
flowers, considering the natural order to Avhich it be
longs, has much more to recommend it to the notice of
Europeans. It ripens about September, and its odour
gravitates betAveen that of the apple and the melon. It
is roundish, strongly ribbed, often three inches long
and eight inches in circumference, of a dark purple, and
contains five large seeds, of an angular shape, and a
beautiful crimson colour. The natives wear a whole
fruit, or part of it, suspended around their necks, and
also use it for scenting cocoa-nut oil.X
Materials for the scanty clothing worn by the Fijians
are readily supplied by a variety of plants, foremost
amongst which stands the Malo or Paper Mulberry
(Broussonetia papyrifera, Vent.), a middle-sized tree,
with rough trilobed leaves, cultivated all over Fiji. On the
coast, the native cloth (Tapa*) and plaitings are gradually
displaced by cheap cotton prints- introduced by foreign
traders, — a fathom of which is considered enough for the
entire dress of a man. In the inland heathen districts the

* Tapa= Kapa of some dialects, I take to mean originally " covering ;"
Atap, the name for thatch in the Indian Archipelago, doubtless belongs to
the same set of words.

MATERIALS FOR CLOTHING. 349
boys are alloAved to run naked until they have attained
the age of puberty, and publicly assumed what may be
termed their toga virilis — a narrow strip of native cloth
(Malo) passing between the legs, and fastened either to
a waistband of string or to a girdle formed by one of
the ends of the cloth itself. The length of the Tapa
hanging down in front denotes the rank of the wearer ;
the lower classes not having it longer than is absolutely
necessary for the purposes of securing it to the waist
band, whilst the chiefs let it dangle on the ground, and
when incommoded by it in walking, playfully swing it
over their shoulder. In the christianized districts of
the coast, a piece of Tapa, at least two yards long and
one yard broad, is worn around the loins, and distin
guished persons envelope their body in pieces many
yards long, and allow long trains to drag after them on
the ground. A fine kind of Tapa (Sala) is worn in the
shape of a turban by those who still adhere to the old
custom of letting their hair grow long. From a laud
able desire to promote cleanliness the missionaries have
pronounced against long hair and the use of the Sala,
but in doing so they deprived the natives of a capital
protection against the sun ; the immense mass of hair
curled and frizzled to make it stand off many inches,
and covered by a piece of snow-white Tapa, must have
kept the head cool. Now most of the Christian natives
move about without any covering for their head, and
Avith their hair cut short, AAliich, in a tropical climate,
cannot improve their intellect. The abolition of the
old custom might have proved more beneficial if imme
diately followed by the institution of some kind of head-

350 A MISSION TO VITI.
dress. The manufacture of native cloth is entirely left
to women of places not inhabited by great chiefs, pro
bably because the noise caused by the beating out of
the cloth is disliked by courtly ears. The rhythm of
Tapa-beating imparts therefore as thoroughly a country
air to a place in Fiji as that of threshing corn does to
our European villages. The Masi tree is propagated by
cuttings, and grown about two or three feet apart, in
plantations resembling nurseries. For the purposes of
making cloth it is not alloAved to become higher than
about twelve feet, and about one inch in diameter. The
bark, taken off in as long strips as possible, is steeped
in water, scraped with a. conch shell, and then mace
rated. In this state it is placed on a log of wood, and
beaten with a mallet (Ike), three sides of Avhich have
longitudinal grooves, and the fourth a plain surface.
Two strips of Tapa are always beaten into one with the
vieAv of strengthening the fibres — an operation increas
ing the width of the cloth at the expense of its length.
It is easy to join pieces together, the sap of the fibres
being slightly glutinous ; and in order to make the
junction as perfect and durable as possible, a paste is
prepared of arrowroot, or a glue of the viscid berries
of the Tou (Cordia Sprengelii, De Cand.). I have seen
pieces of native cloth, intended for mosquito curtains
and screens, which were nearly one hundred feet long
and thirty feet broad. Most of the cloth worn is pure
white, being bleached in the sun as we bleach linen ;
but printed Tapa is also, though not so frequently, seen,
whilst that used for curtains is ahvays coloured. Their
mode of printing is by means of raised forms of little

MATERIALS FOR CLOTHING. 351
strips of bamboo, on which the colour is placed, and the
tops pressed ; indeed, the fundamental principle is the
same as that of our printing books, the little strips of
bamboo standing in the place of our types. The chief
dye employed is the juice of the Lauci (Aleurites triloba,
Forst.), and the pattern, though rudely executed, often
displays much taste. It is stated that in times when the
Malo plantations have failed to produce a sufficient
quantity of raw material, recourse is had to the Baka
{Ecus sp.) ; but this is only a makeshift, whilst the bark
of the Breadfruit-tree seems never to be resorted to as
in other parts of Polynesia.
When the men have no native cloth of any sort, they
make a dress by splitting a cocoa-nut or plantain leaf
in halves, and tying one of these parts around their
Avaist. There is an old monkish tradition that our first
parents, when adopting dress in the garden of Eden,
availed themselves of the leaf of the plantain, hence
called Musa paradisiaca ; and it must be owned that a
Fijian, having assumed this dress, presents a most pri
mitive appearance, the more striking because his move
ments are entirely free from any approach to indecency,
Avhich a European who has never lived amongst races
going naked Avould naturally fancy associated Avith so
scanty a garb. It is, perhaps, the most simple form of
an article of dress much worn in Fiji, and called "IAku"
consisting of a number of fringes simply attached to a
waistband. The length of these fringes is subject to
certain rules of custom. Men can wear them very long ;
but women, particularly young unmarried ones, must not
have them longer than two or three inches. Liku is

352 A MISSION TO VITI.
made of many different plants, and might be classified
into temporary and permanent. Amongst the tempo
rary Likus ought to be placed those made of plantain
and cocoa-nut leaves, or those made of a climbing plant,
the Vono (Alyxia bracteolosa, Eich., A. Gray), the stem
of Avhich is partially broken to give it greater flexibility,
and also to bring out an agreeable smell peculiar to the
Vono, on account of which it is also worn as garlands
around the head. Amongst the permanent Likus is one
termed " Sausauwai," the long black fringes of which,
playing on the white Tapa, or on the fine limbs of the
natiA'es, has a most graceful appearance. Both on ac
count of the scarcity of the materials of which it is com
posed, and its being unaffected by Avater, especially when
greased with cocoa-nut oil, the Sausauwai is highly
valued by fishermen, and all people living on the coast
of Fiji ; they will give twenty fathoms of white Tapa,
and the Tonguese and Samoans as much as £1 sterling,
for a single one of these elegant articles of dress. The
fringes of which it is composed are of the thickness of
a common wire, rather flexible, and occasionally orna
mented with small beads. Placed under the microscope,
the vegetable origin of these fringes becomes at once
evident, and they are found to be composed of glossy
black joints, of unequal length. None, save a few na
tives, had ever seen the plant producing them, and it
was the general belief of all the foreign residents in
Fiji that they were the roots of a certain tree, until
Mr. Pritchard and myself made the subject a point of
special inquiry during our first visit to Navua. A few
words from Chief Kuruduadua, and two large knives

MATERIALS FOR CLOTHING. 353
held out by us as a reward, induced two young men to
procure a quantity of this singular production sufficient
for scientific examination ; proving it to be, not the root
of a tree, as had been believed, but the entire body of
a species of Bhizomorpha. The plant is vernacularly
termed " Wa loa," literally, black creeper, from wa,
creeper, and loa, black — a name occasionally applied to
the Liku made of it also. The Wa loa is confined to
the south-western parts of Viti Levu, where it grows in
swamps on decaying wood fallen to the ground ; the
threads of which it consists are several feet long, leafless,
not much branched, and they are furnished here and
there with little shield-like expansions, acting as suckers,
by means of which the plant is attached to the dead
wood upon which it grows. The threads, having been
beaten between stones in order to free them from im
purities adhering, are buried for two or three days in
muddy places, and are then ready for plaiting them to
the waistband.
The Liku worn by the women, always speaking of
those who have not as yet adopted foreign calico, are
principally made of the fibres of the different species of
Vau, the Vau dina (Paritium tiliaceum, Juss.), the Vau
dra (Paritium tricuspis, Guill.), and the Vau damudamu
(Paritium purpurascens, Seem.). The bark of these trees
is stripped off, steeped in water to render it soft and
pliable, and allow the fibres to separate. The fibres are
either permitted to retain their original whiteness, or
they are dyed yellow, red, or black. The yellow colour
is imparted with turmeric, the black with mud and the
leaves of the Tavola (Terminalia Catappa, Linn.), and
2 A

354 A MISSION TO VITI.
the red with the bark of the Kura (Morinda citrifolia,
Linn.), and that of the Tiri (Guttiferce ?). The Liku
worn by the common women consists of one row of
fibres, all of the same colour; Avhilst those worn by
ladies of rank are often composed of two or three rows
or layers — flounces, I suppose, would be the proper term
— every one of Avhich exhibits a different colour.
Mats, with Avhich the floors of houses and sleeping-
places are thickly covered, are made of tAvo kinds of
screw-pines : the coarsest, of the leaves of the Balawa
(Pandanus odoratissimus, Linn.) ; the finest, of those of
the Voivoi (Pandanus caricosus, Eumph.). The Balawa,
or Vadra, as it is termed in some districts, is a tree
twenty-five feet high, indicative of poor soil, growing in
exposed positions, and being one of the first plants ap
pearing on neAvly-formed islands. Its singular habit has
often been dwelt upon. The smooth white branches,
Avith their dense heads of foliage, not inaptly compared
to the arms of a huge candelabrum ; the strong aerial
roots, covered with minute spines, and serving as so
many props ; the curious corkscrew-like arrangement of
the leaves, the leathery, sword-shaped leaves them
selves, and their spiny edges ; the long spikes of male,
and the shorter branches of female flowers, their deli
cious perfume strongly recalling to mind that of the
vegetable ivory of South America ; finally, the bright
orange-coloured drupes, formed into large heads of
fruit, to say nothing of their insipid taste, appreciated
only by natives, are all so essentially different from what
a European traveller is accustomed to in his OAvn coun
try, that his attention is involuntarily arrested, and he

MATERIALS FOR MATS AND BASKETS. 355
hardly ever fails to record it. The Voivoi or Kiekie
(Pandanus caricosus, Eumph.) is a stemless species, with
leaves ten to twelve feet long, Avhich delights in swampy
localities of the forests, and is occasionally cultivated to
meet the demand. Fans, baskets, and the finest mats
— even those on which neAvly-born babes, naked as they
are for more than a twelvemonth, are carried — are made
of its bleached leaves. Occasionally neat patterns are
worked in, by introducing portions of the material dyed
black, whilst the borders of highly-finished mats are
tastefully ornamented with the bright-red feathers of
the Kula, — a parroquet (Coriphilus solitarius, Latham)
not found in the groups eastward of Fiji, and therefore
highly esteemed by the inhabitants of those islands. The
bleached leaves are also employed for decorating the
body, being tied by the men over their head-dress (sala),
around their breast, upper part of the arms, wrists, and
above the calves. The custom is not restricted to any
particular class, but freely practised by all, serfs, com
moners, and chiefs, Avhen they go to Avar, or wish to
look smart. The bright-coloured leaves of the Ti kula
{Dracaena ferrea, Linn., var.), and a number of floAvers,
ferns, and leaves, are used by both sexes as wreaths,
garlands, necklaces, and similar ways, evidently showing
their great love for flowers and graceful foliage. A cer
tain kind of mats, worn as articles of clothing, are called
" Kuta," from a species of sedge (Elceocharis articulata,
Nees ab Esenb.), supplying materials for them, growing
in swamps to the height of six feet or more, and going
either by that name or by that of Ya. Baskets are also
made of the leaves of the cocoa-nut palm, and the stem
2 A 2

356 A MISSION TO VITI.
of the Flagellaria Indica, Linn., split up in narrow
strips ; those of the former are the most easy to make,
but they do not last long, whilst those of the latter are
the neatest and last the longest.
Fibre used for cordage is derived from three species of
Vau (Paritium tiliaeeum, P. tricuspis, et P. purpuras-
cens), the cocoa-nut palm, the Yaka or Wayaka {Pachy-
rhizus angulatus, Eich.), the Kalakalauaisoni (Hibiscus
diversifolius, Jacq.), and the Sinu Mataiavi ( Wikstrasmia
Indica, Meyer). Plaiting cocoa-nut fibre into " sinnet,"
afterwards to be made into rope, or simply used for
binding material, and as such a good article of exchange
in the group, is a favourite occupation of the men, even
of high chiefs, when sitting in bures and discussing
politics or other topics of the day. According to Mr.
Pritchard, none of the Polynesians produce so great a
quantity of this article as the Fijians, though the Ton
guese excel them in colouring it. I have seen — he con
tinues in the memorandum from Avhich I quote — a ball
of " sinnet " six feet high, and four feet in diameter.
Some heathen temples, Bure ni Kalou, used to be en
tirely composed of such plaiting, and their completion
must have been a task extending over a considerable
period, since a model of them, four feet high, ordered
for the Museum of Economic Botany at Kew, could not
be finished in less time than six weeks, and at a cost of
£5. The fibre of the Yaka or Wayaka (Pachyrhizus
angulatus ~R\c\\.=Bolichus bulbosus, Linn.) is principally
sought for fishing-nets, the floats of which are the
square fruits of the Vutu rakaraka (Barringtonia spe-
ciosa, Linn.). The Sinu Mataiavi ( Wikstrasmia Indica,

TIMBER. 357
Meyer), a sea-side shrub, perhaps identical with the
Sinu ni vanua, serves the same purpose, its bark, like
that of other Thymelece, containing a readily-available
fibre — a fact also knoAvn, according to Mr. Pritchard, in
the Samoan islands, where the plant is termed " Mati."
Only a limited use is made of the fibre of the Kalaka
lauaisoni (Hibiscus [Abelmoschus] diver sifolius, Jacq.), a
plant abounding in swamps all over Fiji. \
/"Timber of excellent quality, both for house and ship
building purposes, abounds on the large islands, and a
trade in it has already sprung up with the Australian
colonies. The timber-trees belong principally to the
natural orders Conifers, Casuarinece, Guttiferai, Myrta-
cece, and Leguminosce. The most valuable woods are
those produced by the Dakua, Vesi, Dilo, and Vaivai,
and a list of nearly one hundred useful kinds might be
drawn up.
The Dakua or Fijian Kowrie- pine (Bammara Vitiensis,
Seem.) is a noble addition to a genus of Conifers, of which
several species are known, scattered over New Zealand,
Southern Queensland, NeAV Caledonia, Aneitum, the
Moluccas, Java, and Borneo. Dakuas have been found
in Vanua Levu, Viti Levu, Ovalau, and Kadava ; but
European sawyers have already made such sad havoc
amongst them, that it is only in the two former islands
where they are still abundant. Wilkes alludes to a fine
one near Levuka, Ovalau, Avhich measured five feet in
diameter, or 15 feet in circumference. Those which I
saw at Korovono, Vanua Levu, displayed greater dimen
sions, the largest stem being, at four feet above the base,
eighteen feet; and another, also four feet above the

358 A MISSION TO VITI.
base, sixteen feet in circumference. Milne (Hook. Jour.
Bot. and Kew Misc. ix. p. 113) gives from eighteen to
twenty-seven feet circumference as the maximum, but
he does not state at what height above the base his
measurement was taken. Some of the trees at Korovono
were from 80 to 100 feet high, and up to a height of
60 feet free from branches. The bark Avas whitish on
the outer, red on the inner, surface, peeling off like that
of Australian gum-trees. Old specimens did not have re
gular whorls of branches, as is the case with most Coni
fers. The wood of the Korovono tree was Avhite, but
there is said to be also a red-wooded kind, Avhich may
perhaps prove distinct from this plant. Dakua is used for
masts, booms, and spars, for flooring houses, and for all
those purposes for which deal is usually employed by us.
Spars, from sixty to eighty feet long, and tAvo to three
feet thick, were seen at Taguru, Viti Levu. The Dakua
is not gregarious, but found always isolated in forests of a
mixed composition. Like other KoAvrie-pines, the Fijian
exudes a gum, or rather resin, called "Makadre." Lumps
weighing 50 lbs. have occasionally been found under old
rotten stumps ; and a good deal might be collected in
districts Avhence these trees have disappeared, if the
natives could be made acquainted with the peculiar Avay
in which the New Zealanders sound the ground for their
kowrie-gum. There has never been any foreign trade in
this article, because the Europeans in Fiji, ignorant of
its average market- value, rejected the offer of the natives
to collect it. Captain Dunn, an American, is said to have
taken away half a ton of it, but it has not transpired
whether he AA'as able to dispose of it to advantage. New

TIMBER. 359
Zealand kowrie-gum has for years past fetched at public
sales in London from 14s. to 16s. the cwt. In consequence,
however, of the rebellion in New Zealand, it gradually
advanced in 1860 to from 25s. to 28s. ; in the spring of
1861 it was quoted at from 18s. to 20s., and it will no
doubt ultimately be sold again at its former prices. The
Fijians principally use the gum for glazing pots (vaka-
makadretaka), — the substance being put on while the
vessels are yet very hot, — and for burning. The older it
gets the better it burns. At first it is of a light whitish
colour, but becomes more and more that of amber, as
well as transparent with age. The natives, fearing de
mons, ghosts, and other creations of their Avild fancy, are
always anxious to be housed before sunset, and when
compelled to venture out in the dark or when benighted,
set up loud yells to drive away evil spirits, and light a
torch made either of the resin of the Dakua (bound
round with rushes), the stem of the WavuAvavu (Erigeron
cdbidum, A. Gray), the trunk of the bamboo, or the flower-
stalks of the cocoa-nut palm. In the smaller islands and
certain coast-districts of Vanua Levu and Viti Levu,
lamps fed with cocoa-nut oil are common ; but in the
interior of the principal islands, where that oil is an im
ported article difficult to obtain, the resin of the Dakua
is burnt, either in the form of pastiles about tAvo inches
long, or in ribbon-like strips surrounded by slips of Avood,
so as to constitute a kind of candle. When burnt in the
first-mentioned way, the resin is protected by crocks from
running about and igniting the Pandanus matting or
other inflammable materials of the houses. A dye ob
tained from the smoke of the burning resin is used for

360 A MISSION TO VITI.
the hair and for painting native cloth black, or mixed
with a certain red earth to make a brown pigment.
Amongst the lower classes it is employed for tatooing
women instead of the juice of the Lauci fruit (Aleurites
triloba, Forst.), resorted to by ladies of rank : the skin
being punctured Avith thorns of the shaddock tree.
Besides the Bammara Vitiensis, Seem., there are five
other cone-bearing trees, all of which yield valuable
timber, viz. the Kau solo, the Gagali, the Kuasi, the
Kau tabua, and the Leweninini. The Kau solo repre
sents a new genus peculiar to Fiji, and growing abun
dantly in the southern parts of Viti Levu, where it
attains from sixty to eighty feet in height and nine feet
in girth. It has the appearance of the Yew, — dark, lan
ceolate leaves, about an inch long, and solitary nuts at
the ends of the branches. The Gagali (Podocarpus po-
lystachyafSt,. Br.) is common on the banks of rivers. It is
never seen higher than thirty or forty feet, and on the
Navua I noticed that during the season when the river
overflows its banks, the trees must often be under water,
as dead twigs, leaves, and herbage, carried down by the
tide, were lodged in their crowns. The wood is pecu
liarly elastic, and Avould probably do well for keels of
boats and schooners. The Kuasi (Podocarpus elata, E.
Br.) is confined to the summits of mountains, and forms
the chief vegetation of Voma peak, Viti Levu. Its wood
is used for outriggers of canoes. Another cone-bearing
tree is the graceful Kau tabua (Podocarpus cupressina,
E. Br.), common in the mountains of the Indian Archi
pelago, and in Aneitum. Milne found it in Viti Levu.
Its native name is derived from the Avood (Kau), re-

TIMBER. 361
sembling in its yellowish tinge a well-oiled whale's
tooth (tabua), formerly esteemed the most precious
article in the group. The tree is from fifty to eighty feet
high, with spreading pendulous branches, presenting a
beautiful appearance. TheLeweninini (Bacrydium elatum,
Wall.) is found in mixed forests from the sea-shore to
the highest peaks. The branches are very delicate, and
the youngest hang down in graceful fringes, clad with
needle-shaped leaves of about half an inch in length.
The slightest breeze — and there is scarcely ever a calm
in Fiji— causes the branchlets and foliage to tremble
(ninini), somewhat like our aspen ; hence the natives of
Ovalau have given it the name of "Leweninini." When
coming from Somosomo to Levuka, the crew on board
the ' Paul Jones ' gave me an account of a moving plant,
which they assured me grew in the mountains of Ovalau,
and Avhich excited my curiosity in an eminent degree.
No sooner had I landed than two boys were dispatched
for specimens of the Leweninini ; but instead of bringing
this Bacrydium, they brought a club-moss, common in
the tropics (Lycopodium cernuum, Linn.), and which I
found was termed LeAveninini sa, on account of a certain
resemblance to it. Macdonald (Jour. Geog. Soc. Lond.
xxaIL p. 247) fancied this Bacrydium identical with the
New Zealand Bacrydium cupressinum, Sol. ; but this is a
mistake. He also expresses his belief that the wood
called Dakua salusalu is the produce of this tree, and
in this he is supported by Mr. Storck, who, being now
a permanent resident in Fiji, had ample opportunity to
go into the question. My inquiries respecting the last-
mentioned point have not been attended with success.

362 A MISSION TO VITI.
Nearly every native consulted pointed out a different
tree as the source of that timber. Mr. Pritchard also
took some pains about it, as the subject was brought
before him in his consular capacity. A resident in
Ovalau had made a contract Avith a man for a supply of
Dakua salusalu. When the timber was delivered, cut
on Vanua Levu, it was found to be that of the common
Dakua (Bammara), quite unlike the wood going by the
name of Dakua salusalu in Ovalau. Payment being re
fused, the Consul's interference was invoked. There
being no scientific work to Avhich an appeal could be
made, Mr. Pritchard solved the difficulty by deciding
that, although the wood tendered might bear or bore
the name of Dakua salusalu in Vanua Levu, it Avas not
the one recognised by that name in Ovalau ; and whereas
the contract had been entered into in the latter island,
only such Avood as was called " Dakua salusalu " there
need be paid for.
The Nokonoko (Casuarina equisetifolia, Forst.) pro
duces a wood much used for clubs and all purposes in
Avhich hardness and heaviness is an object. It is most
frequent in the eastern parts of the group, its preva
lence indicating a poor soil. Its sombre aspect, and the
wailing sound caused by the playing of the breezes in
the branches, forcibly appeal to the poetical sentiment;
hence the Nokonoko is planted in masses about tombs,
and a fine groA^e of that kind is seen at Lakeba, sur
rounding the burial-place of a departed chief. The
young branches are drooping, imparting to the tree a
peculiarly graceful look, and forming a beautiful con
trast to the erect and rigid growth of its congener, the

TIMBER. 363
Velao (Casuarina nodiflora, Forst), which is occasionally
met Avith in its company, and also yields a useful timber
Whilst the Nokonoko assumes a more or less pyramidal
form, is scarcely ever higher than forty feet, and has a
greyish hue, the Velao is often sixty feet and even more
in height and three feet in diameter, and has a green
mossy-looking crown, which, by its flatness on the top,
reminds one of the stone-pine so characteristic of the
Italian landscape. The Velao almost invariably groAvs
in good soil, generally in mixed forests ; whilst the No
konoko shuns, as it were, a close contact with other
kinds of trees, and it scarcely ever associates with any
save the Balawa or Screw-pine (Pandanus odoratissimus,
Linn.). The Dilo (Calophyllum inophyllum, Linn.), a sea-side
tree, grows to a large size, and its wood is used for
canoes and boats. Several of the little coasting vessels,
cruising about Fiji, are almost exclusively built of it
and the Vaivai (Serianthes Vitiensis, Gray) ; their masts
being supplied by the Dakua (Bammara Vitiensis, Seem.).
Dilo wood has, besides, a beautiful grain and takes a fine
polish. Allied to the Dilo is the Damanu (Calophyllum
Burmanni, Wight), a large inland forest tree, also fur
nishing materials for boats, canoes, masts, and all kinds
of carpentry. The Tivi (Terminalia Moluccana, Lam.),
a littoral tree, and its congener, the Tavola (Terminalia
Catappa, Linn.), add their share to the Fijian woods.
That of the Tavola is made into drums called " Lali,"
the beating of which is resorted to Avhen distinguished
guests arrive, on festive occasions, or to call the Chris
tians to Divine service ; and it is a curious coincidence,

364 A MISSION TO VITI.
but certainly nothing more save a coincidence, that the
ancient Egyptian term for rejoicing was "lali," as in
the Arabian song of ' Boos ya-lel-lee.' These drums are
beaten with two short and thick pieces of wood, and
the sound produced can be heard Avithin a circle of se
veral miles. Great praise is bestowed on the Mulomulo
(Thespesia populnea, Corr.), a tree common on the sea-
beaches of the Eastern hemisphere, on account of the
almost indestructible nature of its wood whilst under
Avater. When fully developed it is about fifty feet high,
and the stem from one to two feet in diameter, bearing
heart-shaped leaves and flowers someAvhat resembling
those of the hollyhock, but changing their colour as
the day advances, — a peculiarity they share in common
with those of several other Malvaceous plants. Its
thick foliage renders it suitable for avenues, and I have
seen it planted for the sake of its shade both in Ceylon
and the Hawaiian islands. The centre of old stems
generally decays in the way our European elms do, and
the wood towards that part presents a deep claret co
lour. The Mamakara (Kleinhovia hospita, Linn.) and
the Marasa (Storckiella Vitiensis, Seem., so called in
honour of my able assistant in the botanical explora
tion of Fiji, Mr. Jacob Storck) should not be omitted
in a list of timbers. The Mamakara is from forty to
fifty feet high, and rather a social tree, indicating its
presence during the flowering season by its numerous
and large panicles of pink blossoms. The Marasa, dis
covered on the southern side of Ovalau by Mr. Storck,
is a noble object, attaining eighty feet or more in
height, nine feet in girth, having a remarkably straight

TIMBER. 365
stem, a dense, dark-green foliage, pinnate leaves, flowers
of a bright yellow colour, arrayed in terminal panicles,
at first sight easily mistaken for those of a Cassia, and
a curious cultriform fruit (legumen). A hard and
durable timber is produced by the Sagali (Lumnitzera
coccinea, Wight et Am.), a tree with blackish wood,
glossy foliage, and bright scarlet flowers, abounding in
maritime SAvamps, as well as by another inmate of the
same localities, the Dogo or mangrove (Bhizophora mu-
cronata, Lam.). The sap of the latter has a blood-red
colour, much employed by the natives, amongst whom
it is almost as fashionable to dye their hair red as it was
amongst the ladies of ancient Eome, after their roving
husbands and brothers had become acquainted with the
fan locks of the Teutonic race. When first put on,
the sap is allowed to run freely over face and neck,
producing an effect much like that a crown of thorns
is represented as doing. On Nukubati, off the Macuata
coast of Vanua Levu, I saw it employed by potters for
painting their crockery. Just after the pots had been
baked and were still quite hot, a mixture, consisting of
this fluid and the sap of the Wakiwaki (Hibiscus [Abel-
moschus] moschatus, Linn.), was used for that purpose,
the colour of the paint remaining almost unchanged
after the vessels had become cool and dry. The aerial
roots of the Dogo being very elastic, offer good mate
rials for bows, of Avhich the Fijians avail themselves ;
whilst the fruit is made into bread (madrai) in times of
scarcity. The Vuga (Metrosideros collina, A. Gray), a tree with
glossy foliage and scarlet flowers, yields a hard wood of

366 A MISSION TO VITI.
good grain ; and several other Myrtaceous plants, among
them the Yasi dravu (Eugenia rubescens, A. Gray), are
esteemed for their durable timber. A sea-side tree of
middle size, the Tatakia (Acacia [§ Phyllodineaf] lauri-
folia, Willd.), has a hard wood, useful for axe-handles
and smaller pieces of carpentry. The Qumu (Acacia
Bichii, A. Gray), another phyllodineous species, also
yields a hard wood, even more useful, as the tree is
larger than the last-mentioned, and supplies the paint
with which the heathen natives blacken their faces,
when they dress for war or wish to look particularly
smart, hence " Qumu " paint. The Vaivai (Serianthes
Vitiensis, A. Gray), often seen in company Avith the
Qumu, produces one of the most valued of all Fijian
woods ; but the Vesi (Afzelia bijuga, A. Gray), Avhich in
outward appearance is not unlike our beech (Fagus
sylvatica, Linn.), having the white smooth bark, the
colour, and somewhat the shape of the leaves of that
familiar forest-tree, is held in the highest estimation.
It is used for canoes, pillows, kava-bowls, clubs, and a
variety of other purposes, and seems almost indestruc
tible. One of the most common tree-ferns, the Bala-
bala (Alsophila excelsa, E. Br.), is much used for build
ing purposes by the natives. Its trunks make excellent
posts, lasting an incredibly long time, and possessing
moreover the advantage of being almost fire-proof.
After a house has been burnt down, these posts are
almost the only trace that remains. It is also customary
to make the ridge pole of houses and temples of this
tree-fern, and to surround it with the Wa-Kalou (holy
creeper), a species of that curious genus of climbing

PALMS. 367
ferns (Lygodictyon), partially no doubt from some super
stitious notions, but partially also to keep out the Avet.
The trunks of the Balabala, cut into ornamental forms,
are frequently observed around tombs, temples, churches,
and bures, presenting a pretty effect. The little sticks
which the chiefs carry, stuck under their turban, and
with which they scratch their heads, are also made of
Balabala. The young leaves are eaten in times of scar
city, while the soft scales covering the footstalks, or
more correctly speaking the stipes, of the fronds, are
used for stuffing pillows and cushions by the white set
tlers, in preference to feathers, because they do not be
come so heated, and are a real luxury in a sultry tropical
night. The Balabala is common all over the group, es
pecially on the weather-side, and its trunk attains the
height of about twenty-five feet, and eight or ten inches
in thickness. The fronds form a magnificent crown of
gigantic dimensions, rendering the plant a noble feature
in the landscape.
Palms play an important part in the domestic econo
my of the natives. The Fijians are the only people who
in their barbarous state had a collective term for the
great natural order of palms, applying that of "Niu"
to all those inhabiting their islands, and adding specific
names to distinguish the one from the other ; viz. : —
Niu dina = Cocos nucifera, Linn.
Niu sawa = Kentia exorrhiza, Wendl.
Niu niu = Cagicake = Ptychosperma filiferum, Wendl.
Niu soria = Sogo = Sagus Vitiensis, Wendl.
Niu masei = Sakiki = Viu = Pritchardia paciflca, Seem, et
Wendl.
Niu Balaka = Ptychosperma Seemanni, Wendl.

368 A MISSION TO VITI.
The Avord " Niu " is common to most Polynesian lan
guages, often taking the form of " Nia " and " Niau ;"
the New Zealand " Nikau," by which the Maoris desig
nate their indigenous palm (Areca sapida, Sol), does be
long, and perhaps even "Nipa," the Philippine name of
Nipa fruticans, may belong, to the same group of words.
We further trace the Fijian " Niu," or with the article
" a " (a niu) before it, in the Anao, Anowe, Anau, and
Nu, by which names a sugar-yielding palm, the Arenga
saccharifera, is known in different parts of the Indian
Archipelago. The existence of a collective term for
" palms " never having been pointed out, the passage in
John xii. 13, "Took leaves of the palm-trees," is ren
dered both in the Viwa and the London edition of the
Fijian Bible, " Era sa kauta na drau ni balabala," —
literally, " Took leaves of the tree-fern," for balabala
is a tree-fern {Alsophila excelsa, E. Br.). "Niu" is the
term that ought to have been used, there being two
kinds of real palms in Syria, but no tree-ferns.
Only one of all the palms as yet discovered in Fiji
is a fan-palm, the rest having pinnatifid leaves. This
is the Niu Masei, Sakiki or Viu, a neAV genus of Cory-
phince (Pritchardia pacifica, Seem, et Wendl), differing
from all described ones in several important characters.
The blades of the leaves are made into fans, " Iri masei "
or " ai Viu," which are only allowed to be used by the
chiefs, as those of the Talipot (Corypha umbraculifera,
Linn.) formerly were in Ceylon. The common people
have to content themselves with fans made of Pandanus
caricosus. Hence, though there is not a village of im
portance without the Sakiki, or, as it is termed in the

PALMS. 369
Somosomo dialect, which suppresses the letter k, Saii,
there are never more than one or two solitary speci
mens to be met with in any place, the demand for the
leaves being so limited, that they prove sufficient to
supply it. The fans are from two to three feet across,
and have a border made of a flexible wood. They
serve as a protection both from the sun and rain ; in
the latter instance the fan is laid almost horizontally on
the head, the water being allowed to run down behind
the back of the bearer. From this the Fijian language
has borrowed its name for " umbrella," a contrivance
introduced by Europeans, terming it " ai viu," that being
one of the names by which fans are known. The leaves
are never employed as thatch, though their texture
would seem to recommend them for that purpose ; the
trunk, however, is occasionally used for ridge-beams.
The palm seldom attains more than thirty feet in height.
Its trunk is smooth, straight, and unarmed, and from
ten to twelve inches in diameter at the base. The
crown has a globular shape, and is composed of about
twenty leaves, the petioles of which are unarmed and
three feet four inches long, and densely covered at the
base with a mass of brown fibres. The blade of the
leaves is rounded at the base, fan-shaped, four feet seven
inches long, three feet three inches broad, and when
young, as is the petiole, densely covered with whitish-
brown down, which, however, as the leaf advances in
age, gradually disappears. From the axil of every leaf
flowers are put forward, enveloped in several very fibrous
flaccid spathes, which rapidly decay, and have quite a
ragged appearance even before the flowers are open.
2 B

370 A MISSION TO VITI.
The inflorescence never breaks out below the croAvn, as it
does in the Niu saAva (Kentia ? exorrhiza, Wendl). The
spadix is three feet long, stiff and very straight, bearing
numerous minute hermaphrodite flowers, of a broAvnish-
yellow colour. The fruit is perfectly round, about half
an inch in diameter ; and, when quite matured, it has
exactly the colour of a black-heart cherry, the outside
having a slight astringent taste. The seeds germinate
freely, and out of a handful thrown carelessly into a
Wardian case in Fiji, more than thirty had begun to
grow Avhen they reached NeAV South Wales, where they
were taken care of in the Botanic Gardens, and will
duly be distributed amongst the various establishments
forming collections of rare and beautiful palms — for
such this species certainly is.
The Niu sawa {Kentia ? exorrhiza, H. Wendl.) is a
pinnatifid palm of considerable beauty, of which there
is a characteristic sketch, representing the vegetation of
the Eewa river, in ' The Narrative of the United States
Exploring Expedition.' This palm is found all over
Fiji, ascending mountains to the height of tAvo thousand
feet. Mr. Charles Moore, of Sydney, met Avith it in New
Caledonia ; and there is reason to believe that it is also
found in the Tongan group, where, as in Fiji, it is known
by the name of " Niu sawa," I am told ; " sawa," signi
fying " red " in Tonguese (and having no meaning in
Fijian), being doubtless given on account of the fruit,
which merges from bright orange into red. This palm
is remarkably straight, and often more than sixty feet
high. The trunk is unarmed, smooth, and of a Avhitish
colour ; it is a couple of feet above the base, from two

PALMS. 371
to three feet in circumference. When the tree gets old,
numerous aerial roots, all covered with spines, begin to
appear, forcibly reminding one of the Iriartea exorrhiza
in tropical America. The leaves are from ten to twelve
feet long, pinnatifid, and the segments four feet long
and two inches broad. Before expanding they are per
fectly erect, looking like a pole inserted into the heart
of the foliage ; their petiole and midrib and veins are
in that stage densely covered with a very short brown
tomentum, which more or less disappears as the foliage
advances in age. The flowers appear below the crown
of the leaves, growing out of the old wood; they are
enveloped in thick coriaceous boat-shaped spathes, which,
unlike those of the Sakiki (Pritchardia paciflca, Seem, et
Wendl.), are not subject to rapid decay. The spadix, on
which the minute monoecious green flowers are inserted,
is much branched, and the branches are " yarring,"
forming large bunches, which, when loaded with ripe
fruit, are rather weighty. As many as eight of these
bunches are often seen on a tree at one time in various
stages of development. The fruit is ovate, acuminate,
and about the size of a walnut. At first green, it gra
dually changes into bright orange, and ultimately merges
into red at the base. The kernel has a slight astrin
gent taste, and is eaten by the natives, especially by the
youngsters. The wood is used for spars. Fine specimens
of the tree, brought by Mr. Moore from New Caledonia,
and by me from Fiji, are cultivated at the Sydney Bo
tanic Garden.
The Niu Niu, or as it is more commonly termed, Cagi-
cake (Ptychosperma filiferum, Wendl), is found in the
2 B 2

372 A MISSION TO VITI.
depth of the forest, where it shows its feathery crown
above the surrounding trees, forming what St. Pierre
poetically called "a forest above a forest," and what
the Fijians less skilfully wished to express by the name of
Cagicake, literally " above the wind." Before I had seen
the fruit the natives described it to me as being exactly
the same shape and colour as that of the Niu sawa, but
only very much smaller in size ; and in this they were
pretty correct. Whilst the fruit of the Niu sawa is as
large as a walnut, that of the Cagicake is about the size
of a coffee berry. The trunk is smooth, unarmed, and
about eight inches in diameter, furnishing capital ma
terial for rafters, Avhich the natives declare are so durable
that they last for ever. The leaves are pinnatifid, ten
to twelve feet long, and the lowermost segments being
narrower, and at least three or four times as long as the
uppermost, hang doAvn in long fringes. When in the
dusk of the evening I first encountered this singlar palm
on the Macuata coast of Vanua Levu, it was this pecu
liarity that first attracted my attention, otherwise I
should have taken it to be a Niu sawa. It was pitch-
dark before the tree was felled and dragged out of the
thick jungle in which it grew, when passing my fingers
over the surface of the segments, I felt a thick marginal
and elevated vein, which at once assured me that an
undoubtedly new addition had been made to my col
lection. The disproportionate length of the lower seg
ments, and the thick marginal vein pointed out, though
they had been first discovered in the absence of regular
daylight, are amongst the most striking peculiarities,
and ought to be seized upon by those giving a popular

PALMS. 373
description of this palm ; the upper segments are four
feet long and three inches broad. The spadix, like that
of the Niu sawa, is much branched, and may be said to
be a miniature imitation of it. The palm is found both
in Vanua Levu and Ovalau, and doubtless also in Viti
Levu, for a palm which grows in the interior of the
latter islands, and is termed about Namosi " Tankua,"
must, from the description given to me by natives, be
identical with the Cagicake. According so the super
stitious notion of the inland tribes of Viti Levu, the di
minutive fruit of the Tankua and those of the Boia (He-
liconia? sp.), a plantain-like species, is the chief food
of the Veli, spirits half fairy, half gnome, with a fair
complexion and diminutive body. The Tankua is their
cocoa-nut, the Boia their plantain, and the Yaqoyaqona
{Macropiper puberulum, Benth.), their kava plant, none
of Avhich mortals can destroy or injure without exposing
themselves to the danger of being severely punished by
those dwellers in the forests, the Veli.
The Balaka (Ptychosperma Seemanni, Wendl.) is a
diminutive palm, growing as underwood in dense forests.
It Avas met with both in Vanua Levu, on the southern
side, and on the mountains of Taviuni. The trunk is
remarkably straight, ringed, and about an inch in dia
meter Avhen fully developed. On account of its strength
and straightness it is used for spears by the natives, and
would make good walking-sticks. The leaves are pinna
tisect, about four feet long ; and the segments are eroso-
dentate at the point, like those of Caryota and Wallichia.
The floAvers appear beloAV the feAV leaves, forming the
crown of this, the smallest of all Fijian palms.

374 A MISSION TO VITI.
In Wilkes's ' Narrative of the United States Explor
ing Expedition,' mention is made of a Caryota, as grow
ing in Fiji, and being used for rafters in building. " Its
straight stem, with its durable, hard, and tough quali
ties, render it Avell adapted for this purpose." No one
has subsequently met with a true Caryota, one of the
most remarkable genera : and I fancy that the botanists
of Wilkes's expedition may have mistaken the eroso-
dentate leaves of a timber-yielding palm, probably Pty
chosperma Vitiensis, Wendl, abounding in some parts
of Viti Levu, for those of a Caryota. It is about forty
feet high, has a smooth trunk, pinnatifid leaves, and was
seen by me at NukubalaAu. I have not been able to
learn its native name. Tavo other species, the sago and
the cocoa-nut palm, already treated of above, and three
discovered by the United States Exploring Expedition,
augment the list of Fijian palms to ten.
Ornamental plants are highly appreciated by both
natives and Avhite settlers, especially those having either
variegated leaves or gay-coloured fioAvers, since the Fi
jian flora shares with that of most islands the peculiarity
of possessing only a limited number of species display
ing gay tints. Those most frequently seen about the
native houses are Avhat gardeners call " leaf plants," in
cluding the Danidani (Panax fruticosum, Linn.), with its
deeply-cut foliage, several beautiful varieties of the
Braccena ferrea, some of Avhich have been introduced
from various Polynesian islands, the Croton pictum, the
indigenous Acalypha virgata, Forst., termed Kalabuci
damu, the foliage of which changes from dark-green to
brown, yelloAV and scarlet, and two kinds of ornamental

ORNAMENTAL PLANTS. 375
grass (Panicum), the one having purple, the other va
riegated leaves. The couch-grass is also spreading fast
through the islands, and there is a fine lawn of it in
front of the king's house at Bau, blending well Avith the
number of fine shrubs and trees which, at Mrs. CoUis's
instigation, were planted around the royal residence.
Of the Kauti, Senitoa, Senicicobia, or Shoe-black plant
{Hibiscus Bosa-sinensis, Linn.), a single pink and purple
as well as a double variety are cultivated. When the
Cassia obtusifolia and Cassia occidentalis were first
brought to Fiji, the natives took them under their special
protection, and disseminated them freely, being highly
pleased with their leaves " going to sleep " at night,
whence the names of Mocemoce and Kaumoce, i . e. sleep
ing plants. But they became weary of their pets when it
was found that they speedily proved two most trouble
some weeds, Avhich, in common with the Batura Stra
monium, Euphorbia pilulifera, Plantago major, Erigeron
albidum, and other foreign intruders, caused them a great
deal of additional labour.
Most of the white settlers have little gardens in which
all flowers derived from Avarm countries are grown Avith
great success. The pride of Barbadoes (Poinciana pul-
cherrima, Linn.), both the red and yelloAV variety, may
be seen in perfection ; the same may be said of the
Avhite trumpet-flower (Brugmannsia Candida, Pers.), the
balsam (Impatiens Balsamina, Linn.), the Quamoclit vul
garis, Chois., the scented Acacia (Acacia Farnesiana,
Willd.), the blue Clitoria Ternatea, Linn., the Gom-
phrena globosa, Linn., Vinca rosea, Linn., Calendula offi
cinalis, and the well-knoAvn Marvel of Peru (Mirabilis

376 A MISSION TO VITI.
Jalapa, Linn.). Prince's feathers (Amarantus cruentus,
Linn.), and its congener, Driti damudamu (Amarantus
tricolor, Linn.), have become perfectly naturalized in
some districts. Attempts to grow the flowers of colder
regions have not been so successful. Carnations are kept
alive Avith difficulty ; roses, though growing and bloom
ing freely, possess little or no scent, and are chiefly
valued from the pleasing associations connected Avith
them ; dahlias were introduced in 1860, by Dr. Brower,
but I have not yet learnt the fate that attended them ;
a species of honeysuckle (Bonicera), noticed on the mis
sion premises at Viwa and Bau, concludes the limited
list of foreign garden plants cultivated in Fiji, a list,
for any additions to which the inhabitants would feel
very grateful.
The natives do not content themselves with merely
looking at or smelling plants, but profusely decorate
their persons with them : elegant-formed leaves, passion
flowers, the bright-red leaves of the dracsenas, or the
bleached ones of the stemless screw-pine, are made to
grace their heads or turbans. Great aptitude is dis
played in making necklaces (taube or salusalu), the ma
terials for which are principally furnished by monope-
talousy Avhite, and odoriferous flowers, strung upon a piece
of string. I noticed those of the Bua (Fagra^a Berteriana,
A. Gray), Buabua (Guettarda speciosa, Linn.), Vasa or
Eewa (Cerbera lactaria, Ham.), and Sinu dina (Beucosmia
Burnettiana, Bth. = Beds disperma, Forst.). The flowers
of the Sinu dina, or as it is also termed Sinu damu
damu, are capitate^ and the necklaces made of them are
called " sinucodo," a term also applying to a chain. The

MISCELLANEOUS. 377
shrub is about fourteen feet high, has fine dark-green
shining foliage, odoriferous flowers, which on opening
are pure white, but gradually change to cream-colour,
and bright-red drupes, about as large as a hazel-nut.
Numerous plants serve for miscellaneous purposes.
The flat round seeds of the Walai (Entada scandens,
Bth. = Mimosa scandens, Linn.), called "ai Cibi," or "ai
Lavo," have suggested to the Fijians a comparison with
our coins, and supplied a Avord for money (ai LaAro), of
which their language was formely destitute, because
that article was entirely unknown to them, all com
mercial exchange being carried on by barter. The
Walai or Wataqiri is a creeper, always associated with
mangroves and other maritime vegetation. Its stem,
when young used in place of ropes for fastenings, oc
casionally attains a foot in diameter, and forms bold
festoons, whilst its pods arrest attention by their gigantic
dimensions, measuring as they do several feet in length.
The greyish bony involucre of the Sila, or Job's tears
(Coix Lacryma, Linn.), a grass growing in swamps and
having the aspect of Indian-corn, as well as the seeds of
the Diridamu, Quiridamu, or Leredamu (Abrus precato-
rius, Linn.), which resemble those of the Drala (Erythrina
Indica, Linn.) in having a bright red colour and a black
spot, are affixed with breadfruit gum to the outside of
certain oracle boxes, of which Wilkes has given fair illus
trations in his ' Narrative of the U.S. Exploring Expedi
tion.' These boxes have a more or less pyramidal shape,
and are kept in the temples^ as the supposed abode of
the spirit consulted through' the priests. Toys, consist
ing of cocoa-nut shells, and covered with these materials,

378 A MISSION TO VITI.
are occasionally seen in the hands of native children, and
they have rather a pretty effect. The bamboo, Arernacu-
larly termed " Bitu," is represented by two species, a
large and a small one, both of which are rather local in
their geographical range. The trunk of the larger is in
general use for vessels to contain water, some of which
are six feet long. It requires a certain knack, with some
difficulty acquired by foreigners, to pour the water out
of the small hole on one side of the upper end without
spilling some of the contents. The natives drink out of
these vessels by pouring the water in their mouth Avith
out allowing their lips to touch them : sipping the fluid
as we do Avould be considered an act of impropriety.
Bamboo split up in narrow strips makes capital torches,
which do not require, as has been stated, to be dipped
in cocoa-nut oil in order to make them give a clear and
bright light. Fishing rafts, pillows for sleeping, instru
ments for beating time to national songs, pan-flutes,
fences for gardens and courtyards, — all are constructed
of these giant grasses. At Nagadi, in Viti Levu, I visited
a heathen temple surrounded by a bamboo fence, some
of the sticks used being the young shoots entire, with
unexpanded leaves, and looking like so many fishing
rods. The priest in charge of this building exhibited a
bundle of bamboos, which on being struck on the ground
with the opening downwards produced a peculiarly loud
and hollow sound. Two single bamboos of different
lengths are beaten contemporaneously with this large
bundle in religious ceremonies. An amusing sight is
presented by a grove of bamboos on fire. When re
turning from Namosi, I passed several places where, to

MISCELLANEOUS. 379
clear the land, fire had been set to these groves. As
soon as the flame fairly embraced the canes a loud ex
plosion succeeded, the general effect of which being that
of a Avell sustained skirmish between tAvo hostile parties
of sharp-shooters. In Ecuador I once saw a sugar-cane
plantation on fire, but the noise of the bamboo by far
exceeded that caused by the former. The leaves of the
QangaAva, a species of pepper (Piper Siriboa, Linn.),
climbing and rooting like our ivy, and, if report may
be trusted, those of the Vusolevu (C'olubrina Asiatica,
Brongn.) are used for washing the hair, to clean it and
destroy the vermin. The Moli kurukuru (Citrus vulgaris,
Eisso) serves the same purpose, a remark also applying
to the vine called Wa roturotu (Vitis saponaria, Seem.),
the stem of Avhich, especially the thicker part, is cut in
pieces from a foot to eighteen inches long, cooked on
hot stones, and Avhen thus rendered quite soft produces
in water a rich lather almost equal to that of soap. The
fruits of the Vago, or bottle-gourd (Lagenaria vulgaris,
Ser.), are readily converted into flasks for holding oil and
other fluids, by allowing their pulp to undergo decom
position. The juice of the Vetao or Uvitai (Calysaccion
obovale, Miq.), a useful timber-tree, yields a dye, at pre
sent only employed by the natives for changing their
black hair into red ; but Avhen it is remembered that
its congener, the Calysaccion longifolium, Wight (= C.
Chinense, Wlprs.), furnishes the buds known as the
Nag-kassar of Indian commerce, it is not unlikely that
the Vetao or UAltai may yet be turned to better uses.
This enumeration by no means exhausts the catalogue
of the useful products in which a Flora of about a thou-

380 A MISSION TO VITI.
sand different species, such as the Fijian is, abounds.
Enough, however, has been stated to show how bountiful
nature has been in supplying these islands with edible
roots and fruits, with drugs, spices, fibres, timber, dyes,
vegetable fats, and other articles of commercial import
ance. The long list of cultivated plants shows that the
natives are not ill prepared for entering on agricultural
operations on a large scale, whilst the fact that the
varieties of the different products grown are almost
endless, furnishes a striking proof of their succeeding to
perfection. The numerous plants introduced from every
direction of the compass, and their successful naturali
zation, may justly be regarded as indicative of the climate
being of that happy medium which, in a similar way,
enables the English gardener to assemble in his domain
a far greater collection of species than his continental
rival.

381

CHAPTEE XVIII.
EEMAEKS ON THE FAUNA OF FIJI.  MAMMALS.  BIBDS.  FISHES.  REP
TILES. — MOLLUSKS. — CRUSTACEA.  INSECTS.  LOWEB ANIMALS.
No attempt has as yet been made to draw up a list of
the animals of Fiji, and all the materials for it are
scattered through various periodicals and other publi
cations. There are very few mammals in the group ;
indeed, except the rat (Kalavo), four Cetaceous animals,
and five species of bats, collectively termed Baka, we
have none belonging to this fauna. One of these bats
or flying foxes has been named Notopteris Macdonaldii,
in honour of its discoverer. Three of them are tailless,
two have tails. There are tAvo kinds of porpoises and
two of whale in the adjacent seas and amongst the is
lands, but, though whales' teeth are highly valued, and
Avere so still more formerly, the Fijians have never taken
to whaling in any form, and always seem to have pur
chased their stock from foreign traders. The dog (Koli),
the pig (Vuaka), the duck, and the fowl (Toa) were the
only domestic animals known to the natives. Dogs were
not eaten and suckled by the women, as was and is the
case in other Polynesian islands ; indeed, the custom of
eating dogs seems to have been restricted in the Pacific
to the islands and countries north of the line, and was

382 A MISSION TO VITI.
apparently brought from the SandAvich Islands to Tahiti.
The white settlers have introduced cattle, horses, goats,
sheep, rabbits, and cats, all of which seem to thrive
well. The horses are as yet few in number, and they
are not much valued, as most inhabited places can be
reached by water, and there are as yet no roads in the
large islands. The terror of the natives at first seeing
a horse and a man on its back seems to have been quite
equal to that recorded of the ancient American nations ;
they ran away in wild dismay, or climbed trees and rocks
to get out of the reach of the monster. Cattle succeed
well ; and I saAv some very fine young bullocks on Ka
davu, the property of Mr. Boyce. Fijians not fencing in
their plantations, they have rather a dislike to cattle,
and in some instances they have killed them, as their
crops have frequently suffered from their devastation.
They are very fond of beef, and as there was no native
name for it, they have compounded one, calling it
" Bulla-ma-kau," because it is derived from a bull and a
cow. Goats have become very numerous, and most of
the white settlers have flocks of them for the sake of
their milk ; but I am not aware that any of the natives
have as yet reared any. Sheep were first introduced,
if I am rightly informed, by Dr. Brower, the present
American Consul, and several extensive sheep-runs have
lately been bought on the northern shores of Viti Levu
and Vanua Levu by British subjects from Australia. It
was formerly supposed that the climate of Fiji Avas too
warm for sheep, but that does not seem to be the case.
Some specimens of Fijian wool were sent to the London
Exhibition of 1862. "We find sheep answer well,"

MAMMALS AND BIRDS. 383
writes a friend to me ; " the wool grows rapidly, the
sheep fatten well, and the ewes breed rapidly, frequently
having three at a birth, so that we can by-and-by export
wool as well as cotton. In one of the boxes sent to the
Exhibition there is some wool of a sheep five months
old, born on Wakaya, and the property of Dr. Brower."
Cats are now quite common, and the natives have taken
to them in order to kill the mice and rats which Eu
ropean vessels have introduced.
Birds are much more numerous than mammals. I
have a list of forty-six different species, among them
parroquets, oavIs, bitterns, teal, hawks, ducks, pigeons,
etc. The feathers of some of them are collected for
ornamental purposes, and the high value set upon the
Kula {Coriphilus solitarius, Latham) has already been
noticed. Ducks and pigeons, excellent eating, are very
abundant, the former about the rivers, the latter in the
woods. The fowls (Toa*) which the natives had were very
small, and could scarcely be termed domesticated, in
deed they have become perfectly wild in many districts.
Europeans have introduced better kinds, and also tur
keys, but I do not remember seeing any geese. I fancy
that the domestic ducks must have come to the islands
early in this century from some Spanish ships.
* Toa is the Fijian form of the word " Moa,'' applied throughout Poly
nesia to domestic fowls, and by the Maoris to the most gigantic extinct
birds (Dinornis sp. plur.) disentombed in New Zealand. The Polynesian
term for birds that fly about freely in the air is Manu or Manumanu, and
the fact that the New Zealanders did not choose one of these, but the one
implying domesticity and want of free locomotion in the air, would seem a
proof that the New Zealand Moas were actually seen alive by the Maories,
about their premises, as stated in their traditions, and have only become
extinct in comparatively recent times.

384 A MISSION TO VITI.
My list contains a hundred and twenty-one species of
fish. Some of them are excellent eating ; indeed a great
part of the native food is derived from this source. They
are secured by nets, spears, fish fences, or stupefaction,
by the different plants enumerated above (p. 339). The
night is a favourite time for fishing on the reefs, and
large parties are made up, chiefly women, who, torch
in hand, traverse the reefs laid bare by the ebb-tide,
and gather what they can. Such a fishing party is a
pretty sight; and when suddenly disturbed from my
sleep by shouts and merry laughter, I have often watched
the long lines of torches moving along in the depth
of night on the shores of Ovalau. The fences made
in the sea are constructed with great care, and so that
the fish Avill enter them in large bodies and have little
chance of escaping. There were generally some about
Lado, and baskets full of then- produce were daily sent
to us as presents. The fences were not alloAved to re
main for more than a feAV days in the same place, as the
natives maintained that the fish become aware of their
existence and would not enter them. Besides the edible
fish, there are a number of different sharks about the
group, and one hears of frequent accidents caused by
them. The natives, being excellent swimmers, do not
mind being capsized in their canoes, but are in great
dread of the sharks. The latter are called collectively
" Qio," and nine salt-water and several fresh-water spe
cies are enumerated. One day we encountered a very
large one on the reef, where he had been left in a shal
low pool by the receding tide. Our boat being near, an
axe was fetched to kill him, but no sooner did he catch

FISH AND EEPTILES. 385
sight of the weapon than he made off in great haste,
moving along over many hundred yards of dry reef like
a serpent, without our being able to stop him. There
is a curious tradition about a species of sole called
"Davilai." Mr. Davilai used to be the leader of the
songs amongst the fishes, and one day, when all his
band were together and he was requested to com
mence the strain, he obstinately refused to comply.
Enraged at such behaviour, the other fishes trod him
under foot till he became flat ; and hence, when a
person refuses to pitch a song, the proverb is, " Oh,
here is Mr. Davilai." There is also a most beautiful fish,
about as large as a gold fish and of the finest ultra
marine colour ; it is very frequent about the coral-beds,
and a finer sight can scarcely be imagined than this
creature playing in the crystal water over what looks
like so much mosaic-work.
Eeptiles are comparatively feAv in species. There
are about ten different kinds of snakes, but none of
them larger than about six feet. A good many inhabit
trees, and often drop down ; some are eaten. Snakes
are collectively termed " Gata," and every species has a
distinctive name. A large frog, Boto or Dreli (Platy-
mantis Vitianus), is common about the swamps. There
are three kinds of turtle, collectively known as " Vonu."
The green turtle is called " Vonu dina," and that which
yields the shell — the tortoise — " Vonutaku." But there
is besides one which the natives term " Tovonu," said to
be from six to ten feet long ; however, I never have seen
it ; those which the chiefs often have in their turtle-ponds
are the two first-mentioned kinds. The lizard tribe is re-
2 c

386 A MISSION TO VITI.
presented by a chameleon and four other species. The
largest is Chloroscartes fasciatus, Gunth., with a body two
feet long, and of a beautiful green colour, somewhat like
that of the German tree frogs ; indeed, the Chloroscartes
inhabits trees, and I had one alive for some time. Cro
codiles are not indigenous, but about the beginning
of this century a large one made its appearance in Fiji,
probably having been drifted thither from the East In
dies. The natives, as related by Mariner ('Tonga,' vol. i.
p. 334), fancied it had come from Bulu, — from heaven,
— and they had some difficulty in catching it, not, how
ever, before it caused some mischief.
There is a great variety of both salt, fresh-water, and
land shells, probably several hundred species, and a
number of them are quite peculiar to Fiji. The collec-
tiAre name for shells is " Qa ni Vilivili," Vilivili being
the animal, Qa the shell. The most famous Fijian shell
is the orange coAvry (Cyprma aurantium, Martyn), Avhich
is found in no other part of the Avorld, though some
works state it to have been found in Tahiti — an error
originating in Mr. Cuming, having purchased a single
specimen in that island. There are several other cowries
also used, as the orange cowry is, for necklaces and
ornaments by the natives. Canoes, houses, temples, and
churches are frequently decorated with the Buliqaqau
(Ovulum ovum, SoAvb.), not the Cyprcea ovula, as- stated
in some Avorks. Several other species of shells are
also used for ornamental purposes ; the Sobii or Sovui
is on that account much valued. Armlets (Qatos) are
made of the Sici, Taluvi, Tebe, Tebetabe, or Toru
(Trochus Niloticus, Linn.). A pearl-oyster shell, Civa
or Cove of the natives, is ground, and serves for orna-

CRUSTACEA AND INSECTS. 387
ment. Some fine pearls have occasionally been found,
but actual pearl fishery has as yet not commenced on
a large scale; and the Fijians in some of the islands
act on the idea, that in order to preserve these trea
sures they must be boiled. The Davui (Triton variega-
tus, Lamk.) is made into horns and trumpets, invari
ably found in all larger canoes. Ai Kaki or Ai Koi, a
species of Bolium, is used for scraping, as is also another
univalve, the Tuasa or Ai Walui. Several kinds of oysters
are eaten, and a fresh-water Cyrena is made into soup.
Crustaceous animals are well represented. Shrimps,
praAvns, crayfish, lobsters, and crabs, are plentiful and
esteemed as food by the natives. In some of the smaller
islands, for instance Qelebevu and Vatuvara, a very large
kind of land crab, called " Ugavule " (probably Birgos
latro, and the same of which C. Darwin speaks in his
' Journal of a Naturalist '), is common. Being fierce
and strong, it is taken with some difficulty when on
the ground, and throAvs earth and stones into the face
of its pursuers. It climbs the highest cocoa-nut trees,
and not only pierces the nuts, but removes the husk
from the old nuts and breaks them, in order to get at
the flesh. When up a tree, the natives take a bundle
of grass and bind it round the body of the tree, about
halfway up. The Ugavule comes doAvn backAvards,
and Avhen it gets to the grass it fancies the bottom
has been reached, and, relinquishing its hold on the
tree, falls twenty or thirty feet, and thus stunned is
easily captured.
The insect tribe is very numerous, both in species and
mdiriduals. Mosquitoes (Namu) are very troublesome 2 c 2

388 A MISSION TO VITI.
in some parts, as has already been related ; and equally
irritating are the flies (Lago), which keep one's hands
constantly employed, and in order to have a meal in
peace a boy must be kept continually employed in driving
them away. Fleas, to finish the catalogue of irritants, are
not so plentiful as I have found them in Spanish America
or Southern Europe, nor are foreigners much troubled
by the vermin so abundant in the large heads of hair
worn by the heathen natives. Cockroaches are swarm
ing in most houses, canoes, and vessels, and often dis
turb one during the night, not only by running over
one's body but also by attacking it in right earnest.
Some very fine beetles and butterflies are met with ; and
at dusk the woods begin to swarm with myriads of fire
flies. Highly curious are what are popularly termed
leaf- and stick-insects, species of Mantis ; the wings of
some of them can scarcely be distinguished from real
leaves. Some large kinds of spider, amongst them a
stinging one, have to be noticed. Centipedes, nearly a
foot long, were frequently encountered by us in the woods,
and scorpions are more frequent than one could wish.
There is a goodly display of the lower evertebrate
animals, amongst them a long series of sea-slugs, sea-
cumbers, and Mclie-de-mer, annelidans, starfish, and me
dusas. It would well repay a zoologist who has some funds
at his command — without them he must not go to this
expensive place — to spend a couple of years in investi
gating the Fauna of Fiji. Judging from what has been
collected, mostly in great haste, a number of neAV
genera and species may be expected from a thorough
zoological examination of the group^

389

CHAPTEE XIX.
FIJIAN EELIGION. — DEGEI, THE SUPEEME GOD. — INFEEIOE DEITIES.  WOE-
SHIP OF ANCESTOES.  IDOLIZED OBJECTS. — TEMPLES.  CEEATION AND
ULTIMATE DESTETTCTION OF THE WOELD. — A GEEAT FLOOD.  1MMOE-
TALITT OF THE SOUL. — CONCEPTION OF FUTUEE ABODE. — PEOPS OF
8UPEESTITION.
j/J/ise supreme god in Fiji is Degei (pronounced Ndengei),
knoAvn in the other groups of Polynesia as Tanga-roa,
or Taa-roa ; Tanga being his proper name, " roa " an ad
jective, signifying ' the far removed,' perhaps also ' the
most high.' To him is attributed the creation and go
vernment of the world ; and no images of him are made,
nor of any of the minor gods, collectively termed
" Kalou." His sAvay is universally acknowledged in
Fiji, and no attempts are ever made to elevate any
local gods above him. For this reason I think that in
teaching our Christian religion it would have been ad
visable to select the name of Degei for the Supreme
Being rather than that of " Kalou," which seems to be
used not only collectively for all gods, but also for any
thing superlative, good or bad. When the natives saw
us doing anything inspiring them with admiration or
sm-prise, they would say, " Ah, you are Kalous," which,
of course, could not be translated, ' You are gods,' but
'You are clever felloAvs ! — men of genius !' etc. As no

390 A MISSION TO VITI.
images were ever made of Degei, nor indeed any other
god, it would have been very easy to strip the concep
tion of him of any heathen superstitions. Degei, like
Jupiter, had a bird, and is supposed to be enshrined in
a serpent, — the world-wide symbol of eternity, — lying
coiled up in a cave of Na Vatu, a mountain on the
Eakiraki coast of Viti Levu, indicating his turning about
by occasional shocks of earthquakes. (Compare p. 223).
Some traditions represent him with the head and part
of the body of a serpent, the rest of his form being
stone, emblematic of everlasting and unchangeable du
ration ; in fact, Degei seems to be the personification
of eternal existence.
Besides Degei, there is a host of inferior gods, but
their rank is not easily ascertained, as each district con
tends for the superiority of the deity it has adopted and
specially worships. Tokairabe and Tui Lakeba Eadi-
nadina seem to stand next to Degei ; they are his sons,
and act as mediators in the transmission of prayers
to their father. Eokomoutu is a son of Degei's sister,
and insisted upon being born from her elbow. Some
of the gods find employment in Bulu, some on earth,
and the latter are the tutelary deities of whole tribes
or individuals; thus Eokova and Eokola are invoked
by the carpenters, Eoko Voua and Vosavakadra by the
fishermen, whilst every chief has a god in whom he
puts his special trust.
One of the most universally known gods is Eatu mai
Bulu; he is the Ceres of Fiji, and comes once a year
from Bulu to cause the various fruit-trees to blossom
and yield fruit. During his stay it is forbidden to do

FIJIAN EELIGION. 391
most kinds of work, to go to war, sail about, plant,
build houses, beat the drums, or make much noise, lest
he should take offence and depart with his work unfin
ished. In December the priests bathe Eatu mai Bulu,
and then announce his departure from earth by a great
shout, which is quickly carried from village to village,
from town to town.
One of the most universal beliefs of all mankind is,
doubtless, that in the aid or protection departed an
cestors are able to afford. All nations participate in it
more or less, and even Christianity has not been able
to uproot an idea which poetry and art have rivalled
to perpetuate. What educated man could be so cruel
as to wish to prove to an orphan child, left alone in
the wide world, that, according to strict orthodoxy,
the spirit of its mother could not possibly watch over
it, because the lost one would quietly slumber in her
grave till the great day of judgment 1 The Chinese,
Japanese, South African tribes, and Polynesians, do not
clothe their ideas in so poetical a garb, or banish ad
miration for the mighty deeds of their ancestors from
the region of religious sentiment. They supplicate their
formidable shades when misfortune befalls them, or fear
of the future takes possession of their minds. With
the Fijians, as soon as beloved parents expire, they
take their place amongst the family gods. Bures, or
temples, are erected to their memory, and offerings de
posited either on their graves or on rudely constructed
altars — mere stages, in the form of tables, the legs of
which are driven in the ground, and the top of which
is covered with pieces of native cloth. The construe-

392 A MISSION TO VITI.
tion of these altars is identical with that observed by
Turner in Tanna, and only differs in its inferior finish
from the altars formerly erected in Tahiti and the ad
jacent islands. The offerings, consisting of the choicest
articles of food, are left exposed to wind and weather,
and firmly believed by the mass of Fijians to be con
sumed by the spirits of departed friends and relations ;
but, if not eaten by animals, they are often stolen by
the more enlightened class of then* countrymen, and
even some of the foreigners do not disdain occasionally
to help themselves freely to them. However, it is not
only on tombs or on altars that offerings are made;
often, Avhen the natives eat or drink anything, they
throw portions of it aAvay, stating them to be for their
departed ancestors. I remember ordering a young chief
to empty a bowl containing kaAra, which he did, mutter
ing to himself, " There, father, is some kava for you.
Protect me from illness or breaking any of my limbs
whilst in the mountains."
Besides their regular gods and deified spirits, the Fi
jians have idolized objects, such as sacred stones, trees,
and groves, of which I have already spoken (p. 87) ; and
in addition to these* certain birds, fishes, and some men,
are supposed to have deities closely connected with or
residing in them. He who worships the god inhabiting
a certain fish or bird, must of course refrain from harm
ing or eating them.
All Fijian temples — at least those about the coast —
have a pyramidal form, and are often erected on ter
raced mounds, in this respect reminding us of the an
cient Central American structures We meet the same

TEMPLES.

393

terraced mounds also in Eastern Polynesia, with which
Fiji and all other groups of the South Sea share the
principal features of religious belief.

FIJIAN TEMPLE (BUEE KALOU).
There is in most of them a shrine, where the god is
supposed to descend when holding communication with
the priests, and there is also a long piece of native cloth

394 A MISSION TO VITI.
hung at one end of the building, and from the very ceil
ing, which is also connected with the arrival and depar
ture of the god invoked. The revelations, however, are
made by means of the spirit of the god entering the body
of the priest, who, having become possessed, begins to
tremble most violently, and in this excited state utters
disjointed sentences — supposed to be the revelations
which the god wishes to make by the mouth of his ser
vant. It is the oracle at Delphi over again. Mankind
will be deceived, whether by a Fijian priest, a Grecian
Pythia, or an American spirit-rapper.
The conceptions which the Fijians have of the origin
of their islands is, that they were made and peopled by
Degei. This god, when walking along the beaches, Avore
long trains of native cloth, like those worn by great chiefs
at the present day ; and whenever he allowed them to
drag the ground, the beach, becoming free from vege
tation, showed the white sand ; whenever he took them
up, and cast them over his shoulder, the trees and
shrubs remained undisturbed.* What Humboldt pointed
out as one of the characteristics of all religions is not
wanting in that of Fiji. There is a tradition of a flood.
Degei was roused every morning by the cooing of a
monstrous bird, called " Turukawa," who performed his
duty well until two youths, grandsons of the god, acci
dentally killed it with bow and arrow, and, in order to
conceal their deed, buried it. Degei, accustomed to be
ing roused at sunrise by his favourite bird, was greatly
annoyed on finding it had disappeared, and he at once
dispatched his messenger, Uto, all over the island in
* Williams ('Fiji and the Fijians,' p. 250) makes Eoko Mouta, another
god, take this walk.

TRADITION OE A FLOOD. 395
search of it ; but all endeavours to discover any traces
of the lost one proved unsuccessful. The messenger de
clared that it could nowhere be found. Degei had a
fresh search instituted, which led to the discovery of the
body of the dead bird, and that of the deed which had
deprived him of life. The two youths, fearing Degei's
anger, fled to the mountains and there took refuge Avith
a poAverful tribe of carpenters, who willingly agreed to
build a fence strong enough to keep Degei and his mes
sengers at bay. They little knew the power they had
attempted to balk. Degei, finding the taking of the
fence by storm impossible, caused violent rains to fall,
and the waters rose to such a height that at last they
reached the place where the two youths and their abet
tors had fortified themselves. To save themselves from
drowning they jumped into large bowls that happened
to be at hand, and in these they were scattered in vari
ous directions. When the waters subsided, some landed
at Suva, some at Navua and Bega ; and it is from them
that the present race of carpenters and canoe-builders
claim to be descended.*
* The late Eev. J. Hunt has published a version of this story, which he
himself terms as being between an imitation and a translation of the original.
I quote a few verses. It begins with one of the boys trying his arrow : —
" ' I '11 try, I mean no harm, I '11 only try,'
Pointing his arrow as he fix'd his eye :
His brother strikes his hand, the arrow flies,
And prostrate at their feet old Turukawa lies.
" Stretch'd on the fatal ground, upon his back,
They see the deadly arrow's fatal track ;l
His entrails all turn out, his flowing blood
Stains the white sand, and dyes the ocean flood.
" ' This is no common bird,' one faintly said,
' His glaring eyes retain their crimson red;

396 A MISSION TO VITI.
Those who make a philosophical digest of such myths
as these, Avill at once perceive the points of resemblance
it exhibits with the Mosaic narrative : — The anger of
the supreme god has been roused by certain transgres-
His sacred legs, with many a cowry bound,
Crash'd as the monster fell upon the ground.
" ' My brother, can it be ? is this the bird
Whose office long has been to wake the god
Whose serpent form lies coil'd in yonder cave,
Boasting the dreaded power to kill or save ? '
" They strip him of his coat, by Nature given,
And, lo, his feathers rise in clouds to heaven,
Fly o'er the mountains on the gentle breeze,
Cover the mystic grove of sacred trees.
" A grave, at once convenient and secure,
They find beneath the threshold of the door ;
They bury him with vows of self-defence,
Should Degei's anger visit their offence.
" The god lies sleeping, nor has power to wake;
He turns himself, and rocks and mountains quake ;
When gloomy night has laid aside his pall,
He lists intent for Turulcawa 's call.
" Three suns have risen, but no call he hears ;
His heart now beats with boding god-like fears ;
The god, exhausted with suspense so sore,
Sends IJto his dominions to explore.
" 'Go search my favourite bird, my precious store ;
Oh, shall I never hear his cooing more ?
If distance weary, or the sun shall burn,
Refreshing draughts shall wait thy glad return.
" ' Go search 'mong tow'ring heights, 'mong vales beneath,
'Mong gloomy caverns, and the cloud-capp'd cliffs ;
There dwell the murderers, so report declares ;
Vengeance shall now absorb our god-like cares.' "
The result was, that Degei made war on the two youths, but without
effect ; he then caused a flood of water, with which they were drifted to
the Rewa district. — The mystic grove of sacred trees referred to in verse
5, are the Balawas (screw-pines) at the top of Degei's mountain, which

CREATION AND DESTEUCTION OE THE WOELD. 397
sions, as a punishment for which a flood rises ; and it is
only by embarking — not in ordinary vessels — that cer
tain people save their lives, afterwards to become the
progenitors of a powerful race. But there is one essen
tial difference. Whilst Noah and his family were saved
Deo volente, the Fijian transgressors effected their escape
notwithstanding Degei was resolved upon their destruc
tion. Williams adds, that in all, eight persons were
saved, and that two tribes of people became extinct,
one of them distinguished by a tail like that of a dog.*
As the Fijians believe in the creation, so they be
lieve in the ultimate destruction, of the world. This
appears incidentally from their tradition of the Baiga,
a species of Amorphophallus, the foliage of which con
sists of a single leaf, supported on a stalk two to four
feet long, and spreading out somewhat like an um
brella. In the cosmogony of the Samoans, the office of
having, by means of its single foliage, pushed up the
heavens when they emerged from chaos, is assigned to
this plant, and the Fijians recommend it as a safe place
of refuge when the end of the world approaches, the
Baiga being a "vasu" to heaven (Vasu ki lagi: see
p. 304).
The immortality of the soul, and a life hereafter, is
are sacred. The spirits of the dead are said to throw a whale's tooth at
these trees, that their wives may be strangled. When a shock of an
earthquake is felt, Degei is turning himself. This, and a few other little
things, are not in the original.
* The existence of savage tribes of people with a tail, somewhere in
Africa, has as a popular belief been frequently alluded to in the newspapers.
Dr. Kieser, the President of the Imperial Academy of Germany, has made
numerous inquiries about them ; and when Heuglin set out in search of
Edward Vogel, his attention was particularly directed to this singular topic.

398 A MISSION TO VITI.
one of the canons of Fijian belief. It is from this con
viction that, on the death of a man, be he chief or com
moner, all his wives are strangled, so that he may not
have to go alone on his journey or arrive at the future
abode of bliss without anybody near and dear to him.
Only in the christianized districts has this cruel custom
been abolished. The Tonguese restricted the posses
sion of a soul to chiefs and gentry, but the Fijians go
further, allowing it not only to all mankind, but to
animals, plants, and even houses, canoes, and all me
chanical contrivances. The ultimate destination of the
soul is Bulu, identical with the Tonguese Bolotu, and
the general starting-place (Cibicibi) is supposed to be at
Naicobocobo (= Naithombothombo), the extreme west
ern or lee side of Vanua Levu, to which pilgrimages
are occasionally made. It is not a little singular that
the Fijians agree with the Tahitians, Samoans, Ton
guese, and Maoris, in fixing this starting-place inva
riably on that side of their respective countries. The
ancient Egyptians, it will be remembered, coincided
with them in supposing their souls to depart AvestAvard.*
But I must not accumulate coincidences. Those theory-
spinners who are always on the look-out for traces of
the lost tribes, and similar losses that give them un
easiness, might propound an hypothesis purporting to
account for the westward movement common to the
souls of the ancient Egyptians and the modern Poly
nesians, and, taking a hint from the incidental observa
tion that Fijian temples have someAA'hat the shape of
* In Tahiti this place is called Fareaitu, in Samoa Fafa ; the Maoris
start from Cape Maria Van Diemen.

LIFE HEEEAETEE. 399
pyramids, and that " lali " in Egyptian means ' to re
joice,' and that " lali " in Fijian is the name of a drum-
beater when people do rejoice, advance conclusions of
a startling description.
About five miles east of Naicobocobo there is a soli
tary barren hill on the top of which grows a sacred
screw-pine, which the soul of a married man must hit
with the spirit of the Avhale's tooth, — remember, in
Fiji all things have souls ! — if he wishes to make sure
of his wives being strangled to follow him to his future
abode. A similar screw-pine stood on the east end of
Vanua Levu, and was cut down by Chief Mara (p. 229) ;
and I may further add that an identical belief attaches
to some on the top of Degei's mountain : so that super
stition seems to have placed these trees very conveniently
within the reach of all who desired to avail themselves
of their power.
It is by no means clear where Bulu, the ultimate
abode of bliss, is situated, and Avhether it is, as in the
Tonguese mythology, a distant island ; but the fact that
it cannot be reached except in a canoe shows that it is
separated from this world by water, across which the
souls have to be ferried by the Charon of Fiji. Before
embarking they have to do battle with Samuyalo, the
killer of souls, informed of their approach by the cries
of a parroquet ; should they conquer, they are allowed to
pass on towards the judgment-seat of Degei, but if they
should be wounded or defeated, they have to wander
amongst the mountains. Again, if to any questions they
should return untrue answers, Samuyalo gives the lie
direct and fells them to the ground. Bachelors have a
still greater difficulty to encounter, and stand scarcely

400 A MISSION TO VITI.
any chance whatever of getting to Bulu. First they have
to meet the spirit of a great woman, and, having eluded
her fatal grasp, face a still more powerful foe. Naga-
naga, a bitter hater of all unmarried men, is on the
look-out for them, and if he catches them, dashes them
to pieces on a large black stone.
Some of the traditions speak of Bulu as Lagi ( =
Langi), the sky, the heavens ; others again as being
under the water : all however assert that in this future
abode there are several districts. The names of Lagi
tua dua, Lagi tua rua, and Lagi tua tolu, the first, the
second, and the third heavens, are given to them by one
set of traditions, and that of Murimuria and Burotu by
the others. Murimuria seems to be a district of infe
rior happiness, where punishments and rewards are
awarded. Burotu is the Fijian Elysium, where all that
the natives most desire, value, and enjoy, is abundant.
The manly nature of the Fijian is nowhere better dis
played than in the conception of his future abode. He
does not expect to exist there in indolent ease, reclining
on soft couches, and sipping nectar handed by lovely
houris, but hopes to resume all the out-door exercises
to which he has been habituated during his stay on
earth. Food will be plentiful, it is true, but there will
be lots of canoes, plenty of sailing, fishing, and sporting
— plenty of action. In fact, he hopes to lead very much
the same life as he does here, and his admiration for
fine, well developed people will be gratified ; for, if ac
counts may be trusted, all will be larger than they were
on earth. There does not seem to be any separation
between the abodes of the good and the wicked, nothing
that corresponds to our heaven and hell, no fire and

PROPS OP SUPERSTITION. 401
brimstone. Punishment is evidently inflicted upon
evil-doers in the same locality where the good enjoy
their fair rewards. Women, not tatooed, are chased
by their own sex, allowed no repose, scraped up with
shells and made into bread for the gods. Men who
have not slain any enemy are compelled to beat dirt
with their club, — the most degrading punishment the
native mind can conceive, — because they used their club
to so little purpose. Others are laid flat on their faces
and converted into taro-beds.
In order to uphold the whole fabric of heathen
superstition, the priests had recourse to the same
means which all religions haAre had in dealing with
doubting minds. Punishment was sure to overtake
the sceptic, let his station in life be what it might.
What could be more terrible than that which was in
flicted upon Koroika'? He, a chief high in rank at
Bau, made bold to doubt the existence of the god
Ratu mai Bulu ; and, as the god was then enshrined in a
serpent of a neighbouring cave, he determined to put
the question to the test. Embarking in a canoe with
a cargo of fish, he steered for the very spot where the
god Avas reported to be. On arriving, a serpent issued
from the cave ; and the chief asked, " Please, good Sir,
are you the god Eatu mai Bulu 1" " No, I am not," was
the reply; "I am his son." The chief made him a
present of fish, and requested an interview with his
father. Presently another serpent appeared, but that
proved to be the grandson, and the same present and
request was made to him as had been made to the son.
At length there issued a serpent, so large, so noble and
2 D

402 A MISSION TO VITI.
commanding, as to leave little doubt in the mind of the
chief that the god himself was now before him. Fish
was presented to him ; and just as the god was retiring
with it, Koroika hit him with an arroAV, and then re
treated in all possible haste. But the voice of the god
folloAved him, exclaiming, "Nought but serpents! —
nought but serpents !" Arrived at home, and scarcely
recovered from his state of agitation, he ordered dinner
to be brought. The cover was removed from the pot,
when, oh ! horror, it was full of serpents ! The chief
seized a jug of water, saying, "At any rate, I will drink ;"
but, instead of the limpid fluid, he poured out crawling,
serpents. Unable to eat or drink, he sought comfort in
sleep. He unrolled his mat, and was in the act of lying
down upon it, when innumerable serpents appeared.
Mad with excitement, he rushes out of doors, and pass
ing a temple, hears, to his dismay, a priest revealing
that the god has been wounded by the hand of a citizen,
and that punishment will overtake the city. There is
now no escape but to make a suitable atonement for the
terrible offence committed. He returns home, collects
all the valuables he can lay his hands on, presents them
to the god, is pardoned, and his name handed down to
unborn generations as a sceptic, and a fit example of
the danger to which all men of his disposition expose
themselves.* A different but equally severe punishment awaited
unbelievers in Bulu. One day, two young men paint
and oil themselves, and put on a new piece of native
cloth (just as the dead are prepared for the grave), and
* Compare Waterhouse, ' Vah-ta-ah,' p. 46.

FATE OF SCEPTICS. 403
approach Naicobocobo. One calls, " Please, Sir, we want
a canoe to take us to Bulu." An invisible hand places
a canoe, built of the timber of the breadfruit tree,
Avithin their reach. "Oh, Sir," said the spokesman, "we
are not slaves ; we want to go to Bulu like chiefs."
The canoe is withdrawn, and its place supplied with
one built of ironwood. No sooner is it near them, than
the sceptics throw their spears at it, and exclaim, with
a derisive laugh, " Oh, we are not going to die just yet."
A voice was heard, " Young men, unbelievers, you have
called for two canoes : they have not returned empty ;
both have conveyed your own relatives. There is death
in the houses of both of you." Thoroughly alarmed,
they hurry home. The sounds of wailing are heard as
they near their town. Both their mothers are dead.
But I must conclude, for fear that I may be served as
Dr. Brower, the American Consul in Fiji, served a man
residing on his estate at Wakaya, who nightly would
persist in attracting all the boys of the neighbourhood
by telling stories, and inflaming their youthful imagina
tion to such an extent, that not one of them would stir
abroad for fear of meeting some of the mighty person
ages to whom he had been introduced. Dr. Brower,
not liking the whole troop to sleep on his premises,
hit upon the expedient of requesting the story-teller
to accompany every one of those he had frightened to
his respective home, and, as the youthful listeners live
in every direction of the compass, it takes him a good
time to comply with the request; still, it does not
prevent him from again and again indulging in his
old weakness of telling fairy and ghost stories. 2 D 2

404

CHAPTEE XX.
HISTOEICAL EBMAEKS ON FIJI.  DISCOVEEY OF THE ISLANDS.  SANDAL
WOOD TEADEES.  EAELT WHITE SETTLEES.  MISSIONAEIES.  FOBEIGN-
EES AT PRESENT EESIDING IN THE GEOUP. — MY DEPAETUEE FEOM FIJI
IN THE 'STAGHOUND.' — TEEEIFIC STOEM OFF LOED HOWE'S ISLAND. —
AEEIVAL IN SYDNEY. — EETUEN TO ENGLAND. — CONCLUSION.
Before bidding farewell to the islands, I must say a few
words about their history as connected Avith the white
race. In the year 1643, Abel Jansen Tasman, when ex
ploring the South Seas, discovered, between longitudes
19° 50' E. and 180° 8' W., a group of islands which he
named " Prince William's Island," and which the inhabi
tants collectively term "Viti," and the Tonguese, who can
not pronounce the v, as well as other nations who have
not this excuse, erroneously designate as " Fiji," spelt in
a variety of ways. Although nearly two centuries have
elapsed since the event, this archipelago of more than
two hundred islands was only nominally known until
visited by D'Urville and Wilkes; Captain Cook, who
merely sighted Vatoa or Turtle Island, Captain Bligh,
who twice passed through parts of this group, and
Captain Wilson, of the ' Duff,' whose vessel was nearly
lost on the reef off Taviuni, having scarcely added
any save secondhand information to our stock of know
ledge.

HISTORICAL REMARKS. 405
Towards the close of the eighteenth and the begin
ning of the present century, Viti began to be visited by
vessels from the East Indies in search of sandalwood
and Mche-de-mer, or Trepang, for the Chinese market.
At that time the aborigines were regarded as ferocious
savages, and great caution was exercised by the traders
in dealing with them. The vessels were well armed, and
none of the creAV ventured on shore until chiefs of high
rank had been sent on board as hostages, only to be given
up after all business transactions had been concluded,
and the loaded vessels were far enough at sea to be safe
from surprise or any sudden attack. Some of these vessels
were wrecked, on board of others mutinies occurred, and
the crew took up its residence on shore ; again, between
some of the traders differences arose, which induced the
natives to attack the foreign vessels, and kill the whole
or portion of their crew. These were the materials
which probably formed the first white immigration. In
1860, there was at Cakaudrove an old Manila man,
named Jetro, who had been a boy on board a sandal
wood ship, and who gave me a detailed account of the
murder of the captain by the crew, the goods being
given up to the king of Bau because no one was able
to navigate the ship, which had to be abandoned, and
it being thought best to purchase, the goodwill of a
powerful chief in order that the mutineers might have a
protector. Jetro could give no clue to the date of this
event, except that it took place shortly after Charles
Savage had died, which would make it about the year
1814. Charles Savage is said to have been a Swede by birth.

406 A MISSION TO VITI.
T.Williams* thought him to have been one of a number
of convicts who in 1804 effected their escape from New
South Wales ; but, according to more authentic informa
tion,! he was an honest sailor belonging to the American
brig 'Eliza,' wrecked in Fiji in 1808, and of which Dil
lon was mate. He seems to have possessed some redeem
ing qualities, was acknowledged as a head-man by the
companions of his own race, and acquired great ascen
dency at Bau, the capital of the group. Up to this time
the natives seem to have solely depended upon clubs,
spears, and slings, for success in intertribal wars. The
foreigners who had now come amongst them taught
them the use of fire-arms, rendering the teachers highly
welcome allies to the states then struggling for supre
macy in the group. Bau and Eewa received them with
open arms, and in return for their alliance gratified all
their whims and demands, of whatever nature they might
happen to be. From the ascendency thus acquired, it
would have seemed that the absolute government of the
whole Fijis lay within their grasp, if their ambition, rising
beyond a life of indolence, had prompted them to con
solidate and improve the power thus won ; however,
this was far from being the case. There is good proof
that Savage at least made a fair attempt to take advan
tage of these favourable circumstances. Firmly esta
blishing himself at Bau, in the Very heart of the most
powerful Fijian state, he exacted all the honours paid
to exalted chiefs, and, knowing that no man can attain
* ' Fiji and the Fijians,' p. 3.
t Dillon, ' Discovery of the Fate of De la Perouse,' vol. i. ; Captain
I. Erskine, ' Western Pacific,' p. 197.

EARLY WHITE SETTLERS. 407
position in Polynesia who is not a polygamist, he de
manded a number of wives, amongst them some of the
highest ladies of the realm. Thus far his native friends
seem to have been willing to allow his carefully con
cealed plan to succeed. Every additional step in advance
was rendered impossible ; the natives were fully aware
that if any of his sons whom a great chief, as Savage was
considered to be, had by the daughters of powerful kings
and leaders, should ever attain manhood, they would be
in a position to exercise an unmitigated despotism, and
set on foot a centralizing influence, which the centrifu
gal tendency of the Fijian mind has ever as strongly re
sisted as the Teutonic. According to Fijian polity, the
sons of great queens, such as Savage had for his wives,
would, in virtue of their right as " Vasus" or nephews,
hold the territory and property of their uncles at their
absolute disposal, which, combined with their position
as sons of a great chief, would have given them an im
mense preponderance. It was therefore deemed politic
to allow none of Savage's children to be other than
still-born; he might have wives of the highest rank,
but there must be no offspring. On this point the na
tives seem to have been inflexible, though Savage seemed
to have strained every nerve to frustrate their cruel de
termination. The stand which the natives made, became
the rock on which the hopes of the white men to esta
blish their permanent sway in Fiji Avere wrecked. Savage
died in March, 1814, near Vanua Levu, where he carried
on a war with the natives in order to procure a cargo of
sandalwood for an English trading vessel, the ' Hunter,'
of Calcutta. Together with portions of the crew, he was

408 A MISSION TO VITI.
put to death and eaten, Avhilst his bones were converted
into sail-needles, and distributed amongst the people as
a remembrance of victory.*
However, it was not only from shipwrecked mariners
and runaway seamen, that the early white population
was recruited. In 1804, a number of convicts escaped
from New South Wales, in all about twenty-six, who took
up their abode in Fiji, who however died out rather ra
pidly, either in the intei tribal Avars, in desperate fights
amongst themselves, or in consequence of the irregular
life led in a tropical climate. In 1824 only two, in 1840
only one of them, an Irishman of the name of Connor,
survived, who occupied the same position towards the
king of Eewa as Savage had done towards that of Bau.
Connor does not seem to have been of such a deep, plod
ding nature as his comrade, or to have troubled his head
much about the afi'airs of the future. Even when, after
the loss of his royal patron, misfortune overtook him,
he appears to have preserved all the humour for Avhich
his nation is proverbial, and Avas fully aAvare that the
natives would never let him starve as long as he could
while away an idle hour by the narration of a telling
tale — upon which he depended towards the close of his
days, quite as much, or perhaps even more, for a liveli
hood, than upon the rearing of fowls and pigs.
On the whole, the natives seem to have treated the
first Avhite men that came to live among them with hos
pitality and kindness. This is exactly what, from the
nature of their country, might have been predicted. A
sanguinary custom may have demanded that bodies slain
* Dillon, ' Discovery of the Fate of De la Pdrouse.'

EARLY WHITE SETTLERS. 409
in battle should be baked and eaten, but the Fijian never
displayed that determined hostility towards foreigners
which is common to all natives in their barbarous state,
and found vent even in civilized countries in a system
of protective laws, which modern science still struggles
to clear away. In some of the smaller islands of Poly
nesia, where food is scarce, and famine a common occur
rence, every addition to the population is regarded
rather as a calamity than as a matter of rejoicing, and
the shores are jealously guarded against an infliction by
which the whole community must suffer. It is therefore
emphatically islands of this nature which our tract
charts still mark as the most dangerous for landing.
Viti, on the contrary, is so fertile, that food, as a general
rule, is abundant at all seasons; and its inhabitants
being well fed, and taking plenty of out-door exercise,
do not seriously differ from other nations who enjoy the
same advantages. A man who has every day a good
dinner is a differently-disposed being from him who has
to go very often without his daily meals ; and the same
process continued for generations must produce very
opposite results in their respective characters. If any
of the early white settlers met with a violent end, it
was generally the foreigner, not the native, that fur
nished its primary cause. Taking undue advantage of
the easy terms on which they lived with the chiefs, the
white men often applied insulting epithets or used foul
language to their hosts and protectors, provoking that
contempt which familiarity, with a certain class of minds,
invariably engenders. It was generally language of
this kind, or demands which the chiefs deemed it below

410 A MISSION TO VITI.
their dignity to comply with, AA'hich led to fatal conse
quences. Some of the old convict gang were still alive when
a few of a more respectable class of white traders and
missionaries took up their abode in the group, princi
pally at Lakeba, Levuka, and Eewa. Of the traders we
know little except the incidental notices here and there
preserved ; but of the doings of the missionaries ample
records have been placed before the world in their own
publications. When the latter commenced then- labours
the political state of Fiji was little understood, and we
can therefore not wonder that they should have made a
serious mistake in the very outset. They began their
work of christianization at Lakeba, one of the AvindAvard
islands. Now Lakeba is dependent on Cakaudrove, and
the chiefs of the latter state were naturally jealous to
see vassals assume a greater importance than themselves,
and they opposed the spread of the new doctrine Avith
all means in their power. When, after a time, mission
aries established themselves at Somosomo, then the ca
pital of Cakaudrove, at Viwa and Eewa, they struggled
against similar disadvantages. These three states Avere
more or less dependent on Bau, and Bau, irritated at see
ing its subordinates in possession of all the good things
that an active intercourse Avith the Christian teachers
threw in their way, tried to crush the new doctrine by
its mighty influence. There can be no doubt that many
atrocities were committed in the native capital, merely
to prove how little Bau was influenced by the religious
change going on in other parts of the group. It appears
that at an early date Cakobau had invited the mission-

REASONS OF BAU'S HOSTILITY TO MISSIONARIES. 411
aries to come to Bau, but that they did not put sufficient
confidence in him. The doubt thus cast upon his ho
nour, together with the constant irritation of seeing
parts of the group under the suzerainty of Bau daring
to desert heathenism when still upheld by the leading
state, and a daily diminishing political influence, turned
King Cakobau into a deadly foe to Christianity. Had
the missionaries taken the bull by horns, and endea
voured to obtain a footing at Bau before they took up
their residence in any other part of the group, their
labours would have been easy in comparison to what
they have been, and the whole group would have re
nounced heathenism long ere this.* It was all up-hill
work, yet results have been attained, to which no right-
minded man can refuse admiration. According to the
latest returns, the attendance on Christian worship in
1861 was 67,489, and there were 31,566 in the day-
schools. For the supervision of this great work the So
ciety had only eleven European missionaries and two
schoolmasters, assisted by a large class of native agents,
who are themselves the fruits of mission toil, and some
of whom, once degraded and cannibal heathens, are be
coming valuable and accredited ministers of the Gospel.
The Avhite settlers at present in the group may
amount to about two thousand souls, the greater num
ber of whom have arrived within the last few years and
* Cakobau "was offended with Mr. Cross, because he would not trust
himself at Bau on his first visit, but turned aside and opened a mission at
Eewa. The proud spirit of the chief was hurt at being placed second."
(Calvert, 'Fiji and the Fijians,' vol. ii. p. 234.) Additional passages
might be cited from missionary writings to prove the view I have taken of
Bau's hostility.

412 A MISSION TO VITI.
principally taken up their residence in LeATika and the
Eewa districts. They are traders, agriculturists, and sheep
farmers. Several have turned their attention to cotton
growing. Most of them live in native-built houses, and
only a few, including the consuls and missionaries,
have weather-boarded houses. They belong to all na
tions ; I have seen English, Americans, Germans,
French, Poles, and Eussians, but the greater number
are British subjects. Nearly all have acquired more or
less land from the natives, and several have bought ex
tensive tracts. Small islands are in great request, and
generally paid for at a much higher rate than pieces on
the larger islands, which require fencing in, and are apt
to give rise to disputes about boundaries. All the land
sold is registered at the British Consulate, and Mr. Prit
chard, before he did so, was always very careful to have
the sellers acknowledge before him, and in the pre
sence of a number of their townsmen, that they were sa
tisfied with the bargain and had obtained the price stipu
lated. The land originally belongs either to individuals or
to whole families, and the title confirmed by the ruling
chiefs is supposed to be good. From what I saw, I be
lieve that in most instances a fair price is given, remem
bering that the very best land in America may be had
for a dollar and a quarter an acre ; and that those who
are willing to build a house, may have so-called bit-land
for about sixpence per acre. Since the Fijis have be
come a field for immigration the land has considerably
risen, and I have seen, as already stated, £10 per acre
refused. The greatest landed proprietor was perhaps the
late Mr. Williams, United States Consul. Mr. Binner,

DEPARTURE FEOM FIJI. 413
Wesleyan training-master, also owns large tracts and a
great many small islands. The land is paid for in
barter, cotton prints, cutlery, muskets, powder and shot.
Parties desirous of establishing plantations will have no
difficulty in obtaining any amount of good land near
rivers or the sea. Labour can be had to some extent in
Fiji, but Polynesians will work much better if they are
not in their own islands ; and hands might be had by
running over to Eotuma, Fotuna, Were, Earatonga, and
the New Hebrides; indeed some of the best working
men and women I saw in Fiji were obtained from those
sources. \
f1 /On the 2nd of November we returned to Lado, from
our voyage around Vanua Levu. We had left Nuku
bati on the 30th of October, and called at Solevu and
Levuka. On the 7th of November the ' Staghound,'
Captain Sustenance, arrived from Tahiti and Samoa,
and, as I had seen as much of Fiji as was accessible
and gathered all the information I had been directed
to accumulate, I engaged a passage in her for Sydney.
There were several passengers on board ; two having
come from Tonga, where they had established sheep-
runs; and one had been over a great part of Fiji, to
judge for himself about the capabilities of the group for
colonization. From what I could gather from conversa
tion, he had been sent out by a party of friends, all of
whom were desirous of investing capital in the islands
if his report should prove favourable. He spoke in
high terms of the country, and its resources.
I left Levuka on the 16th of November, and two days
after lost sight of Kadavu and the Fiji group. On the

414 A MISSION TO VITI.
22nd we were out of the tropics, on the 26th near Nor
folk Island, and on the 3rd of December off Lord Howe
Island. Here we encountered a series of the most awful
electric storms it has ever been my misfortune to pass
through. The wind and waves were very high, the
peals of thunder truly terrific, and sheet and flash light
ning without interruption from dusk till dawn. Our
vessel was struck several times by the lightning, and
two men were seriously injured. I was fully prepared
for going down, as it seemed almost impossible to sur
vive a storm, to which all I had previously witnessed in
the tropics could not be compared in intensity and vio
lence. The St. Elmo's fire on the masthead and rigging
gave a peculiarly ghastly appearance to the vessel when
the darkness of night was restored by the momentary
cessation of the lightning. The men got terribly fright
ened, and the rope's-end had to be used freely to make
them do their duty. Captain Sustenance, every inch a
sailor, took the helm himself, and never quitted his
post till all was safe. His powerful voice could be heard
through the storm, and was almost the only thing that
inspired confidence, when all the elements seemed to
be bent upon our destruction.
Otherwise our passage was a very pleasant one. Cap
tain Sustenance had been in the Eoyal Navy, and seen,
heard, and read a good deal, so that we were never hard
up for topics of conversation. When on the 10th of
December we dropped anchor in Sydney Harbour, we
had as much to talk about as when first stepping on
board at Levuka. To ascertain a man's mental calibre,
no place is better suited than on board a ship. The

CONCLUSION. 415
generality of men are very dull company after the first
few days ; they have exhausted their little store of con
versation, and, having no newspapers and clubhouses to
supply them with fresh matter, they have absolutely
nothing to say, even their autobiographies refusing to
yield any new or interesting matter.
The collections I had dispatched to Sydney had safely
arrived and were well taken care of by Mr. Moore, the
director of the Botanic Garden. As the ' Jeddo,' the
next " Peninsular and Oriental" steamer for England, did
not leave before the 22nd of December, I took advan
tage of my stay to arrange and repack my treasures, and
Mr. Moore's library and commodious premises were of
the greatest service to me for that purpose. I remained
all the time Mr. Moore's guest, as I had been on a for
mer occasion, and enjoyed very much the fine garden
in Avhich his house is situated. Mr. Moore delivers every
season a series of lectures on botany, and during my stay
the distribution of prizes took place in the presence of
a numerous assembly. Dr. George Bennett having only
recently given a graphic description of the Sydney garden
in his ' Gatherings of a Naturalist in Australasia,' I
shall not dwell on a subject to me so tempting, and one
that confers great credit upon the zealous director of
the institution.
Leaving Sydney on the 22nd of December, we made
Melbourne on Christmas Eve, and King George's Sound
on the 31st of December. Thence my voyage led to
Point de Galle, Ceylon, Egypt, and Malta, whence I took
the French steamer and paid a visit to Sicily and Italy,
ascending Vesuvius in company of Mr. and Mrs. George

416 A MISSION TO VITI.
Macleay, and, returning again to Malta, reached South
ampton on the 12th of March, 1861, with no other acci
dent than the breaking of the main shaft of the engine,
between Valetta and Gibraltar.
The war in New Zealand continuing, it soon became
apparent that the British Government had no inclination
to accept the cession of Fiji, but the fact was not officially
knoAvn until May, 1862, when the Wesleyan body had
intimation of it. They had written, it appears, a letter
asking for information, and stating at the same time
that if her Majesty's Government should accept the ces
sion, they should feel very much pleased if Colonel
Smythe was appointed Governor of the new colony.
Since then the official correspondence relative to the
Fijian islands has been laid before Parliament; and the
public has now ample materials to form an opinion on
the whole subject. I have simply written an unvar
nished account of all I heard and saw, and refrained from
discussing the rejection of so fine a country from a poli
tical point of view. I have no doubt as to the future of
Fiji. The importance of the group once recognized,
nothing will stop our race from taking possession of it,
and replacing barbarism and strife by civilization and
peaceful industry.

APPENDIX.

I. REPORT OF ADMIRAL WASHINGTON, R.N.
II. REPORT OF COLONEL SMYTHE, R.A.
III. SYSTEMATIC LIST OF ALL THE FIJIAN PLANTS
AT PRESENT KNOWN.

2E

APPENDIX.

L— REPORT OF ADMIRAL WASHINGTON, R.N.
In accordance with the Board Minute, to report upon the
Colonial Office letter of the 9th instant, I have to state that —
The Fiji, or more properly the Viti group, in the south-western
Pacific, consists of some 200 islands, islets, and rocks, lying be
tween latitude 15|° and 19|° south, at about 1900 miles, N.E.
of Sydney, and 1200 north of Auckland, at the north end of
New Zealand. The two largest islands may be some 300 miles in
circumference, or each is about the size of Corsica ; 65 of the islets
are said to be inhabited, and the whole population of the group
may be 200,000.
I propose to reply categorically to the queries contained in
the Colonial Office letter : —
Q. 1. If the Fiji Isles be obtained, are all the available har
bours obtained in that part of the Pacific ?
A. 1. Certainly not all, but a great part of them. The
Friendly or Tonga Islands, only 400 miles to the south-east,
possesses good harbours, as Tonga-tabu and Vavau. The Samoa
or Navigator Isles, the same distance to the north-east, have
good harbours, as Sangopango and Apia. Some of the Society
Islands also may be available, but lying 1800 miles to the east
ward, they may not be considered as within the limits named :
none of the harbours, however, are superior to those of the Fiji
Islands. 2 E 2

420 A MISSION TO VITI.
Q. 2. Do the natural harbours now existing require much, if
any, artificial development for naval purposes ? Whether such
harbours are few or many ?
A. 2. There are several roadsteads and harbours in the Fiji
group, the principal of which is the extensive harbour of Levuka,
on the eastern side of Ovalau; this harbour has good holding-
ground, is easy of access, and has every facility for the supply of
fruit, vegetables, wood, and water. Gau, on its western side,
has a sheltered roadstead of large extent. Totoga is surrounded
by a coral reef, within which is a spacious sheltered anchorage,
Avith good holding-ground and an entrance for ships. All the
above harbours have been thoroughly surveyed by order of the
Admiralty, and plans of them, on a large scale, are available
when required. These natural harbours will not require any
artificial development for naval purposes.
3. There is nothing unusual in the tides and currents around
the Fiji group ; they depend chiefly on the prevailing winds ; nor
are they of sufficient strength to render the entrance into or
egress from the harbours dangerous. There is no present ne
cessity for buoys, beacons, or lights, but should trade greatly
increase, or should mail-steamers call by night, a light would
become necessary.
4. The Fiji Islands lie nearly in the direct track from Panama
to Sydney, as will be seen by the annexed chart of the Pacific
Ocean, on which I have shown that track, as also one by calling
at the Fijis, Avhence it appears that the steamer, if she touched
at one of the Fiji isles for coal, would lengthen her voyage only
about 320 miles, or one day's run out of 32 days, on a distance
of 8000 miles. In like manner it appears, that on the voyage
from Vancouver Island to Sydney, the touching at Fiji would
lengthen the distance 420 miles in a voyage of 7000 miles. An
intermediate station betAveen Panama and Sydney will be most
desirable; indeed, if the proposed mail route is to be carried out,
it is indispensable. One of the Society Islands, as lying half
way, would-be a more convenient coaling station; but as they
are under French protection it seems doubtful if one could be
obtained. The Consul at Fiji, in the enclosed papers, hints at
the possibility of coal being found in one of the islands; if this

. APPENDIX. 421
should prove to be the case, it would at once double their value
as a station.
In the above statements I have confined myself to answering
the questions in the Colonial Office letter, but on looking into
the subject I have been much struck by the entire want by Great
Britain of any advanced position in the Pacific Ocean. We have
valuable possessions on either side, as at Vancouver and Sydney,
but not an islet or a rock in the 7000 miles of ocean that sepa
rate them. The Panama and Sydney mail communication is
likely to be established, yet we have no island on which to place
a coaling station, and where we could insure fresh supplies.
* * * * And it may hereafter be found very inconvenient that
England should be shut out from any station in the Pacific, and
that an enemy should have possession of Tongatabii, where there
is a good harbour, within a few hundred miles of the track of
our homeward-bound gold-ships from Sydney and Melbourne.
Neither forts nor batteries would be necessary to hold the ground;
a single cruizing ship should suffice for all the Avants of the islands;
coral reefs and the hearty goodwill of the natives would do the
rest. I have, etc.,
(Signed) John Washington,
Admiralty, March 12th, 1859. Hydrographer.

II.— REPORT OF COLONEL SMYTHE, R.A., TO
COLONIAL OFFICE.
The Fiji group of islands is situated in the Pacific Ocean, be
tween the meridians of 176° east and 178° west longitude, and
between the parellels of 15° and 20° south latitude. It is com
posed of about 200 islands and islets, of which less than one-half
is inhabited. Two of the islands (Viti Levu and Vanua Levu)
are of unusual size for the Pacific Ocean, having each a circum
ference of 250 miles. The islands rise in general abruptly from

422 A MISSION TO VITI.
the sea, and present in their bold and irregular outlines the
peculiar characters of the volcanic formation to which they be
long. With the exception of some tracts on the two larger
islands, but little level land is anywhere to be seen. Almost
every island is surrounded by a coral reef, either fringing the
shore, or separated from it by a channel more or less narrow.
The inhabitants belong to the darker of the two great Poly
nesian races, but living on the confines of the lighter-coloured
race, have received from it some admixture. One language, with
some varieties of dialect, prevails throughout the group. The
population is estimated at 200,000, of whom 60,000 are num
bered as Christian converts. [67,489 according to exact returns,
B. S.J The men are generally above the middle height, robust,
and well-built. Their principal occupation is the cultivation of
their yam and taro plots, which affords periodical but easy em
ployment, sailing in their canoes, fishing, and frequently fighting.
The chief articles of food are yams, taros, fish, and coco-nuts,
breadfruit, bananas, and other fruits, the spontaneous productions
of the soil. Their clothing is extremely scanty, consisting of a
narrow strip of cloth, or rather paper, prepared from the bark of
the paper-mulberry. Their houses are constructed of reeds and
grass on a framework of poles. The floor is the natural soil
covered with fern leaves and mats; in the middle is a sunken
hearth, the smoke from which escapes through the walls and
roof. Apertures for light other than the doorways are very rare.
The houses are never isolated, but are crowded together in towns
or " koros," which are frequently surrounded by a ditch and an
earthen mound. The natives have raised no permanent struc
tures. Although the coral reefs present an inexhaustible supply
of lime, and they have discovered the art of burning it, they
make no use of it except as paint, and to plaster their hair with.
There are no beasts of burden or draught, and consequently no
roads. The usual mode of moving about and of carriage is by
canoes. The only mechanics among them are the carpenters or
canoe-builders, Avho form an hereditary caste. The women, in
a few favourable localities, manufacture a rude kind of pottery.
There are in the group probably not less than forty independent
tribes, twelve of which, from their superior influence, may be con-

APPENDIX. 423
sidered as virtually to govern it. The names of these are Bau,
Rewa, Navua, Nadroga, Vunda, Ba, Rakiraki, and Viwa ; round
the coast of the largest island (Viti Levu), Bua, Macuata, and
Cakadrove, or the other large island (Vanua Levu), and Lakeba,
among the windward islands. The rule of the chiefs is absolutely
despotic (see p. 231) ; the lives and goods, and to some extent
the lands of their people, are at their mercy. The number of
chiefs is very great ; almost every " koro" has one or more. They
differ greatly in rank and influence. In many instances there
are two great chiefs at the same place, as at Bau. Here one of
these is called " Rokotuebau," or " Great Chief of Bau," and
the other " Na Vu-ni-valu," or the " root of war." They are both
consecrated to their office. At Bau, the "Vu-ni-valu" is the
principal personage; but in other places, where similar titles
exist, the "Vu-ni-valu," although charged with special duties in
the conduct of war, has but little power.
South-eastward of Fiji, at a distance of 250 miles, lie the
Friendly or Tonga Islands. The inhabitants belong to the
lighter-coloured Polynesian race. They have long had inter
course with the nearer islands of Fiji, attracted by the fine timber
for canoes which they afford. Canoes are built on the spot where
the material is found ; the construction of a large one occupies
several years.
In 1822 the English Wesleyan Methodist Society commenced
a mission in Tonga, which led at a later period to the intro
duction of Christianity into Fiji. This event took place in
1835, when two missionaries from Tonga landed at Lakeba, the
principal of the eastern islands, and where many Tonguese
were located. The success of these missionaries was so encou
raging, that their Society gradually added to their number, and
eventually formed the Fiji group into a separate missionary
district. The number of Tonguese in Fiji fluctuates considerably, but
may be taken at an average at from 300 to 400. Of late years
they have taken an active part in Fijian wars, sometimes helping
one chief sometimes another, and invariably with success. They
are distinguished by daring, coupled with unity and discipline, —
qualities in which the Fijians are most Avretchedly deficient.

424 A MISSION TO VITI.
They possess strong feelings of nationality, and own ready obe
dience to their chief, Maafu, a near relative to the king of Tonga.
Native agency is largely employed by the missionaries in Fiji,
and many of the most efficient teachers are Tonguese. In cases
where Tonguese teachers have been ill-treated by the heathen
natives, Maafu has interfered as the protector of his countrymen.
In this manner, while extending his own influence, he has ren
dered safer the position of the native teachers. [Compare Chapter
XV.] The presence of the Tonguese in Fiji has been far from an
unmixed benefit. Their conduct has often been in direct con
tradiction to their profession of Christianity, and the help which
they have afforded to the chiefs has occasioned much oppression
to the people in the contributions levied to recompense their
services. The population of the Tonga group does not exceed a
tenth of that of Fiji ; yet from the mental and physical superiority
of the Tonguese, their courage and discipline, and the dread of
them established among the Fijians, there is little doubt that
they could easily make themselves masters of Fiji, — an enterprise
which George, King of Tonga, has been said to meditate.
The permanent white residents in Fiji amount to about 200,
composed chiefly of men who have left or run away from vessels
visiting the islands. They are principally British subjects, citi
zens of the United States, with a few French and Germans ; the
two former are the most numerous. They traffic with the natives
for produce, which they dispose of to vessels. They do nothing
to civilize or improve the natives ; on the contrary, they have
in many instances fallen to a lower level. Whenever they can
obtain spirits, most of them drink to excess. From false infor
mation given in the colonial journals regarding the acceptance
by Her Majesty of the sovereignty of the islands, and their ad
vantages for settlers, a considerable number of people Avere in
duced to visit them during last year. Discovering on their
arrival the true state of affairs, many of them hastened to return
to the colonies, and the greater number of the remainder will
probably follow. They were generally of a much superior class
to the old white residents. [The latest intelligence received from
Fiji states the number of respectable white residents to be in
creasing. — B. S.~]

APPENDIX. 425
Besides the British Consul, there is a Consul for the United
States of America residing in Fiji.
The principal articles of produce are cocoa-nut oil, tortoise-
shell, pearl-shell, and arrowroot. Formerly considerable quan
tities of sandal-wood and Mche-de-rner were carried to China,
but this trade has now nearly ceased. The staple article of
produce is cocoa-nut oil, of which about 200 tons are annually
exported. The sugar-cane and coffee-tree both groAV well, and may in
time contribute to the exports from Fiji. [Dr. Brower and Mr.
Whippy, Americans, have, according to recent intelligence, set
up a sugar-cane crushing-machine and coppers. — B. &.]
The climate of Fiji is not unhealthy ; fevers are almost un
known. The most fatal disease to Europeans is dysentery. The
mean temperature of the whole year is probably about 80°.
Much rain falls, especially during the summer months of Ja
nuary, February, and March. At this season thunder-storms
are frequent. Hurricanes scarcely ever occur except in these
months, and frequently several years in succession pass without
any. During the remainder of the year easterly winds prevail.
Of the meteorology of Fiji more precise information will soon be
obtained, as I brought out Avith me from the Meteorological De
partment of the Board of Trade a complete set of instruments.
The three principal reasons stated in my instructions as hav
ing been urged for accepting the sovereignty of the Fiji islands
are — 1st. That they may prove a useful station for any mail steam
ers running between Panama and Sydney.
2nd. That they may afford a supply of cotton.
3rd. And, in close connection with the first reason, that
their possession is important to the national power and
security in the Pacific.
On the first head I beg to refer to the accompanying chart of
the Pacific Ocean, on which I have traced the great circle lines
joining Sydney, Panama, and Fiji, or, in other words, the lines
of shortest distance on the globe between these places. The line
from Sydney to Panama, it will be seen, crosses the northern
island of New Zealand almost in the latitude of Auckland, and

426 A MISSION TO VITI.
passes to the south of the great field of the Pacific Islands. The
distance by this line from Sydney to Panama is 7626 nautical
miles. The distance from Sydney to Fiji is 1735 miles, and from
Fiji to Panama 6250, making the distance from Sydney to Pa
nama, by way of Fiji, 7985 miles, or 359 miles longer than by the
direct line. The latter line would be augmented by about 100
miles by the necessity of having to round the northern extremity
of New Zealand. There Avould still remain a difference of 260
miles in favour of the Auckland route. The route by Fiji, besides
being the longer, traverses the Pacific Archipelagoes, the navi
gation among which is undoubtedly difficult and dangerous, from
the reefs and shoals in which they abound, and the occurrence
of hurricanes at certain seasons. [Compare Admiral Washing
ton's more favourable view, as expressed in his official report
above. — B. £>.]
2ndly. Regarding the supply of cotton. The cotton plant is
not indigenous in Fiji.* From the concurring evidence of the
natives in all parts of the group, its first introduction may be
fixed at twenty-five years ago. As six different varieties are now
found, it is probable that since its first introduction fresh seeds
have from time to time been brought by vessels visiting these
islands. The natives do not cultivate it, and make scarcely any
use of it. Dr. Seemann brought out with him last year some
cotton seed, presented by the " Manchester Cotton Supply Asso
ciation," for distribution in Fiji. It was of two kinds, " Sea
Island," and "New Orleans." None of the former kind ger
minated, but the New Orleans proved very good. In an experi
ment made under Dr. Seemann's own direction, the seed Avas
sown on the 9th of June, and when he visited the plot again on
the 18th of October, the plants were from four to seven feet high,
and had some very fine ripe pods upon them. Since Mr. Pritch
ard's return from England at the end of 1859, some of the
* Most of the newspapers took this fact to be a serious drawback to the
successful cultivation of cotton, quite forgetting that cotton is not indi
genous to the United States and many other countries in which it flou
rishes. I made exactly the same statement ("cotton is not indigenous in
Fiji"), but added that notwithstanding it had become almost wild in some
parts, so well is the country adapted for its growth. — B. S.

APPENDIX. 427
native chiefs have been induced to encourage the growth of cot
ton, and a few young plants are now to be seen in the native
gardens in various places. Very little, however, can be expected
for some time from the natives. They will only be induced to
raise cotton by meeting with a ready sale for the small quan
tities which they will bring in at first. The cultivation of cotton
by white settlers is principally a question of land and labour. In
a general way it may be said that there is not an acre of land in
Fiji which is not private property, the ownership resting either in
families or in individuals. A small portion of the land only at
any one time is under cultivation, as a narrow patch of ground
supplies the wants of a Fijian household, and the custom is to
break up frequently new ground and abandon the old. On the
subject of the purchase of land by whites, I made particular in
quiry of the chiefs at each of the public meetings ; the general
'reply was, that an agreement made with the owners, if approved
by the chief, would hold good. In the older purchases of land
by whites, when the quantity exceeded Avhat was required for a
house, the native residents were not interfered with, as no culti
vation of land was attempted. In a few recent cases, where pur
chases have been effected by the whites who came last year to
the islands, and who, with the view of forming plantations,
wished to remove the natives from the land, opposition from the
latter has been met with. By a clearer understanding with the
owners before the purchase was concluded, these difficulties would
probably have been avoided. The only mode hitherto of ob
taining labour has been through the instrumentality of the chiefs,
who send a party of their people to perform the work agreed
upon and receive the payment, which they distribute at their
pleasure. This system would not meet the daily demand of la
bour required in a cotton plantation. The general habits and
sentiments of the Fijians are opposed to the acquisition of pro
perty by individuals. The chief seizes anything belonging to his
people that takes his fancy, and as readily gives it away, and the
people are equally ready to beg and to give. As the influence
of Christianity increases, the rule of the chiefs will become more
mild, and private rights will be more respected. It is very doubt
ful, however, whether the people will become more industrious,

428 A MISSION TO VITI.
their wants being so few, and being so easily supplied. Although
capable of making a considerable exertion for a short period, the
natives disliks regular and continuous employment. On the
whole, I am of opinion that whether by natives or by white
planters with native labourers, the supply of cotton from Fiji
can never be otherwise than insignificant. [Compare Chapter
III., where the cotton question is regarded in a more favourable
light.— B. #.]
3rdly. Regarding the importance of the possession of the Fiji
Islands to the national power and security in the Pacific. In
fluence of a great power in the Pacific is dependent entirely on
its naval force. By the possession of Australia and New Zealand
England completely commands the western portion of the Pacific.
Iu these colonies naval armaments can be recruited and equipped,
and perhaps in a few years may even be created. No group in
the Pacific can ever offer these advantages, and the possession of
one, in the western section more especially, is not only not re
quired, but would be a source of embarrassment in the event of
war. [Compare Admiral Washington's opinion. — B. S.~\ The
Fiji Islands do not lie in the path of any great commercial
route. The whole of the Pacific Archipelagoes lie to the north
of the direct line from the Australian colonies to Panama and
South America, and south of the line from Panama and North
America to China and India. All that it seems necessary for
England to possess in the Pacific is an island with a good har
bour, midway between Auckland and Panama, in the steam-
packet route. Pitcairn's island is nearly in the required position,
but it has no harbour. If a suitable island in its neighbourhood
could be found, it would become, in addition to a coaling station
for steam-vessels, the entrepot of the pearl-shell and other trade
which now centres in Tahiti, and afford a very favourable place
of rendezvous for a squadron to protect our shipping homeward-
bound from Australia and the Pacific.
Of the native population of Fiji, less than one-third profess the
Christian religion ; among the remainder cannibalism, strangu
lation of Avidows, infanticide, and other enormities, prevail to a
frightful extent. Should the sovereignty of the islands be ac
cepted by Her Majesty, the suppression of these inhuman prac-

APPENDIX. 429
tices would be put into immediate execution. For this service,
and for the general support of the Government, a force of not
less than the wing of a regiment would be required, in addition
to a ship of war, with a tender of light draught, both steamers.
The expenses of a civil establishment, composed on a sufficient
scale to act efficiently on the condition of the natives, would pro
bably not fall short of £7000 a year. The only mode of raising
a revenue would appear to be by a capitation tax ; customs duties
would be so small as not to cover the cost of collection, if the
importation of ardent spirits were prohibited (see p. 81), as a
regard for the welfare of the natives would imperatively demand.
For many years the Government would be necessitated to accept
the tax in kind, as the natives have no circulating medium of
exchange ; and a still longer period would elapse before the is
lands became self-supporting. Looking solely at the interests of
civilization, the forcible and immediate suppression of the bar
barous practices of the heathen portion of the population might
appear a very desirable act ; yet, in beneficial influence on the
native character, it might prove less real and permanent than the
more gradual operation of missionary teaching. The success
which has attended the missionaries in Fiji has been very re
markable, and presents every prospect of continuance. The prin
cipal tribes at present without missionaries or native teachers
are willing to receive them, and there appears nothing Avanting
but time and a sufficiency of instructors to render the whole of
the inhabitants professing Christians. Judging from the present
state of the Sandwich Islands, and the former condition of Ta
hiti, it would seem that the resources of the Pacific Islands can
be best developed, and the welfare of their inhabitants secured,
by a native government aided by the counsels of respectable
Europeans. On a review of the foregoing considerations, and the conclu
sions derived from a personal examination of the islands and the
people, I am of opinion that it would not be expedient that Her
Majesty's Government should accept the offer which has been
made to cede to Her Majesty the sovereignty over the Fiji
Islands. Having thus stated the conclusion to which my inquiries have

430 A MISSION TO VITI.
led me regarding the offer to Her Majesty of the sovereignty of
the Fiji Islands, I Avould beg leave to add a few suggestions to
wards the improvement of our relations with them. The great
hindrance to the progress of civilization and Christianity among
the inhabitants of the Pacific Islands, is the conduct and example
of the whites residing or roving among them. Of the general
character of these men in Fiji I have already spoken. During
the feAv months I have been in the group, a case of arson, one
of theft, one of burglary, and one of aggravated assault, have oc
curred among them. The great difficulty in these cases is the
want of legal authority to arrest suspected persons, and of a
proper and safe place in which to keep them. The only British
functionary is the Consul, and he is powerless in these respects.
To remedy these evils, I would suggest that the Consul have
conferred on him some of the powers of a magistrate ; that two
constables (married men, selected either from the police or the
army) be sent out from England ; and that a stone lock-up house
be erected for the safe custody of offenders, until there is an
opportunity of sending them to the colonies for trial, or they are
otherAvise disposed of. The place of residence of the Consul is a
matter of considerable importance. The principal white settle
ment in Fiji at present is at Levuka, on the island of Ovalau.
It owed its selection to political causes in disturbed times. Its
harbour may be considered good, but the hills rise abruptly from
the beach and shut it in, and it is dependent on ether places
for much of its supplies. The present British Consul has an
office at Levuka, but he resides at a further part of the island of
Ovalau. The locality best adapted in Fiji for a white settlement is the
country round the harbour of Suva in Viti Levu, the largest of
the islands. It is rich, level, and well-watered. The harbour is,
perhaps, the best in the group ; it is easy of access, can be en
tered and quitted with all the prevailing winds, and has com
munication within the reef Avith a great extent of coast. If the
British Consulate Avere permanently established in this locality,
a white settlement would spring up near it, which, if the Consul
were armed with the powers suggested above, would not be dis
graced by the scenes of drunkenness and rioting so prevalent at

APPENDIX. 431
Levuka, and would be of eminent service in developing the na
tural resources of the Fiji Islands.
Fiji Islands, May 1st, 1861.

III.— SYSTEMATIC LIST OF ALL THE FIJIAN
PLANTS AT PRESENT KNOWN.
The Vitian Islands were until 1840 a virgin soil, and still offer a
tempting field for botanical explorations. Absolutely nothing was
known of their Flora until Messrs. Hinds and Barclay, who accom
panied Sir Edward Belcher in H.M.S. Sulphur, collected a few
specimens in the neighbourhood of Rewa, Viti Levu, and Bua
Bay in Vanua Levu, afterwards described by Mr. Bentham in the
'London Journal of Botany,' vol. ii., and the Botany of H.M.S.
Sulphur. About the same time (1840) Viti was visited by the
United States Exploring Expedition, Commander Wilkes, and con
siderable collections were made by Messrs. Brackenridge, Eich, and
Pickering, furnishing the materials for Professor Asa Gray's cele
brated ' Botany of the United States Exploring Expedition.' Iu
1856, H.M.S. Herald, Captain Denham, R.N., explored different
parts of the group, and Mr. Milne, his botanical collector, was
enabled to add a good number of species to our knowledge.
Another visit was paid to the group by that indefatigable bo
tanist Professor Harvey, of Trinity College, Dublin, productive of
many new types. In 1860 I collected about 800 species and made
a great many notes of the country explored. Whilst part of the
latter, relating to the resources and vegetable productions, were
embodied in an -official report, addressed to his Grace the Duke of
Newcastle, and presented to Parliament by command of her Majesty,
a preliminary list of the former was published by me in the ' Bon-
plandia,' vol. ix. p. 253 (1861). Since then I have had time to ex
amine the plants more closely and correct a few errors crept in.
Other botanists have also been led to study the materials collected
by me and publish the result. Prof. A. Gray has carefully collated
my plants with those published by him in the < Botany of the United
States Exploring Expedition ' and the ' Proceedings of the American

432

A MISSION TO VITI.

Academy,' the result of which has been given in the ' Bonplandia,'
x. 34 (1862), and also in the Proceedings of the Academy named.
As there are very few original specimens in Europe of the numer
ous new types described by that eminent savant, these papers are
invaluable to the working botanist. Mr. Mitten has examined
all my Mosses and Hepaticse (Bonpl. ix. 365, and Bonpl. x. 19);
amongst the 35 species collected there being 20 new ones. For
the determination of the Ferns I am indebted to Mr. Smith, at
Kew ; for that of the Fungi, to the Rev. M. J. Berkeley ; for that
of the Palms, to Mr. Wendland ; the Lichens to the Rev. Churchill
Babington, and the Aroidese to Mr. Schott, at Vienna, who has
also described the new species (Bonplandia, ix. 367, seq.) ; for my
own part, I have begun to describe the new genera and species in
the ' Bonplandia,' ix. and x., and given coloured illustrations drawn
by the skilful pencil of Mr. Fitch. In the following catalogue will
be found embodied the result of all these labours, and also all the
species enumerated by previous authors. The numbers which follow
the different species refer to my distributed collections, and those
remitted to me by Mr. J. Storck, who was my able assistant, and is
now a permanent resident in Fiji.

Ranunculacece.
Clematis Pickeringii, A. Gray (1).
Dilleniacece.
Capellia biflora, A. Gray ; vulgo ' Ku-
lava' vel 'Kukidava' (2).
C. membranifolia, A. Gray.
AnonacecB.
Anona squamosa, Linn. Cultivated (3) .
Eicliella monosperma, A. Gray.
Uvaria amygdalina, A. Gray.
U. odorata, Lam. ; vulgo ' Makosoi ' (5) .
Polyalthia Vitiensis, Seem. (4).

Myristica castanea)fblia, A. Gray ;
vulgo 'Male' (6).
M. macrophylla, A. Gray ; vulgo
'Male' (7).
M. sp. ; vulgo ' Male ' (866).
Crueiferce.
Cardamine sarmentosa, Eorst. (8).
Sinapis nigra, Linn. Cultivated and
-naturalized (9).

Capparidete.
Capparis Eichii, A. Gray.
Flaeourtianeai.
Xylosma orbiculatum, Eorst. (10) .
Samydacece.
Casearia distieha, A. Gray (11) .
C. ? acuminatissima, A. Gray.
C. Eichii, A. Gray. Uiolacets.
Agathea violaris, A. Gray, et var. (12).
Alsodeia ? sp. ; vulgo ' Sesirakavono '
(867). Molluginece.
Mollugo striata, Linn. (230).
Porfulacete.
Portulaca oleracea, Linn. ; vulgo ' Tau-
kuka ni vuaka' (13).
P. quadrifida, Linn. ; vulgo ' Taukuku .
ni vuaka ' (14) .
Talinum patens, Willd. (15) .
Sesuvium Portulaeastrum, Linn.

APPENDIX.

433

Malvacete.
Sida linifolia, Cav.
S. rhombifolia, Linn. (16).
S. retusa, Linn.
Urena lobata, Linn. (17).
V. moriifolia, De Cand.
Abelmosclius moschatus, Mcench ; vulgo
'Wakiwaki' (19,869).
A. canaranus, Miq. ? (20).
A. Manihot, Med. ; vulgo ' Bele,' vel
' Vauvau ni Viti' (18).
A. esculentus, Wight et Arn. Culti
vated, according to A. Gray.
Hibiscus Eosa-Sinensis, Linn. ; vulgo
' Kauti,' ' Senitoa,' vel ' Seniciobia '
(22).
H. Storckii, Seem.; vulgo 'Seqelu'
(23).
H. diversifolius, Jacq. ; vulgo ' Kala,-
uaisoni,' vel ' Kalakalauaisoni ' (21) .
Paritium purpurascens, Seem. ; vulgo
' Vau damudamu ' (24) .
P. tiliaceum, Juss. ; vulgo ' Vau dina '
(25).
P. tricuspis, GuUl. vulgo ' Vau dra '
(26).
Thespesia populnea, Corr. ; vulgo * Mu-
lomulo' (7).
Gossypium religiosum, Linn. ; vulgo
' Vauvau ni papalagi ' (28) .
G. Peruvianum, Cav. ; vulgo ' Vau
vau ni papalagi ' (29) .
G. Barbadense, Linn, j vulgo ' Vauvau
ni papalagi' (30).
G. arboreum, Linn, et var. ; vulgo
' Vauvau ni papalagi ' (31, 32).

Heritiera littoralis, Dryand. ; vulgo
' Ivcna ivi na alewa Kalou ' (33).
Firmiana diversifolia, Gray.
BwettneriacetB.
Commersonia platyphylla, De Cand.
(34).
Biittneriacearum gen. nov. aff. Connner-
sonise (83).
Eleinhovia hospita, Linn.; vulgo
'Mamakara' (35).

Waltheria Americana, Linn. (36).
Melochia Vitiensis, A. Gray (37).
TiliaceoB.
Triumfetta procumbens, Eorst. (38).
Grewiapersicfefolia, A. Gray(= G. Mal-
loeocca, var. ?) ; vulgo ' Siti' (39).
G. prunifolia, A. Gray ; vulgo ' Siti '
(40).
G. Malloeocea, L. fil.
Trichospermum Eichii, Seem. (= Dicli-
docarpus Eichii, A. Gray) ; vulgo
'Maku' (41, 870).
Elaeocarpus laurifohus, A. Gray.
E. cassinoides, A. Gray.
E. pyriformis, A. Gray.
E. Storckii, Seem. sp. nov. (E. aff. spe-
ciosi, Brongn. et Gris.) ; vulgo ' Gai-
gai' (874). TemstrcemiacecB.
Draytonia rubicunda, A. Gray ; vulgo
'Kau alewa' (42, 872).
Eurya Vitiensis, A. Gray (43).
E. acuminata, De Cand. (44).
Ternstrosmiacearum gen. nov. (45).
Guttiferos.
Discostigma Vitiense, A. Gray.
Calysaccion obovale, Miq. (= Garcinia
Mangostana, A. Gray in United St.
Expl. Exped.) ; vulgo ' Vetao' vel
'Uvitai' (46).
Calophyllum Inophyllum, Linn. ; vulgo
'Dilo' (48,873).
C. Burmanni, Wight ; vulgo ' Damanu'
(49).
C. (polyanthum, Wall. ? v. lanceolatum,
BL ? = C. spectabile, United St.
Expl. Exped. ; vulgo ' Damanu dilo-
dilo') (47).
Garcinia sessuis, Seem. (Clusia sessilis,
Eorst. 51).
G. pediceuata, Seem. (Clusia pedicel-
lata, Forst. 50). •
Pittosporece.
Pittosporum arborescens, Eich.
P. Eichii, A. Gray; vulgo 'Tadiri'
(54).
P. Brackenridgei, A. Gray (55).
2 F

434

A MISSION TO VITI.

P. tobiroides, A. Gray (56).
P. Picteringii, A. Gray (53).
P. rhytidocarpum, A. Gray (52).

Micromelum minutum, Seem. (M. gla-
brescens, Bth. ; Limonia minuta,
Forst.) ; vulgo ' Qiqila ' teste Wil
liams (57).
Citrus vulgaris, Eisso (C. torosa,
Picker.) ; vulgo ' Moli kurikuri '
(58).
C. Aurantium, Eisso ; vulgo ' Moli ni
Tahaiti.'— Cult.
C. Decumana, Linn. ; vulgo ' Moli
kana.' Cultivated and naturalized.
C. Limonum, Eisso ; vulgo ' Moli
kara. ' Meliacete.
Aglaia edulis, A. Gray (Milnea edulis,
Eoxb.) ; vulgo ' Danidani loa.'
A. ? basiphylla, A. Gray.
Didimochyton Eichii, A. Gray.
Xylocarpus Granatum, Keen. ; vulgo
'Dabi' (61).
X. obovatus, A. Juss. (var. prsecedent. ?
62).
Vavsea amicorum, Benth. (63).
Melise sp. nov. (64).
Sapindacece.
Cardiospermum microcarpum, H. B. et
K.; vulgo 'Voniu' (65).
Sapindus Vitiensis, A. Gray (66).
Cupania falcata, A. Gray (70) .
C. Vitiensis, Seem, (an var. praced.?
68).
0. rhoifolia, A. Gray ; vulgo ' Buka ni
vuda' (74, 69).
C. apetala, Labill. (67).
C. Braokenridgei, A. Gray.
C. leptobotrys, A. Gray.
Nephelium pinnatum, Camb. ; vulgo
' Dawa,' et var. plur. (71).
Dodonffia triquetra, Aiidr. ; vulgo
' Wase' teste Williams (72).
MalpigMacece.
Hiptage Javaniea, Bl. ?
H. myrtifolia, A. Gray.

Vitis saponaria, Seem. (= Cissus geni
culate A. Gray, non Bl.) ; vulgo
'WaEoturotu' (76).
V. Vitiensis, Seem. (Cissus Vitiensis,
A. Gray).
V. acuminata, Seem. (Cissus acumi
nata, A. Gray) (77).
Leea sambucina, Linn. (78).
Bhamnete.
Smythea pacifioa, Seem. Bonpl. t. 9
(79).
Ventilago ? Vitiensis, A. Gray (an
Smythese spec. ? = cernua, Tui.).
Colubrina Asiatica, Brongn. ; vulgo
'Vusolevu' (80).
C. Vitiensis, Seem. sp. nov. (85).
Alphitonia zizyphoides, A. Gray ( =
A. franguloides A. Gray) ; vulgo
'Doi' (81).
Gouania Eichii, A. Gray (82).
G. denticulata, A. Gray.
Bhamnea dubia (84).
Chailletiacets.
Chailletia Vitiensis, Seem. sp. nov. (876).
Celastrinece.
Catha Vitiensis, A. Gray (86).
Celastrus Eichii, A. Gray.
Aquifoliacecs.
Ilex Vitiensis, A. Gray (87).

Ximenia elliptica, Forst. ; vulgo 'Somi-
somi,' ' Tumitomi,' vel ' Tomitomi '
(88).
Stemonurus? sp.; vulgo 'Duvu' (877).
Olacinea? (878). Oxalidece.
Oxalis corniculata, Linn. ; vulgo ' Toto-
wiwi' (89). MutaeetB.
Evodia hortensis, Forst. ; vulgo ' Uci,'
vel ' Salusalu ' (91).
E. longifolia, A. Eich. (92).
E. drupacea, Labill. ? (90).
Acronychia petiolaris, A. Gray.

APPENDIX.

435

Zanthoxylon varians, Benth. (= Ano
nychia heterophyna, A. Gray
(102,879).
Z. Eoxburgbianum, Cham, et Schlecht.
(103).
Z.sp. (n. 104).

Soulamea amara, Lam.
Amaroria soulameoides, A. Gray (880).
Brucea? sp. (105). Ochnacece.
Braekenridgea nitida, A. Gray (93).
Anacardiacete.
Oncocarpus atra, Seem. (O. Vitiensis,
A. Gray; Ehus atrum, Forst.) ; vulgo
'Kau Karo' (94,881)
Buchanania florida, Schauer (882).
Rhus simarubaefolia, A. Gray (95).
Eh. Taitensis, Guill. ? (96).
Burseracets.
Canarium Vitiense, A. Gray (97).
Kvia dulcis, Comm. ; vulgo ' Wi '
(98).
Dracontomelon sylvestre, Blum. ; vulgo
'Tarawau' (99).
Dr. sp.P (100). Connaracece.
Kourea heterophylla, Planch.
Connanis Pickeringii, A. Gray (101).

I. Papilionacese : —
Crotalaria quinquefolia, Linn.
Indigofera Anil, Linn. (106).
Tephrosia purpurea, Pers. (T. piscatoria,
Pers.107).
Ormocarpus sennoides, De Cand.
Uraria lagopodioides, De Cand. (108).
Besmodium umbellatum, W. et Arn.
(109).
D. australe, Bth. (Hedysarum, Willd.)
D. polycarpum, De Cand. (111).
Abrus precatorius, Linn.; vulgo 'Qiri
damu,' ' Leredamu,' vel 'Dili damu'
(110).
Canavalia obtusifolia, De Cand. (122).

O turgida, Grah. (112).
C. serieea, A. Gray.
Glycine Tabacina, Bth. (123).
Mucuna gigantea, De Cand. (119).
M. platyphylla, A. Gray (200).
Erythrina Indica, Linn. ; vulgo, 'Drala
dina,' (125) et var. fl. albis.
B. ovalifolia, Eoxb. ; vulgo 'Drala
kaka' (124).
Strongylodon ruber, Vogel (113).
Phaseolus rostratus, Wall.
Ph. Mungo, Linn. ?
Ph. Truxillensis, H. B. et K. (116).
Vigna lutea, A. Gray (121).
Lablab vulgaris, Savi; vulgo 'Drala-
wa' (118).
Cajanus Indicus, Spr. Introd. (115).
Pongamia glabra, Vent. ; vulgo ' Vesi-
vesi, v. ' Vesi ni wai ' (126, 884).
Derris uliginosa, Benth. ; vulgo ' Duwa
gaga' (127, 883)
Dalbergia monosperma, Dalz. (128).
D. torta, Grah.
Pterocarpus Indicus, Willd. ; vulgo
'Cibicibi' (129).
Sophora tomentosa, Linn. ; vulgo 'Kau
ni alewa' (130,886).
II. Csesalpineee : —
Guilandina Bonduc, Ait.; vulgo 'Soni'
(132).
Poinciana pulcherrima, Linn . — Cult.
Storckiella Vitiensis, Seem, in Bonpl. t.
6; vulgo 'Marasa' (133).
Cassia occidentalis, Linn, vulgo 'Kau
moce' (134).
C. obtusifolia, Linn. ; vulgo 'Kau moce'
(135).
C. hevigata, Willd. ; vulgo ' Wrmvi-
kau' (136).
C. glauca, Lam.
Afzelia bijuga, A. Gray ; vulgo 'Vesi'
(137).
Cynometra grandillora, A. Gray (138).
C. falcata, A. Gray.
Inocarpus edulis, Forst. ; vulgo ' lvi '
(371). III. Mimosese : —
Entada scandens, Bth. ; vulgo ' Wa lai,*
v. 'Watagiri' (139).
2 F 2

436

A MISSION TO VITI.

Mimosa pudica, Linn. Naturalized(140).
Leucsena glauca, Bth. (141)
L. Forsteri, Benth. (142).
Acacia laurifolia, Willd. ; vulgo ' Tata-
kia' (143).
A. Eichii, A. Gray ; vulgo ' Qumu '
(144).
Serianthes myriadenia, Planch.
S. Vitiensis, A. Gray ; vulgo ' Vaivai '
(145,887).

Parinarium laurinum, A. Gray (= P. ?
Margarata, A. Gray = P . insularum,
A. Gray) ; vulgo ' Makita' (146).
Rosacea.
Rubus tiliaceus, Smith ; vulgo ' Wa
gadr'ogadro ' (147) .
Myrtacem.
Barringtonia speciosa, Linn. ; vulgo
' Vutu rakaraka ' (148).
B. Samoensis, A. Gray; vulgo ' Vutu
ni wai' (149).
B. excelsa, Blume ; vulgo ' Vutu kana'
(150).
B. sp.
Eugenia (Jambosa) Malaccensis, Linn. ;
vulgo ' Kavika :' var. a, floribus albis,
vulgo ' Kavika vulovulo ;' var. /3,
floribus puvpureis, vulgo ' Kavika
damudamu' (161).
E. (Jambosa) Eichii, A. Gray ; vulgo
'Bokoi' (164).
E. (Jambosa) sp. (an Eichii var.?);
vulgo 'Sea' (165).
E. (Jambosa) quadrangulata, A. Gray.
E. (Jambosa) gracilipes, A. Gray ;
vulgo ' Lutulutu,' vel ' Bogibalewa '
(158).
E. (Jambosa) neurocalyx, A. Gray ;
vulgo 'Leba' (159).
E. rariflora, Bth. (160).
E. Brackenridgei, A. Gray (155).
E. confertiflora, A. Gray.
E. sp. nov. confertiflor. proxima (156).
E. effusa, A. Gray (151).
E. amicorum, Benth. (152).
E. rubescens, A. Gray; vulgo 'Yasi
dravu' (154).

E. corynocarpa, A. Gray (153).
E. rivularis, Seem. ; vulgo ' Yasi ni
wai' (162).
E. Grayi, Seem. sp. nov. fl. purpu-
reis (163).
Nelitris frutieosa (A. Gray).
N. Vitiensis, A. Gray; vulgo 'Nuqa-
nuqa* (166,888).
Acicalyptus myrtoides, A. Gray.
A. Seemanni, A. Gray (168).
Metrosideros eollina, A. Gray ; vulgo
'Vuga' (169,889).
M. sp. fl. luteis (170).
M. sp: fl. coccineis (171).

Memecylon Vitiense, A. Gray et var.
(172).
Astronia Pickeringii, A. Gray.
A. confertiflora, A. Gray (174).
A. Storckii, Seem., sp. nov. ; vulgo
"Cavacava' (890).
Astronidium parviflorum, A. Gray
(465).
Anplectrum ? ovalifolium, A. Gray.
Medinilla heterophylla, A. Gray (175).
M. rhodochleena, A. Gray ; vulgo ' Cara-
raca ra i resiga ' (177, 891) .
M. sp. (182).
M. sp. (75).
M. sp. (175).
Melastoma Vitiense, Naud. (180).
M. polyanthum, Bl. ? (179).
Melastomacea (181).

Ehytidandra Vitiensis, A. Gray.
SJdzophorece.
Haplopetalon Eichii, A. Gray.
H. Seemanni, A. Gray (184).
Crossostylis biflora, Forst.
Ehizophora mucronata, Lam. ; vulgo
'Dogo' (185).
Bruguiera Ehumphii, Bl. (186).
Comhretacece.
Lumnitzera coccinea, Willd. ; vulgo
'Sagali' (189).
Terminalia Catappa, Linn. ; vulgo ' Ta
vola ' (187).

APPENDIX.

437

¦P. Moluccana, Lam.; vulgo 'Tivi'
(188).
T. glabrata, Forst. ?
Passifiorece.
Passiflora, sp. fl. viridibus (190).
Papayacece.
Carica Papaya, Linn. ; vulgo ' Oleti,'
Introd. (190). Cucurbitaceoe.
Karivia Samoensis, A. Gray (192) .
Luffa insularum, A. Gray (193).
Cucumis pubescens, Willd. (194) .
- Lagenaria vulgaris, Ser. (195) .
Saxifrages.
Spirffianthemum Vitiense, A. Gray.
Sp. Eatakata, Seem., sp. nov. ; vulgo
'Eatakata' (196).
Weinmannia affinis, A. Gray, (197,) et
var. (199 et 200).
W. Richii, A. Gray.
W. spirseoides, A. Gray.
W. sp. (198).
Geissois ternata, A. Gray; vulgo ' Vuga'
(201). UrnbellifercB.
Hydrocotyle Asiatica, Linn. ; vulgo
'Totono' (202). Araliacem.
Aralia Vitiensis, A. Gray (203) .
Panax fruticosum, Linn. ; vulgo ' Dani-
dani' (204).
Paratropia ? multijuga, A. Gray ; vulgo
'Danidani' (205).
Plerandra Pickeringii, A. Gray.
P. Grayi, Seem., sp. nov. (206 et209).
P.? sp. nov. (208).
P. sp. (207). Loranthacea.
Lorarithus insularum, A. Gray ; vulgo
'Saburo' (211).
1;. Vitiensis, Seem. (210).
L. Forsterianus, Schult.
Viscum articulatum, Burm. (212).

Balanophora fungosa, Forst.

RubiaeecB.
I. Coffeaceae : —
Coprosma persicsefolia, A. Gray.
Geophila reniformis, Cham, et
Schlecht. (239).
Chasalia amicorum, A. Gray? (241).
Psychotria Brackenridgei, A. Gray.
P. Forsteriana, A. Gray, var. Vitiensis,
A. Gray (236).
P. turbinata, A. Gray.
P. tephrosantha, A. Gray.
P. parvula, A. Gray.
P. gracilis, A. Gray.
P. calycosa, A. Gray? (246).
P. macrocalyx, A. Gray (243).
P. filipes, A. Gray.
P. hypargyrsea, A. Gray.
P. (Piptilema) cordata, A. Gray.
P. (Piptilema) Pickeringii, A. Gray
(251).
P. (Piptilema) platycocca, A. Gray
(249).
P. insularum, A. Gray? (250).
P. coUina, Labill. (244 et 254).
P. sarmentosa, Blum. (245).
P. sp. ; vulgo ' Wa kau :' ramis scan-
dentibus Barmentosis (895).
P. sp. foliis bullatis (248).
P. sp. nov. aff. filipedis (253).
P. sp. nov. aff. Brackenridgei (255).
P. sp. aff. Brackenridgei (259).
Calycosia petiolata, A. Gray.
C. pubiflora, A. Gray (214)..
C. Milnei, A. Gray;, vulgo 'Kau wai'
(213, 892).
Ixora Vitiensis, A. Gray (247) ; Pa-
vetta triflora, De Cand. ; Coffea tri-
flora, Forst.; Cephaelis? fragrans,
Hook, et Arn.
I. sp. nov. (258).
I. sp. ; vulgo ' Kau sulu' (893).
Canthium sessilifoEum, A. Gray.
C. lucidum, Hook, et Arn. ; Coffea odo-
rata, Forst. (220 et 221).
Morinda umbellata, Linn. (222).
M. myrtifolia, A. Gray ; foliis majori-
bus (an v. M. umbellatse?) (223).
M. mollis, A. Gray (224).
M. phiEyreoides, Labill. (226).

438

A MISSION TO VITI.

M. citrifolia, Linn. ; vulgo ' Kura,' v.
'Kura kana' (225).
M. lucida, A. Gray.
M. bucidsefolia, A. Gray.
Hydnophytum longiflorum, A. Gray
( = Myrmecodia Vitiensis, Seem.)
(216).
Vangueria? sp. (257).
Guettarda speciosa, Linn. ; vulgo ' Bua-
bua' (237).
G. (Guettardella) Vitiensis, A. Gray
(= 257?).
Timonius sapoteefolius, A. Gray.
T. affinis, A. Gray.
Coffeacea; vulgo ' Kau lobo ' (893).
II. Cinchoneae : —
Hedyotis tenuifolia, Sm. (231).
H. deltoidea, W. et Arn. P (232).
H. paniculata, Eoxb. (233).
H. paniculata, Eoxb. var. crassifolia, A.
Gray (234).
H. bracteogonum, Spr. (235).
Ophiorrhiza laxa, A. Gray (227).
O. peploides, A. Gray (228).
O. leptantha, A. Gray (229).
Lindenia Vitiensis, Seem. Bonpl. t. 8
(217).
Lerchea calycina, A. Gray.
Dolicholobium oblongifolium, A. Gray.
D. latifohum, A. Gray.
D. longissimum, Seem. (215).
Stylocoryne Harveyi, A. Gray.
St. sambucina, A. Gray (S. pepericarpa,
Bth.) (242).
Griffithias sp. ? (260).
G. ? sp. v. gen. nov. (240).
G. sp. fl. odoratis.
Gardenia Vitiensis, Seem. (218) .
G. ? (an gen. nov. ?) (240).
Musssenda frondosa, Linn. ; vulgo
"Bovu." Composite.
Monosis insularum, A. Gray.
Lagenophora Pickeringii, A. Gray.
Erigeron albidum, A. Gray; vulgo
'Wavuwavu,' v. 'Co ni papalagi'
(261).
Adenostemma viscosum, Forst. (262).
Siegesbeckia orientahs, Linn. (263).

Dichrocephala latifolia, De Cand. (264).
Myriogyne minuta, Linn. (265).
Sonchus oleraceus, Linn. (n. 266) .
Ageratum conyzoides, Linn. ; vulgo
' Botebotekoro,' vel ' Matamocemoce'
(267).
WoDastonia Forsteriana, De Cand. ;
vulgo 'Kovekove ' (268).
Eclipta ereeta, Linn. ; vulgo ' Tumadu '
(269).
Bidens pilosa, Linn. ; vulgo ' Bati-
madramadra (270).
Glossogyne tenuifolia, Cass. (271).
Blumea virens, De Cand. (272).
B. Milnei, Seem. (sp. nov. aff. B. aroma-
ticse, De Cand. 273).
Goodeniacem.
ScaBvola floribunda, A. Gray (S. saligna,
Forst. ?) ; vulgo ' Totoirebibi ' (274,
896).
S.Kcemgii, Vahl (275).
Cyrtandrece.
Cyrtandra acutangula, Seem. (276).
C. Vitiensis, Seem. ; vulgo ' Betabiabi '
(277).
C. anthropophagorum, Seem. (278).
C. involucrata, Seem. (279).
C. coleoides, Seem. (280).
C. Milnei, Seem. (281).
C. ciliata, Seem. (282).
C. Pritchardii, Seem. (283).
Vaccinece.
Epigynum? Vitiense, Seem. (284).
EpacridetB.
Leucopogon Cymbula, Labill. ; vulgo
' Tagatagalesa.' Myrsinece.
Massa Pickeringii, A. Gray.
M. persica;foIia, A. Gray (287 ?).
M. corylifoKa, A. Gray (288).
M. nemoralis, A. Gray (286?).
Myrsine myricasfolia, A. Gray (290
ex parte) .
M. ? Brackenridgei, A. Gray.
M. capitellata, Wall. ? (289) .
Ardisia ? capitata, A. Gray.

APPENDIX.

439

A. grandis, Seem. (293).
Asp. (292, 897).
A. sp. (291). Styraeem.
Symplocos spicata, Eoxb. ; vulgo ' Eavu
levu.' Ebetiacea.
Maba foliosa, Eich.
M. elliptica, Forst. ; vulgo ' Kau loa *
(295,296,297,898). Sapotce.
Sapota? pyrulifera, A. Gray.
S. ? Vitiensis, A. Gray.
S. sp. (ex A. Gray).

Jasminum tetraquetrum, A. Gray.
J, gracile, Forst. ; vulgo ' Wa Vatu '
(298).
J. didymum, Forst. ; J. divaricatum,
R.Brown (299).

Geniostoma rupestre, Forst. (301).
var. puberulum, A. Gray (G. crassi-
folium, Bth.) (300).
G. microphyllum, Seem. (304).
Strychnos colubrina, Linn. (302).
Courthovia corynocarpa, A. Gray (=
Gsertnera pyramidalis, Seem.) ; vulgo
'Boloa' (303).
C. Seemanni, A. Gray (Gsertnera bar-
bata, Seem.) (305, 899).
Fagraea gracilipes, A. Gray (F. viridi-
flora, Seem.) (306).
F. Vitiensis, Seem. (307).
F. Berteriana, A. Gray ; vulgo ' Bua '
(308).

Alyxia bracteolosa, Rich; vulgo 'Vono'
(310, 900) ; var. o macrocarpa, A. Gray
(A.macrocarpa,Eich.) ; var. 0 angusti-
folia, A. Gray (A. stellata, Seem.) ;
var. y parviflora, A. Gray.
A. stellata, Labill.
Cerbera lactaria, Ham. ; vulgo ' Eewa'
vel'Vasa' (309).
Melodinus scandens, Forst. (311).

Tabernsemontana Vitiensis, Seem. ; T.
citrifolia, Forst. non L. = ? T. Cu-
mingiana, A. De Cand.
T. sp.
Eejoua scandens, Seem. sp. nov. ; vulgo
'Warerega' (901).
Ochrosia parviflora, Hensl. (O. elliptica,
Labill. ?) (318).
Alstonia plumosa, Labill. (318).
A? sp. (317).
Echites scabra, Labill.? (315).
Lyonsia laevis, A. Gray.
A sclepiadecs.
Tylophora Brackenridgei, A. Gray.
Gymnema subnudum, A. Gray.
G. stenophyllum, A. Gray; vulgo
'Yauyau' (322).
Hoya bicarinata, A. Gray; Asclepias
volubilis, Forst. ; vulgo ' Wa bibi ' vel
'Bulibulisivaro' (319).
H. diptera, Seem. (320).
H. pilosa, Seem. (321).
Gentianetz.
Erythraea australis, R. Brown.
Limnanthemum Kleinianum, Griseb. ;
vulgo ' Bekabekairaga ' (323) .
Cowvolvulacete.
Ipomoea campanulata, Linn. ; vulgo
'Wavula' (324).
I. peltata, Chois. ; vulgo ' Wiliao ' teste
Seemann, 'Vehyana' teste Williams
(325).
I. Pes caprse, Sw. ; vulgo ' Lawere '
(326).
I. Turpethum, E. Brown; vulgo 'Wa
kai' (327).
I. sepiaria, Keen. (328).
I. cymosa, Eoem. et Schult. ; vulgo ¦
'Sovivi' (334).
Aniseia uniflora, Chois. (329).
Batatas paniculata, Chois. ; vulgo ' Wa
Uvi ' vel ' Dabici ' teste Storek (330,
902).
B. edulis, Chois. ; vulgo 'Kumara' vel
' Kawai ni papalagi.' — Cult.
Pharbitis insularis, Chois. ; vulgo ' Wa
Vuti' (331).
Calonyction speciosum, Chois. (332).
C. comosperma, Boj. (333).

440

A MISSION TO VITI.

Boraginea.
Tournefortia argentea, Linn. (335).
Cordia Sprengelii,DeCand.; vulgo 'Tou'
(336).
C. subcordata, Lam. ; vulgo ' Nawa-
nawa' (337). SolanecB.
Physalis Peruviana, Linn. (338).
P. angulata, Linn. (339).
Solanum viride, R. Brown ? (340) .
S. anthropophagorum, Seem. (sp. nov.
Bonpl. 1. 14) ; vulgo 'Borodina' (341).
S. repandum, Forst. ; vulgo ' Sou,' ' Sou-
sou,' vel 'Boro sou' (342).
S. inamcenum, Benth. Lond. Journ. ii.,
p. 228 (343).
S. oleraceum, Dun. ; vulgo ' Boro ni
yaloka ni gata ' (344) .
S. sp. (S. repand, var. ? (345).
Capsicum frutescens, Linn. ; vulgo 'Boro
ni papalagi ' (346) .
Nicotiana Tabacum, Linn. — Cultivated
(347).
Datura Stramonium, Linn. — Introd.
(348). ScrophularinetB.
Vandellia Crustacea, Benth. (349).
Limnophila serrata, Gaud. (350).
Acanthacece.
Eranthemurn laxiflorum, A. Gray (351,
ex parte) .
E. insularum, A. Gray (351, ex parte).
Adenosnia triflora, Nees ab Esenb. ;
vulgo 'Tamola' (352).

Clerodendron inerme, R. Brown ;
vulgo 'Verevere' (353).
Vitex trifolia, Linn. ; vulgo ' Vulokaka '
(354).
Premna Tahitensis, Schauer (Scrophu-
larioides arborea, Forst.) ; vulgo
' Yaro' (355).
P. Tahitensis, Schauer; var. p (356).
Gmelina Vitiensis, Seem. (sp. nov.).
Labiates.
Leucas decemdentata, Sm. (357).
Ocimum gratissimuni, Linn. (358).

Plectranthus Forsteri, Benth. ;
'Lata' (359).
Teucrium inflatum, Swartz (360).

vulgo

Plumbago Zeylanica, Linn. (361).
Plantaginece.
Plantago major, Linn. — Introd. (362).
NyctaginetB.
Pisonia Brunoniana, Endl. (363).
P. viscosa, Seem. (sp. nov.) (364).
Boerhaavia diffusa, Linn., var. pubes-
cens (365). Amarantacece.
Amarantus melancholieus, Moq., var.
tricolor ; vulgo ' Driti damudamu '

A. paniculatus, Moq., var. cruentus,
Moq. ; vulgo ' Driti.'— Introd. (367).
Euxolus viridis, Moq. ; vulgo ' Driti '
vel ' Gasau ni vuaka' (368).
Cyathula prostrata, Blum. (369).
Polygonece.
Polygonum imberbe, Sol. (370).
LaurinetB.
Hernandia Sonora, Linn. ; vulgo 'Yevu-
yevu' vel 'Uviuvi' (372).
Cassytha filiformis, Linn. ; vulgo ' Wa-
luku mai lagi ' teste Williams (373).
Cinnamomum sp. ; vulgo 'Macou' (376).
Laurinea. Arbor 15-20 ped. (374).
Laurinea (375).
Laurinea (377).
Laurinea ; vulgo ' Siqa ' vel ' Siga ' (378).
Laurinea ; vulgo ' Lidi ' (903) ,
Thymelece.
Drymispermum sp. (379).
D. montanum, Seem. (sp. nov.) (380).
D. subeordatum, Seem. (sp. nov.) ;
vulgo 'Matiavi' (381).
D.P sp. (382).
Leucosmia Burnettiana, Benth. (= Dais
disperma, Forst.) j vulgo ' Sinu damu '
vel 'Sinu dina' (383).
Wikstroemia Indica, C. A. Mey. ; vulgo
' Sinu mataiavi' (384).

APPENDIX.

441

Santalacece.
Santalum Yasi, Seem. (sp. nov.) ; vulgo
'Yasi' (385). Ceratophyllem.
Ceratophyllum demersum, Linn. (386).
EwphorbiacecB.
Buphorbiacea ? ? (387).
Acalypha? (388).
Acalypha Indica, Linn. ? (389) .
A. sp. (390).
A. rivularis, Seem. (sp. nov.) ; vulgo
'Kadakada' (391).
A. virgata, Forst. (= A. cireinata, A.
Gray) ; vulgo ' Kalabuci damu '
(392).
A. grandis, Benth. ; vulgo ' Kalabuci '
(393).
Claoxylon parviflorum, Juss. (394).
Mappa Molluccana, Sprengl. ? (395).
M. macrophylla, A. Gray ; vulgo
'Mavu' (396).
M. sp. (397).
M. sp. (419).
M. sp. (420).
ExcoBcaria Agallocha, Linn. ; vulgo
'Sinu gaga' (398).
Manihot Aipi, Pohl. ; vulgo ' Yabia ni
papalagi' (399).
Curcas purgans, Juss. ; vulgo ' Wiriwiri
ni papalagi' (400).
Eicinus communis, Linn. ; vulgo ' Bele
ni papalagi ' (401) .
Omalanthus pedicellatus, Bth. ; vulgo
'Tadauo' (402).
Aleurites triloba, Forst. ; vulgo ' Lauci,'
Tutui,' vel ' Sikeci ' (403).
Euphorbia Norfolkica, Bois. ; vulgo
'Soto' (404).
E. pilulifera, Linn. ; vulgo ' De ni osi '
(405).
E. Atoto, Forst. (E. oraria, F. Muell.)
(406,904).
Eottlera acuminata, Vahl. (407).
Croton metallicum, Seem. (sp. nov.)
(408).
C. sp. ; vulgo 'Sacasaca loa' (409).
C. sp. (an. var. n. 409 ?) (410).
C. Storckii, Seem. sp. nov. aff. C. Hillii,
F. Mull.; vulgo 'Danidani' (905).

Codiaeum variegatum, A. Juss. ; vulgo
'Sacaca' vel ' Vasa damu' (411).
Melanthesa sp. (aff. M. Vit. Idseee) (412).
M. sp. ; vulgo 'Molau.' Arbor (413).
Glochidion sp. (414).
G. ramiflorum, Forst. ; vulgo ' Molau '
(415).
G. eordatum, Seem. (sp. nov.) ; aff. G.
mollis (416).
BischofEa sp. ; vulgo ' Koka.' Arbor
(417).
Phyllanthus fruticosa, Wall. (418).
Urticem.
Elatostemma? nemorosa, Seem. (sp.
nov.) (422).
Gironniera celtidifolia, Gaud. ; vulgo
'Nunu' (423).
Missiessya corymbulosa, Wedd. ; vulgo
'Matadra' (424).
Maotia Tahitensis, Wedd.; vulgo ' Walu
walu' (425).
Laportea Harveyi, Seem. (sp. nov.)
vulgo 'Salato.' Arbor 30-40 ped
(426).
L. Vitiensis, Seem. (sp. nov.) ; aff. L.
photinifol. ; vulgo ' Salato ' (427).
Fleurya spicata, var. interrupta, Wedd.
vulgo ' Salato ni koro ' vel ' Salata
wutivali' (428).
Pellionia elatostemoides, Gaud. (429).
Procris integrifolia, Don, Hook., Arn
(430).
Bcehmeria Harveyi, Seem. (sp. nov.)
vulgo 'Eere' (431).
B. platyphylla, Don (432).
B. platyphylla, Don, var. virgata, Wedd.
(433).
Malaisia ? sp. ; Arbor (434 a).
Moreoe.
Morus Indica, Linn.— Introd. (4345).
Trophis anthropophagorum, Seem. (sp.
nov.) ; vulgo 'Malawaci' (435).
Ficus obliqua, Forst.; vulgo 'Baka'
(436).
F. tinctoria, Forst. (437).
F. sp. ; vulgo ' Loselose.' Frutex fruct.
edul. (438).
F. sp. ; vulgo ' Loselose ni wai.' Frutex
rivularis (439).

442

A MISSION TO VITI.

F. sp. (440).
F. sp. Frutex 16 ped., caule subsimpl.
(441).
F. sp. (442).
F. sp. (443).
F. sp. (444).
F. scabra, Forst. ; vulgo ' Ai Masi '
(445).
F. aspera, Forst. (446).
F. sp. (447).
F. sp. (448). Artocarpem.
Antiaris Bennettii, Seem. Bonpl. t. 7.
(sp.nov.); vulgo 'Mavu ni Toga' (449).
Artocarpusincisa, Linn.,var.integrifolia,
Seem. (aff. A. Chaplashae, Roxb.) ;
vulgo ' Uto lolo ' v. ' Uto coko coko '
(450).
A. incisa, Linn. var. pinnatifida, Seem. ;
forma vulgo ' Uto dina' dicitur (551).
A. incisa, forma vulgo ' Uto Varaqa '
(152).

A.

A.

A.

A.

A.

(453).(454). (455).(456).
(457). (458 j.

' Uto Koqo '
' Balekana '
' Uto buco '
' Uto assalea '
' Uto waisea
' Uto Bokasi '
' Uto Votovoto '

(459).
A. incisa, Linn. var.bipinnatifida, Seem. ;
vulgo ' Uto Sawesawe ' vel ' Kalasai '
((560).

Gyrocarpus Asiaticus, Willd. ; vulgo
' AViriwiri * (561). CeHidecB.
Sponia orientalis, Linn. (562) .
Sp. velutina, Planch. (563).
CMoranthacece.
Ascarina lanceolata, Hook. fil. (564).

PvperacetB.
Peperomia sp. (565).
Macropiper latifolium, Miq. (566).
M. puberulum, Benth.; vulgo 'Yaqo-
yaqona' (567).
M. methysticum, Miq. ; vulgo ' Yaqona'
(568).
Piper Siriboa, Forst.; vulgo 'Wa
Gawa.' Frutex scandens (569).
Casuarinece.
Casuarina equisetifolia, Forst. ; vulgo
'Nokonoko' (570).
C. nodiflora, Forst. ; vulgo ' Velao '
(571).

Cycas circinalis, Linn. ; vulgo * Eoro '
(572). Coniferie.
Dacrydium elatum, Wall. ; vulgo ' Le
weninini ' vel ' Dakua salusalu' (573,
906).
Podocarpus (elatus, E. Br. P) ; vulgo
'Kuasi' (574).
P. (polystachya,R.Br.P); vulgo 'Gagali
(575).
P. cupressina, R. Brown ; vulgo ' Kau
tabua.'
P. ? v. gen. nov. ; vulgo ' Kau solo '
(576).
Dammara Vitiensis, Seem. ; vulgo
'Dakua' (577). OrcMdete.
Dendrobium Mohlianum, Reichb. fil.
(sp. nov.) (578).
D. crispatum, Swartz (579).
D. (580).
D. Millingani, F. Muell. (581).
D. biflorum, Sw. (582).
D. sp. (an var. prseced. ?) (583).
D. Tokai, Reichb. fil. (sp. nov.) ; vulgo
' Tokai ' teste Williams (584).
D. sp. (591).
Limodorum unguiculatum, Labill.
(585).
Bletia Tankervillise, R. Brown (586).
Oberonia (587).

APPENDIX.

443

0. brevifolia, Lindl. (Epidendrum equi-
tans, Forst. (588).
0. Myosurus, Lindl. (589).
Microstylis Rheedii, Lindl. (Pterochilus
plantagineus, Hook, et Arn.) (590).
Appendicula (592).
Tsniophyllum Fasciola, Seem. (Limo-
dorum Fasciola, Swartz) ; vulgo ' De
nicaueau' (593, 907).
Saoeolabium sp. (594).
S. sp. (595).
Eulophia macrostachya, Lindl.? (596).
Eria sp.,aff.E. baccatte, Lindl. ? (597).
Cirrhopetalum Thouarsii, Lindl. (598).
Ehomboda (599).
Sarcochilus (600).
Dorsinia marmorata, Lindl. (601).
Monochilus sp. (602).
Corymbis disticha, Lindl. (603).
Pogonia biflora, Wight (604).
Calanthe (605).
C. sp. florib. pallide aurantiacis (606).
C. veratrifolia, E. Brown (607).
Habenaria (608).
Orchidea (609).
0. (610).
0. (611).
0. (612).
0. (613).
0. (614).
0. (615).
0. (616).
0. (617).
0. (618). ScitaminetB.
Musa Troglodytarum, Linn. ; vulgo
'Soqo' (619).
Gen. nov. ; vulgo 'Boia' (620).
Alpinia sp. (621).
Curcuma longa, Linn. ; vulgo ' Cago '
(622).
Zingiber Zerumbet, Linn. ; vulgo ' Beta'
(623).
Amomum sp. ; vulgo ' Cevuga ' (624).
Canna Indica, Linn. ; vulgo ' Gasau ni
ga' (625). Dioscorem.
Helmia bulbifera, Kth. ; vulgo ' Kaile'
(626).

Dioscorea alata, Linn. ; vulgo ' Uvi '
(627).
D. nummularia, Lam. ; vulgo ' Tivoli '
(628).
D. aculeata, Linn.; vulgo 'Kawai'
(629).
D. pentaphylla, Linn. ; vulgo ' Tokulu '
(630). SmilacecB.
Smilax sp. ; vulgo ' Kadragi ' vel ' Wa
rusi' (631). Taccacece.
Tacca sativa, Eumph. ; vulgo ' Yabia '
(632, 909).
T. pinnatifida, Forst. ; vulgo ' Yabia
dina' (633,908). LiliaceiB.
Cordyline (634).
C. sp. ; vulgo ' Ti kula.'— Colitur (635).
C. Bp. ; vulgo ' Qai ' v. ' Masawe.' — Co
litur (636).
Allium Ascalonicum, Linn. ; vulgo ' Va-
rasa.'— Colitur (637).
Geitonoplesium cymoBum, Cunn. ; vulgo
'Wa Dakua' (638).
Dianella ensifolia, Red. (639).
AmaryllidecB.
Crinum Asiaticum, Linn. ; vulgo ' Via-
via' (640). Asteliece.
Astelia montana, Seem. (sp. nov. bacca
trilocul.); vulgo 'Misi' (641).
Commelynece.
Commelyna communis, Linn. (= C.
pacifica, VahlP); vulgo 'aiRorogi'
vel ' Rogomatailevu ' (642).
Aneilema Vitiense, Seem. (sp. nov.;
florib. pallide cceruleis) (643).
Flagellaria Indica, Linn.; vulgo ' Sili
Turuka' vel ' Vico' (644, 910).
Joinvillea elegans, Gaud. (= Flagellaria
plicata, Hook, fil., 645).
Typhacem.
Typha angustifolia, Linn. ; vulgo ' De
ni ruve ' (646) .

444

A MISSION TO VITI.

Bromeliacem.
Ananassa sativa, Lindl. ; vulgo ' Balawa
ni papalagi.'
A. sativa, var. prolifera.
PandanetB.
Freycinetia Vitiensis, Seem. (sp. nov.)
(647).
F. Milnei, Seem. (sp. nov.) (648).
F. Storckii, Seem. (sp. nov.) (695).
F. sp. (696).
Pandanus odoratissimus, Linn. ; vulgo
'Balawa' vel 'Vadra' (649).
P. caricosus, Rumph. ; vulgo ' Kiekie '
vel ' Voivoi ' (650).
AroidetB.
Alocasia Indica, Schott; vulgo 'Via
mila,' ' Via gaga,' ' Via sori,' v. ' Via
dranu' (651).
Amorphophallus ? (sp. nov.) ; vulgo
'Daiga' (652).
Cyrtosperma edulis, Schott (sp. nov.) ;
. vulgo 'Via kana' (653).
Raphidophora Vitiensis, Schott. (sp.
nov.) ; vulgo ' Wa lu ' (654).
Cuscuaria spuria, Schott (sp. nov.) (655).
Colocasia antiquorum, Schott, var. escu-
lenta, Schott; vulgo 'Dalo' (655 4).
Aroidea (911). LemnacetB.
Lemna gibba, Linn. ; vulgo ' Kala '
(656).
L. minor, Linn. ; vulgo ' Kala ' (657) .
Palmce.
Cocos nucifera, Linn. ; vulgo ' Niu
dina.'
Sagus Vitiensis, Herm. Wendl. (Ccelo-
coccus Vitiensis, Herm. Wendl.) ;
vulgo 'Niu soria' vel ' Sogo' (658).
Pritchardia pacifica, Seem, et Herm.
Wendl. (gen. nov.) ; vulgo ' Sakiki,'
'Niu Masei,' vel ' Viu' (659).
Kentia? exorrhiza, Herm. Wendl. (sp.
nov.) ; vulgo ' Niu sawa' (660).
Ptychosperma Vitiensis, Herm. Wendl.
(sp. nov.) (662).
P. filiferum, Herm. Wendl. (sp. nov.) ;
vulgo 'Cagecake' (661, 663).

P. Seemanni, Herm. Wendl. (sp. nov.);
vulgo 'Balaka' (664).
P. perbreve, Wendl.
P. paueiflorum, Wendl.
P. Pickeringii, Wendl.
Cyperaceee.
Baumia sp. (665).
Hypolytrum giganteum, Roxb. (666).
Lepironia mueronata, Rich. (667).
Cyperus sp. (668).
C. sp. (912).
Mariscus laevigatus, Roem. et Schult.
(669).
Kyllingia intermedia, E. Brown (670).
K. sp. (671).
Lamprocarya afnnis, A. Brongn. (672).
Gahnia Javanica, Zoll. (673).
Fimbrystylis marginata, Labill. (674).
F. stricta, Labill. (675).
Scleria sp. (676).
S. sp. (677).
Elseocharis articulata, Nees ab Esenb. ;
vulgo 'Kuta' (678).
Graminea.
Zea Mays, Linn. ; vulgo ' Sila ni papa
lagi.' — Cult.
Oplismenus sp. foliis purpurascontib. ;
vulgo ' Co damudamu ' (679) .
O. sp. foliis albo-maculatis. — Cum prse-
cedente colitur (680).
O. compositus, Roem. et Schult. (681).
Paspalum scrobiculatum, Linn. ; vulgo
' Co dina ' (682).
Eleusine Indica, Gsertn. (683).
Centotheca lappacea, Desv. (684)
Andropogon refractum, E. Brown (=
A. Tahitense, Hook, et Arn.) (685).
A. aeicularis, Retz. (686).
A. Schoenanthus, Linn. ; vulgo ' Co
boi ' (687).
Cenchrus anomoplexis, Labill. (688).
Sorghum vulgare, Pers. — Colitur (689) .
Digitaria sanguinalis, Linn. (690).
Saccharum floridum, Labill. (691) .
Coix Lacryma, Linn.; vulgo 'Sila'
(692).
Panicum pilipes, Nees ab Esenb. (693).
Bambusa sp. ; vulgo 'Bitu' (694).

APPENDIX.

445

EqidsetacetB.
Equisetum sp. ; vulgo ' Masi ni tabua '
(697). Lycopodiacece.
Psilotum complanatum, Sw. (698) .
P. triquetrum, Sw. (699).
Lycopodium cernuum, Linn. ; vulgo
' Ya Lewaninini ' (700).
L. flagellare, A. Rich. (701).
L. Phlegmaria, Linn. (702).
L. varium, R. Br. (703).
L. verticillatum, Linn. (704) .
L. sp. (705).
L. sp. (706).
L. sp. (707).
L. sp. (708). Filices.
Acrostichum aureum, Linn. ; vulgo
' Boreti,' vel, teste Williams, ' Caca '
(709).
Stenoehlaana scandens, J. Smith. (710).
Lomariopsis leptocarpa, Fee (711).
L. cuspidata, Fee (712).
Lomogramme polyphylla, Brack. (713,
421).
Goniophlebium subauriculatum, Blum.
(714).
Hemionitis lanceolata, Hook. (716).
H. elongata, Brack. (715).
Antrophyum plantagineum,Kaulf(717) .
DicUdopteris angustissima, Brack. ;
vulgo 'Mokomokoni lvi' (718, 914).
Vittaria revoluta, Willd. (719).
V. elongata, Sw. (720).
Arthropteris albopunctata, J. Smith
(721).
Prosaptia contigua, Presl (722) .
Phymatodes stenophylla, J. Smith
(723).
Niphobolus adnascens, Sprengel, Sw.,
J. Sm. (724).
Loxogramme lanceolata, Presl (725) .
Hymenolepis spicata, J. Smith (726).
Pleuridium cuspidiflorum, J. Smith
(727).
P. vulcanicum, J. Smith (729).
Phymatodes Billardieri, Presl (730).
P. alata, J. Sm. = Drynaria alata,
Brack.) (731.)

P. longipes, J. Smith ; vulgo ' Caca,'
teste Williams (732).
Drynaria musEefolia, J. Smith (728).
D. diversifolia, J. Smith; vulgo 'Be-
vula,' 'Teva,' vel ' Vuvu' (733).
Dipteris Horsfieldii, J. Smith ; vulgo
' Koukou tagane ' (734).
Meniscium sp. (735).
Nephrodium simplicifolium, J. Smith
(736).
N. sp. (737).
N. ; vulgo ' Watuvulo ' (738).
N. sp. (739, 740).
Lastrea sp. (741) .
Polystichum aristatum, Presl (742).
Nephrolepis ensifolia, Presl (743).
N. hirsutula, Presl (744).
N. repens, Brack. (745).
N. obliterata, J. Smith (831).
Dictyopteris macrodonta, Presl (746).
Aspidium latifohum, J. Smith ; vulgo
'Sasaloa' (v. Saloa ?) (747).
A. decurrens, J. Smith (748).
A. repandum, Willd (749).
Oleandra neriiformis, Cav. (750).
Didymochlsena truncatula, Desv. (751).
Microlepia polypodioides, Presl (751 1) .
M. sp. (752).
M. papulosa, Brack. (753).
M. Luzonica, Hook, (gracilis, Blum.)
(754).
M. flagellifera, J. Smith (Wall.) (755).
M. (fructif.) (An var. n. 751 o ? B.
Seem.) (756.)
Humata heterophylla, Cav. (759).
Davallia elegans, Sw. (757).
D. Fijiensis, Hook. (758).
D. fceniculacea, Hook. (760, 762).
D. gibberosa, Sw. (761).
D. Moorei, Hook. (830).
Schizoloma ensifolia, Gaud. (763).
Synaphlebium davalhoides, J. Smith
(764).
S. Pickeringii, Brack. (765).
S. repens, J. Smith (766).
Sitolobium straminemn, J. Smith (767).
Cy athea medullaris, S w. (768) .
Trichomanes javanicum, Blum. (769).
T. rigidum, Sw. (780, 829).
I T. meifolium, Bory (781).

446

A MISSION TO VITI.

T. bilingue, Blum. (= n. 780 ?) (782).
T. angustatum, Carm. = T. caudatum,
Brack. (783).
T. erectum, Brack. (784 ex parte).
Hymenophyllum (784).
H. formosum, Brack. (785).
H. parvu-lum, Poir. (786).
Todea Wilkesiana, Brack. (787).
Marattia sorbifoha, Sw. ; vulgo ' Dibi '
(788).
Angiopteris evecta, Hoffm. (789).
Lygodictyon Forsteri, J. Smith; vulgo
'Wa Kalou' (790).
Gleichenia dichotoma, Hook. (791) .
Schizsea dichotoma, Sw. ; vulgo ' Sa-
gato ni tauwa ' (792) .
Actinostachys digitata, Wall. (793).
Ophioglossum pendulum, Linn. (794).
Blechnum orientale, Linn. (795).
Lomaria attenuata, Willd. (796).
L. elongata, Blume (797).
Pellsea geraniifolia, Fee (798).
Cheilanthes tenuifolia, Sw. (799, 800).
Adiantum lunulatum, Sw. ; vulgo ' Kau
nivi vatu' (801, 915).
A. hispidulum, Sw. (802).
A. aff. A. setulonervi, J. Smith (803).
Pteris quadriaurita, teste Hook. Sp. Fil.
(804).
P. sp. (Litobroehia divaricata, Brack. ?)
(805).
P. tripartita, Sw. (806, 913).
P. esculenta, Forst. (809).
P. crenata, Sw. ; vulgo ' Qato,' teste
Williams (811).
Litobroehia sinuata, Brack.; vulgo 'Wa
Rabo' (807).
L. sinuata var. (808).
L. comans, Presl (810).
Neottopteris australasica, J. Smith
(812).
Asplenium vittseforme, J. Smith (813).
A. falcatum, Lam. (814).
A. sp. (815).
A. brevisorum, Wall. (827).
A. obtusilobum, Hook. (828).
A. induratum, Hook. (816).
A. lucidum, Forst. (817).
A. sp. (820).
A. resectum, Sm. (821).

A. laserpitiifolium, Lam. (822).
A. (Darea) sp. (784 ex parte).
Callipteris ferox, Blum. (= C. prolifera,
Hook, var.) (818).
C. (sine fructif.) (819).
Cryptosorus Seemanni, J. Smith (=
Polypodium contiguum, Brack, non
Sw. (823).
Diplazium melanocaulon, Brack. (824).
D. bulbiferum, Brack. (825).
D. polypodioides, Blume. (826).
Tsenitis blechnoides, Sw. (? abnormal.)
(832). Musci.
Leptotrichum flaccidulum, Mitt. sp.
nov. (841).
L. trichophyllum, Mitt. sp. nov. (inter
862).
Leucobryum laminatmn, Mitt. sp. nov.
(844).
Leucophanes densifolius, Mitt. sp. nov.
(inter 862).
L. smaragdinum, Mitt. sp. nov. (inter
863).
Syrrhopodon tristichus,Nees (inter 846) .
S. scolopendrius, Mitt. sp. nov. (843).
Meteorium longissimum, Dzy. et Molk
(inter 863).
M. (Esenbeckia) setigerum, Mitt. (Pi-
lotrichum, Sullivant) (846).
Trachyloma Junghuhnii, Mitt. (Hyp-
num C. Mueller) (842).
T. arborescens, Mitt. (845).
Neckera flaccida, C. Muell. (836).
N. Lepineana, Montagn. (863).
N. dendroides, Hook. (838).
Spiridens Reinwardti, Nees. (840).
Trachypus helicophyllus, Mont. (838).
Leskea glaucina, Mitt, (inter 847).
L. ramentosa, Mitt. sp. nov. (inter
863).
Racopilum Bpectabile, Hsch. (inter
863).
Sphagnum cuspidatum, Ehrh. (839).
SepatictB.
Cheiloscyphus argutus, Nees (inter
862).
Plagiochila arbuscula, L. et L. (inter
862).

APPENDIX.

447

P. Vitiensis, Mitt. sp. nov. (862).
P. Seemanni, Mitt. sp. nov. (864).
Trichocolea tomentella, Nees (inter
862).
Eadula amentulosa, Mitt. sp. nov. (inter
837).
K. scariosa, Mitt. sp. nov. (inter 837).
E. spicata, Mitt. sp. nov. (inter 837).
Lejeunia (Bryopteris) Sinclairii, Mitt.
sp. nov. (inter 843).
L. eulopha (Phragmicoma, Tay.) (inter
846).
Frullania deflexa, Mitt. sp. nov. (inter
834).
F. meteoroides, Mitt. sp. nov. (inter
834).
F. cordistipula, Nees (inter 846).
F. trichodes, Mitt. sp. nov. (inter 846).
Sarcomitrium plumosum, Mitt. (847) .
Marchantia pileata, Mitt. (838).

Sticta damsecornis, var. caperata, Nyl.
(848).
S. (Stictina) filicinella, Nyl. (849).

Ramalina calicaris, Nyl. ; vulgo ' Lumi '
(ni Vanua) (851).
Coccocarpia molybdaea, Pers. (852).
Leptogium tremelloides, Fries (853).
Sticta (Stictina) quercizans, Ach. (854).
Sticta Freycinetii, Del. (861) .
Verrucaria aurantiaca, Nyl. (865).
Parmelia peltata, Ach. var.
Fungi.
Ehizomorpha sp. ; vulgo ' Wa loa '
(855).
Lentinus sp. (856).
Polyporus sanguineus, Fries (857).
P. aflinis, Fries (858).
P. hirsutus, Fries (859).
Hoomospora transversaJis, BrebisBon
(860).
Agaricus (Pleuropus) pacificus, Berk.
Schizophyllum commune, Fries.
Xylaria Feejeensis, Berk.
AlgtB.
Hoomonema fluitanB, Berk. (gen. nov.)
(860).

THE END.

JOHN EDWABD TATLOE, PEINTEB,
IITTIE QUEEN STEEET, HNCOIN'S IHN EIELIIS.