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CRUISE OF EM.S. CTJRACOA.

LONDOS: PniNTKD BV
SPOTTIfiWOODE AND CO., NEW-STHEFT
AXD rAlU.IAKKNT STftKUT

MAN HAHKART Lil'.

THE TWO SIDES OF A TIE-BEAM FROM A VILLAGE HALL UJL SOLOMON ISLANDS.

/^^

JOTTINGS

DUIUNt; TUB

CRUISE OF H.M.S. CUEA(;^OA

AMONG

THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS

1865

JULIUS L. BRENCHLEY, M.A., F.R.G.S.

Wif/i KUMEROUS ILU'STnATJOXii ami XATVnAL IllSTORr NOTICES

CANOE, UI.AKUA

LONDON
LONGMANS, GEEEN, AND CO.

1873

A !l rif/ht.t ycxerred

Cage

^011

P.I

r^yr

PEEFACE.

Towards the end of the month of May 1865, I was at
Sydney at the time H.M. steam frigate 'Curayoa,' com-
manded by Commodore (now Admiral) Sir WiUiam Wiseman,
was preparing to leave for tlie purpose of displaying the
British flag in the different archipelagoes of the Western
Pacific. The Commodore, whose acquaintance I had been
fortunate enough to make at Sydney, taking a kind interest
in my love of exploring, and authorised by a circular letter
which I had obtained from Lord John Russell, invited me
to accompany him, and obligingly proposed to me to
become his suest durinsf the Cruise. I at once availed
myself, as may be easily imagined, of this most agreeable
and unexpected offer. It is pleasing to ine to remember
that the courtesy shown me by the Commodore was shared
by his officers, to two of whom I must specially refer, the
Hon. Herbert Meade and Mr. Foljambe. The former, pre-
maturely lost to the service and to his friends by a melan-
choly accident, gave me, in his last moments, a touching
proof of his friendship, by desiring that a part of his

«S7l69

vi PREFACE.

jouruals slioukl be consigned to me. To my regret a
variety of circumstances prevented my making use of the
valuable bequest of this most intelligent and distinguished
young officer, and I eventually returned the papers to his
fomily, thus losing the invaluable opportunity of enriching my
own work, whenever it shoidd appear, by blending it with
some parts of his. His journals have since been published
by his fomily, and- achieved a success Avhich they eminently
deserved. The loss, therefore, has been entirely my own.

To the kindness of Mi. Foljambe I am indebted for some
illustrations which ^dll be found in tliis work, and which
had already appeared in an agreeably and well written
work of his own, published only for private circulation,
entitled ' Three Years on the Australian Station,' &c., a part
of which contained a concise but sph'ited account of our
Cruise. These illustrations were from his own drawings.

In these days of rapid pntgress and rapid change, when
the 'latest news' — a phrase which mighty once imply an
interval of months or even yeare — has now reference to
nothing longer than weeks or daj^s, or hours, the publica-
tion of facts observed seven years ago has I am aware an
archaeological tint about it. But various and long wander-
ings since my jom-nal was written, and different causes of
delay unconnected witli it, retarded its appearance for a
long while.

At length, when the opportunity — not entirely free from
interruptions— of bringing it forth did occur, I felt it really
necessary, as a sort of excuse for publishing it at all, to

y BE FACE. vii

leiKler it as attractive as I could by artistic illustrations,
some of them of scientific interest, which have been great
consumers of time. This has been a source of considerable
delay.

If the rapidity of our Cruise did not allow me much
opportunity of studying the manners and social cha-
racteristics of the different islands, it kept me thoroughly
engaged in forming and preserving a considerable collection
of utensils, weapons, birds, ferns, shells, and other objects
of interest. Of these some have been thought of sufficient
value to be placed in the British Museum, while the
great bidk, now arranged in tlie museum at Maidstone,
contributes, as I am assured, much to the amusement and
instruction of its inliabitants. In collecting, arranging, and
preparing these materials — rather troublesome work on
board ship, where room is scant, sea-water sometimes
intrudes, and steadiness a la Bessemer is unknown — I was
assisted by Mr. Wall, as taxidermist, and Mr. Brazier as
shell-collector.

I must not omit here to return my thanks to the various
missionaries I came in contact with for their personal
civilities to me, and also for the notes they furnished me
respecting the islands in which they resided. If I have had
occasion to criticise some of them it is because, while
believing them to be honestly devoted to the great task of
civilising tlie natives of these regions, I have thought it a
duty to record my impressions as to why they mai- their
own purpose, and expend their energies, sometimes, in an

viii PREFACE.

unprofitable way. This is the more necessary as the time
is rapidly approaching when the process of missionary
enterprise must be carried on in modes, and on principles,
veiy different from those wliich were recognised when they
devoted themselves to theii' task. If it be necessary to give
a proof of this I will refer to the Dean of Westminster's
remarkable sermon on the Day of Intercession — that day set
apart for summoning England to the support of missionary
enterprise. He there warns the missionary that dogmatic
teaching is not to be the sole or principal lever by wliich
the civiUsation of those he is in contact' with is to be
upraised. In earlier times, he says, it was the practice to
send forth to the heathen, missionaries whose special object
was religious teaching ; but the time, he tells us, has arrived
when a mucli more comprehensive and practical scheme of
instruction is requisite. ' Let us not,' he observes, ' measure,
as has been well said, this great work by the number
of communicants and converts,' But this is precisely the
measure whicli is too often employed by the missionaries
when estimating and proving the amount of their civilising
success.

But of what avail caia be the fittest missionary, though
using the fittest means of civilising, when the ground
he has to till is bristhng with passionate recollections, and
fierce resentments that thwart liim at every step ? In the
Western Pacific Ocean there is hardly an island the tradi-
tions of which do not record, or the existing generations of
which have not experienced, outrages that cause their

PREFACE. ix

inhabitants to distrust, fear, or resent the approach of the
stranger-race. How is lie to face those carriers of demora-
lisation wlio, to use the apposite language of the ' Times,'
when commenting on the subject, ' spread themselves over
the world, following everywhere the bent of their own
nature, doing their own will, following their own gain — too
generally doing and being nothing that a heathen will
recognise as better than himself,' or by many degrees as
good ? Even a missionary of the highest qualifications, such
as we now aspire to have but rarely possess, might be
baffled by such foes ; how then, we ask with the same
journal, ' can a feeble missionary, who would too often be
thought but a poor creature at home with every advantage
in his favour, hope to stem with a few phrases the torrent
of i)rofligacy he finds already in possession of the ground ? '
The remedy proposed is ' to convert our masses at home : '
unfortunately this suggestion, besides being too common*
place, too rational, and too little ostentatious, indicates a
process too slow to meet the urgency of the case. But
what could be done, if the country were in earnest, would
be to take care that at least the most prominent offences of
these destroyers and corruptors should inevitably meet the
punishment which they deserve.

It is time. In various parts of this book will be found
evidence enough of the pressing need of such a policy.
But if more were reciuired, tlie fiiahtful incidents brought to
our notice recently in connection with the ' Carl,' a slave-
trader, pretending to be an cnngrant ship, supply a

X PBEFAGH.

horrible supplement. What a hideous embleui of our
civilisatiou is that bloodstained vessel throwing out, like the
fangs of a grim monster, its grappling-irons to clutch and
upset the canoes of the unsuspecting natives, then sending
its boats to pick up such of them as had not made for land,
or were not drowned ; hustling and closely packing them
in its hold, and, when its captives, driven mad by excite-
ment and suffering, quarrelled among themselves, firing shot
upon shot at them through the hatches during the night,
killing and wounding seventy ; and finally, when morning
broke, throwing the dead and the wounded fastened to one
another into the sea ! Surely if there were felt but a hun-
dredth part of the interest in the fate of the Polynesian that
Avas once, and is still, taken in the fate of the African, tliere
would have been a shout of indignant remonstrance from
one end of the land to the other. But where now is the
■ Anti-Slavery Society? Where is the really benevolent
Society of Friends ? Where is there the shghtest flash
of that frenzy of indignation not long since exhibited in the
case of the Jamaica black ? But philanthrop)' has often its
pet victims on whom it lavishes all its affection, and hence
is to be seen fervid and flaming in one direction, while it is
cold to ligidity in another, where the claims upon its
sympathy are very similar, if not the same. It is to be
hoped that some member of Parliament will endeavour to
divert his colleagues for a moment, from matters more
interesting to themselves, perhaps, and fix their attention
upon one, than which none moie concerns the honour of

rHEFAGE. xi

tlie nation, and that is the necessity of pressing the Govern-
ment to make itself a vigilant and- efficient representative of
justice and humanity in these seas.

Into the question of incorporating into the empire any
one of the chief groups, as for instance, the Fiji Islands, I
do not pretend to enter. No doubt the bringing tliem into
official connection with the su[)remac3'' of the Crown, would
furnish us a status in this region that would enable us to do
incalculable good. Perhaps the semblance of a I'eason for
such an annexation may be derived from what has recently
occurred in New Caledonia. Commanding, as we are told
on good authority this island does, the communication
of Australia with India, China, Panama and California, it is
clear that Avere its colonial resources to be considerably
developed, it might be necessary to have some counterpoise
to its influence in these seas. . Now the late extensive
deportation of the Communists and their fomilies might
very well constitute the germ of a vigorous colonisation.
For whatever may be thought of the political and social
views of these men, there cannot be a doubt that very
many of them must efficiently represent the mechanical and
industrial skill of their native country. But, on the otlier
hand, such are the vicissitudes of French politics that it is
quite possible they may one day hear the signal of recall, to
which every man of them would respond, hearing it,
perhaps, under circumstances leading them to expect that
their re-entrance into the capital from which they had been
expelled, would he graced with all the triumphal pomp that

xii PL'EFACE.

]ionoui-ed the restored ashes of Napoleon, who, for a
moment, execrated like them, had been, like them, pro-
sci-ibed. What advantage New Caledonia may derive from
their exile is, therefore, a matter of doubt.

In acknowledging my obligations to the gentlemen whose
zoological notices will contribute to the interest of my work,
it is painfi.il for me to remember that two of them, Mr.
George Gray and Dr. Baird, have passed from among ns
and are beyond the reach of my thanks. A thankful
remembrance of the interest they took in my collections is,
howcvei', a tribute I can and do ofier to their memory.

Folkestone : Januanj.

Since the substance of the above Preface was communi-
cated to the fi-iend who writes this postscript, and put by
him mto the desired form, Mr. Brenchley — then very ill —
has himself passed away.

A vigorous constitution, severely tried by years of inces-
sant travel, after showing some premonitory symptoms of
decay, suddenly broke down imder a complication of
maladies which rapidly overpowered a muscidar frame, en-
dowed with exceptional strength, at the comparatively early
age of fifty-six. From 1849 to 1SG7, some brief returns
home excepted, he was continuously indulging what he
justly called his ' passionate love of wandering ' — sometimes
in company, sometimes alone — welcoming all sorts of
hard.ships, running all sorts of risks, exposing himself to

FBEFACE. xiii

all varieties and extremes of climate, and always finding
himself at home and happy, whether in the cities or the
deserts, in traversing the plains or climbing the moun-
tains of distant lands. From New York, to which he went
in 1849, after having for some months led a forest life
among its Indian tribes, he proceeded to St. Joseph, on
the Missouri, thence over the Eocky Mountains to the coast
of Oregon and Fort Vancouver, and from the latter to
the Sandwich or Hawaiian Islands. This was his first
unbroken journey. Four yeai^s were then spent in explor-
ing every part of these interesting islands in company with
a French gentleman, M. Jules Eeray, a naturalist, whose
acquaintance he was so fortunate as to make there, and
who, it turned out, was to be his companion in the greater
part of his future travels. At the end of this period Mr;
Brenchley, following his friend, sailed for Cahfornia, and,
after reaching San Francisco, undertook, accompanied by
M. Eemy, his remarkable and adventiu-ous journey from
tliat place to Salt Lake City, the capital of the Mormons.
This was in 1855. On their way back to San Francisco
they went to New Mexico, and, returning to California, ex-
plored every part of it. Next year they went to Panama and
Ecuador, and ascended Pichincha, down the crater of which
Mr. Brenchley, having slipped in his descent, was carried to
a formidable depth, from which, with the utmost difficulty,
by sheer determination and strength, he finally succeeded
in regaining the summit. The next excursion was up
Chimborazo ; after which they visited Peru, Chinchas

-Niv TEEFACE.

Islands, and Chili. In- 1857 they went to the United
States, where, havins visited the Canadian Lakes, he and
his fiiend descended the Mississippi from its source, in a
bark canoe, to Saint Louis, and, thence making their way
to New York, embarked for England, where Mi". Brenchley
once more appeared, after an absence of eight years. In
1858 and 1859 what may be called a home tour was taken,
including Algeria, Morocco, Spain, and Sicily.

Some literary engagements now caused a pause ; M.
Eemy being occupied in writing from his own and Mr.
Brenchley's notes an account of their visit to Salt Lake City
in 1855. This work, written with great ability — unluckily
more philosophical than sensational — and with a critical
appreciation of Mormon institutions, by no means too
lenient, but perhaps too impartial for the prejudices of
ordinary readers, was published in Paris in 1860. The de-
scription of tlie journey was preceded by an admirable
introduction ' On the Eeligious Movement in the United
States,' of remarkable interest and value, and foDowed by
a brief but very satis&ctory sketch of Mr. Brenchley's
adventures when crossing the Eoeky Mountains. In the
following year the travellers came over to this country to
superintend an English translation of the work, which,
brought out in too expensive a form for a subject not
exciting any very great interest, did not secure. the cir-
culation it deserved.^

' M. Remy is the aiitbor of several works, among others of 'Ana-
lecta Boliviana, sen uova genera et species plautarum in Bolivia cres-

FREFACE. XV

This interruption over, Mr. Brencliley, once more at
liberty, left England with his friend for Bombay ; after a
little stay at which place they went on to the Nilgherries,
Madras, Calcutta, the Himalayas, and Benares ; and tlien,
being both taken ill, they returned for medical advice to
Calcutta. Leaving that place, they went to Ceylon, on their
way to China ; but here M. Eemy's indisposition increasing,
he was oblio-ed to tuke leave of his friend and return to
France.

Mr. Brencliley then proceeded on his way alone to China
and Mongoha, made a trip to Japan, and, returning to
China, went to Australia and thence to New Zealand,
towards the end of 1864. While in Auckland in December
of that year — there being just then a suspension of hostilities
between the warring tribes — the Governor, Sir George
Grey, being anxious that some Europeans should visit tlie
friendly tribes in tlie vicinity of Lake Taupo, as a mark of
attention which would be highly valued, Mr. Brenchley, in
conjunction with the late Lieutenant Meade, undertook the
expedition. Sir George Grey has borne witness to tlie
great benefit derived from this hazardous journey, the
details of which have been set forth with great spirit by
Lieutenant Meade in liis 'liide through the Disturbed Dis-
tricts of New Zealand,' &c. Soon after this Mi'. Brenchley
left Auckland for Sydney, whence he proceeded on the

centium;' 'Excursion botanique a travers les Ardennes fran^aises;'
• ' Ascension de Pichincha ; ' and of ' Ka Mooololo Hawaii, Histoire de
I'Archipel Havaiien ; texte et traduction, precedes d'une introduction
sur I'etat physique, moral et politique du pays.' Paris, 1862.

xvi FBEFAGB.

cruise wliicli is the subject of this book. On his return to
Sydney he devoted some time and trouble in organising, for
the amusement of the people there, an exhibition of the
curious and interesting objects which had been collected.
At the close of this he Avent again to China, and thus made
his way back to Em'ope by the Great Desert of Gobi,
Siberia — in the depth of winter — and Eussia.

Though he has left a lai'ge amount of notes made during
his journeys, he was more interested in collecting material
objects, illustrative and commemorative of his varied travels,
than in devoting himself to literary descriptions of them ;
the present work was the result of a promise. Of the rich
and varied collection whicli was the product of his visit to
the South Seas and other places, a portion, as observed
in the Preface, has found its way into the British Museum ;
but the principal part — consisting of birds, fishes, insects,
weapons, shells, canoes, models, and objects of vaiious kinds,
illustrating the industry and arts of the different countries
through which he passed, including fine specimens of the
artistic and industrial products of Japan, Cliina, Siberia,
and Eussia — has been presented to the museum of his native
town, Maidstone, to tlie enlargement and embellishment of
which, in various ways, he has also munificently contributed.
Thus, though travelling for his own instruction and amuse-
ment, he spared neither cost nor trouble in procuring what
he thought would contribute to the instruction and gratifi-
cation of others.

X/l

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

NORFOLK ISLAND.

(June 9 to 13.) '^^^

Leave Sydney — Lord Howe Island — Ball's Pyramid — Nepean Island and
Philip Island — Sydney Bay and Cascade Bay — Ride from the coast to the
town — The Rev. Mr. Nobbs and his adventures — The old penal settlement —
A'raucaria— Character of the new colonists— Their hospitality — Account of a
murderous attack upon the crew of Bishop Patteson's yacht — An American
and his flao; 1-16

CHAPTER II.

NIUE OR SAVAGE ISLAND.

(June 29.)

Raoul Island — Off Niue — Tiger-sharks — The missionary — Excursion in the
island — Familiarity of the natives — General aspect of the island — Its pro-
ductions — Animals — Population— South American slave-dealers — Policemen
— Costumes — Language — Manners and customs — Past and present character
of the natives — Contradictory statements 17-35

CHAPTER III.

TUTUILA—SAMOAN GROUP.

(July 1 to 4.)

Pango-Pango Harbour — Appearance of the natives — Statements by the mis-
sionaries — A pilot who takes his ease — Dwellings — Visit to the missionary —
Trip into the interior — -Village of Fungatele — American artisan — Native
women — The chief dines on board — Native dance — Christian church— Man-
ners — Progress due to Christianity^Indigenous products . . 36-60

xviii CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV.

UPOLU-SAMOAN GROUP— continued.

(July 5 to 10.)

Apia Bay— Consul Williams, son of the Martyr of Ei-amanga— Mischief caused
by a hurricane — Resident strangers— Baptisms on board — Sunday at Apia-
Catholic bishop— Protestant missionary— Missionary disputes— History of
a Bible in the Ellice Islands — Unfair treatment of natives— Visit of the
great chief Malietoa — Inconsistent appreciations of native character — Re-
markable testimonies in favour of the Samoans — Natives and whites — Man-
ners and customs — Ancient crater — Cascade — Island products . 61-87

CHAPTER V.
VAVAU- TONGA GROUP.

(JlLY 10 TO 15.)

Boscawen and Keppel Islands — Sandy point — Excursion on shore — Mission-
aries — Village of Neiafu — Visit to the governor David Unga — His singular
mutilation — The guide Papalangi — Roads and convicts — Volcano of Latte
— Curious natural grottoes — Population — Diseases — Government — Laws —
Products 83-103

CHAPTER VI.

TONGA TAB U— TONGA GROUP— confmnadi

(July 17 tu 22.)

Numerous islands — Volcano of Latte — First trip on shore — Royal palace —
Schools — Muscular Christianity — The Wesley an Mission and its chapel —
Captain Croker and the siege of Bea — Catholic and Protestant missionaries
— Their mission houses — Their mutual criminations, and recriminations —
Visit to King George — The king's return visit — His Majesty dines on board
— Fear of the French — A dinner at the king's — Catholic missionaries —
Cmmcil-house — The Kava Ring — Public school examinations — Native diver-
sions — Tongan Stonehenge — The island and its productions — Climate —
Maladies — Population — The race and its customs — Christianity and its
effects — Relations of the Topgans with the Fijians — Government and con-
stitution 104-142

CHAPTER VII.

OVALAU—FIJI GROUP.

(July 26 to 29.)

The Island of Neau — Anchorage at Levuka — A visit on shore — The consul
and his clerk absent — A French lady and her turn for natural history —
Excursion into the interior — Method of kindling wood — Canoe building —
Appearance of the natives — Sharks aud sword-fish .... 14:1-153

CONTENTS. xix

CHAPTER Vlir.

MHAU and VITI-LEVU—FIJI G bo up— amtmueH.

(July 29 to August 2.)

Mbau Roadstead — Boat expedition in Viti-Levu to Rewa up Wai-Levu River
— Interview with Tui-Drakiti, King of Rewa — Courteous reception — Hospi-
tality of the Rev. Mr. Carey, Wesleyan missionary — Trip in canoe up to
Davui-Levu — Visit to the Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Balier — Capsized on way back
to Rewa — The natives and their liuts — Return from Rewa to Mbau — King
Tliakumbau — Exchange of civilities and arms — The great Kava bowl
— The Akau-tabu — Conjecture respecting cannibalism — Cruel practices in
Fiji — Not unparalleled in civilisation — Intellectual and moral characteristics
of the Fijians — Jackson's praise of them — Captain Erskine's confirmation of
it — Their intelligence and acuteness — Their songs and hymns — Their pro-
verbs — Their capacity of conversing — Their love of fun and jest — What
value they attach to truth ■ — Singular ceremony at Mbau — Interesting
pic-uic 153-175

CHAPTER IX.

KANDAVU—FIJI &i?Of/P— continued.

(August 3.)

Levuka Bay and village — Peculiar form of the island — Mountain clift' of
Buke-Levu — Village of Yawe — Visit of II. M.S. ' Esk ' — Letter of canoe-
men to her commander — Notes on the Fiji group — Chiefs — Languages —
Their mythology — Deification promised to a missionary — ' I am a God ' —
Character of their gods, and its results — Impediment to civilisation — Climate
and soil — European population — Native notions respecting property and
land — Difficulties thrown in the way of its acquisition — Improved prospects
for settlers — Exports — Commerce — Future resources . . . 17(5- 192

CHAPTER X.

ANATOM—NEW HEBRIDES.

(August 6 to 10.)

Striking appearance of the island — A vessel belonging to the Presbyterian
mission — Climate — Causes of decreased population — Character of the natives
—Progress due to Christianity —Chiefs— Productions . . .193-200

CHAPTER XI.

TANNA—SEW HEBRIDES— conUmicd.

(August 10 to 13.)

Uea Harbour — LTselcss negotiations with offending chiefs — Bombardment —
Men lauded and property destroyed — Incidents of the attack — Effect pro-

X CONTENTS.

diiced on the enemy — Description of the island — Climate and disease —
Disposition of the people — Morality — Usages— Creeds — Government— Ma-
rum, or council-house — Fruitless efforts of the missionaries — Languages —
Volcano of Asur and its environs — Productions and exports . . 201-214

CHAPTER XII.

FATE OR SANDWICH ISLAND— NEW HEBBIBES— continued.
(August 16 to 18.)

A day at Eramanga — Stop at the port of Vila — Anchor in Havannah Harbour
— The ' Dayspring ' again — Costumes of the natives — Excursion in the island —
Dwellings — Fisherwomen^Cannibalism — The Kev. Mr. Turner's account of
them — Favom-able notices of them by various visitors^Deerease of popula-
tion — Language — Government — Customs — Artistic slcill — Creeds — Teachers
and their extravagant tales — Products 215-232

CHAPTER XIIL

VANUA-LAVA— BANKS' ISLANDS.
(August 21 to 23.)

Through the northernmost islands of the New Hebrides — Uncertain navigation
— Port Patteson — The ' Southern Cross' and Bishop Patteson — Appearance
of the natives — Trip in the island — Vegetation— Dwellings and club-house —
River of hot water — Jets of vapour — Eggs of Megapodius — Customs —
Climate — Diseases — Vegetation ... : . . 233-242

CHAPTER XIV.

SANTA-CRUZ ISLAND.
(August 25.)

Vanikoro Island — Ocili Harbour — Port Graciosa in Santa-Cruz — Volcano
of Tinakoro — A swarm of canoes — Bai-ter 243-247

CHAPTER XV.
VLAKUA— SOLOMON GROUP.

(August 27 to 29.)

Singular fact— Island of Santa-Anna— Arrive in sight of the Island of Ulakua
— Natives and their canoe.s — Ornaments and dre.^s — Trip on land — Huts —
Women — Parrots 248-267

CONTENTS. xxi

CHAPTER XVI.

UJI— SOLOMON GBO CAP— continued.

(August 29 to 30.)

Alarm on board — Pigeon shooting in the trees — Natural history — Ornamental
tie-beam-^A village hall 258-263

CHAPTER XVII.

SAN- CHRI8T0 VAL—SOL OMON (?/fO C7P— continued.

(August 30 to September 4.)

Anchor at Wanga — Arrival of canoes — Barter — A walk in the island — A native
carving resembling a European hat — A grimly decorated canoe-house —
Opossum — A glutinous fruit — 'N'illajje — Women entirely naked — Human
skulls — Curious groups of natives — Constant state of warfare — Fishing in a
river — Anchor at Hada — A self-styled king — A nigger who treats the natives
ns niggers — The bishop and the murderer of one of his teachers — Appearance
of the natives 204-273

CHAPTER XVIII.

GUADALCANAL— SOLOMON GltOUP— continued.

(September 4 to 5.)

Marau Sound — Curafoa Harbour — Visit ashore — Marslies — Dwellings — Men
and women — The Island of Malata in the distance .... 274-276

CHAPTER XIX.

FL OlilDA—SOL OMON Gj!?0 CP— continued.

(September 5 to 7.)

Aspect of the island — Gulf of Mboli, and anchorage in Port Wiseman — Native
canoes — Ornaments — Barter — Judicious advice not to land — Fishing on the
reef — Uneasiness caused by the prolonged absence of our hj-drographic
officer — Important result of Mr. Scudamore's survey . . . 277-285

CHAPTER XX.

YSABEL— SOLOMON Gi?OCrP— continued.

(September 7 to 10.)

At anchor in St. George's Bay — Cockatoo Island — Barter — Ebony trees — Trip
inland — Difficult walk — A convoy of women — Houses perched in trees —
Pigeon Island . 280-293

xxii CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXI.

ERAMANGA—NEW HEBRIDES.

(September 25 to 26.)

View of a fortified village and a tree-house — Man overboard — Tedious naviga-
tion — A gale — Calms — At anchor in Dillon's Bay — News from land — Trade
in sandal-wood — Mr. Henry — Lime from coral — A bomb-sliell in the hands
of .savages — The Kev. ]Mr. Gordon — Hostile state of things — Two ill-dispo,sed
chiefs — The master of the 'Ciira^oa' attacked by natives — The village of
Sifu bombarded by the ' Ciuaj oa ' — A missionary who never laughed —
Remarkable censure of the local missionaries connected with these proceed-
ings against the natives — A more equitable course of action required — Notes
on the island — Epidemics — Missionary labours — Government — Manners and
customs — Religious creeds — Trade in wood and women — Productions-^
Industry 294-322

CHAPTER XXII.

NEW . CALEDONIA— LOYALTY ISLANDS.

(September 28 to October 8.)

Loyally Islands — Aspect of New Caledonia^IIavannah Passage — Praslin
Bay — Canoes — At anchor in Port-de-France — Visit from the governor —
Visit returned — Madame Guillain — M. Guilhiin — Government-house and
gardens — The governor and the Protestant missionaries — The capital of the
colony — The model farm of Yahove — A new kind of plough — Coftee trees —
The aborigines — Religion — Manners and customs — Infamous usage of natives
by whites — Captain Cook's favourable notice of them — Basset, chief of
Yengen^IIis house in the interior — Appearance of the country — Trimly-
kept houses — Poles surmounted by skulls — Remarkable irrigation — Remains
of ancient aqueduct — Return to Sydney — Conclusion . . . 323-350

NATURAL HISTORY NOTICES.

BiKDS 353-394

Reptiles 395-408

Fishes 409-430

Shells 431-454

Insects 455-474

LIST OF ENGEAVINGS.

MAF.

Chart of the South Sea Islands

End of the hooh

CHBOMO.LITHOGBAPHS.

PAGK

The two sides of a tic beam from a village hall, Uji, Solomon
Islands ..... Frotitispiece

A village hall, Uji, Solomon Islands . . . To face 262

SEPARATE ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD.

*it* The woodcuts to which an asterisk is prefixed were engraved by Mr. G. Pkaeson,
from Photographs made upon the spot : those with a f were lent by Mr. Fuljamuk.

* Natives of Tutiiila

* Levuka

* Natives of Ovalau

* Weapons, South Sea Islands .

* Scene in Banks' Islands

* Canoe House, Uji

* Natives of Tsabel Island

* Natives and Canoe, Ysabel Island

To face

145

152

))

222

233

))

258

287

291

LIST OF ENGRAVINGS.

ENGRAVINGS IN TEE TEXT.

* The Barracks, Norfolk Island

* Mission House, Niue
t Fungasa, or Massacre Bay

* Wife of Maunga .

* Native Teacher .

* Samoan Chief in war costume

* King George's House, Tongatabu

* Queen of Tonga .

* King George of Tonga
t Stone monument, Tongatabu
t Double canoe
t Pools at the waterfall of Waitoba

* King Thakumbau and his son

* The great Kava bowl of Fiji

* Natives of Tanna
t Native houses, Vate
t Hat Island, entrance to Havannah Harbour
t Mota, or Sugar-loaf Island

* Natives of Banks' Islands
t Tinakoro .

* Ear ornaments .

* Ear-drop made of sharks' teeth

* Nose ornaments .

* Specimens of necklaces .

* Mother of pearl nose ornaments

* Native girls, Uji .
t Native carving, San Christoval
t Two-tree Island .
t Ass's Ears, Florida Island

* Chief's shield and two-handed clubs
+ Tree Fort, Ysabel Island
t Southern Cross .
t Mu Island, Port-de-France, lie des Lapins
t Port-de-France, from Signal Hill

* Model Farm, New Caledonia

* Clubs ....

LIST OF ENGEAVINGS.

OBJECTS IN NATUBAL HISTORY.

BIRDS.

1. Accipiter albogularis .

2. Collocalia hypoleuca .

„ uropygialis .

3. Eurystomus crassirostris

4. Glyciphila caledonica .

„ flavotincta .

5. Philemon sclateri

6. Anthochsera aubryanus

7. Zosterops flavifrons

„ xantliocliroa

8. Myiagra melanura

,, caledonica

9. Rhipidura spilodera

10. Lalage banksiana

11. Pachycephala chlorura

12. „ moriariensis
„ xanthetraea

13. Eopsaltria caledonica

„ cucullata .

14. Lorius hypoinochrous .

15. Trichoglossus massena

16. „ palmamm

17. Cuculus bronzinus

18. Carpophaga brenchleyi

19. Macropygia crassirostris

20. Megapodius brencbleyi

21. Eulabeornis lafresnayanus

PAGE

Braivn by J.

Smit.

face 354

do.

„ 356

do.

„ 358

do.

„ 360

do.

„ 362

do.

„ 364

dn.

do.

do.
do.

do.

do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.

366

368

370
372
374

376

380
382
384
386
388
390
392
394

REPTILES.

22. Eremias brenchleyi
Euprepes haplorhinus .
Eremias multiocellata .

23. Mocoa micropus

novarae

Dmivn by G. H. Ford. „ 396
■ I do. „ 402

XXVI

LIST OF ENGBAVINGS.

24 Gymnodactylusmulticarinatus | -Q^^^^,,^iy G.H.FonJ. To face 404

Hinulia tetragomirus . . '

2o. Nannoscincus fuscus . . \

Peripia cyclura • • i

do.

406

FISHES.

26and '27. Dicerobatis draco

28. Serranus cyliudricus .
Plecti-opoma auuulatum

29. „ ocellatum

30. Chilodipterus trancahis

31. Scolopsis xenocbrous .
Cubiceps pauciradiatus {not

figured)

32. Julis guentheri (fig. a.)
Percis alboguttata (fig. b.)

33. Ophicbthys filaria (fig. a.)
Salarias coronatus (fig. e.)

34. Cboerops brencbleyi .
Clupea piBguis (not fi,gtired)

35. OpbicMbys pinguis

,, Misolensis {not

figured)

do.

do.
do.

do.

do.
do.

do.

412
414

416

418

420

422
424
426

43U

SHELLS.

36. Fusus (colus) similis .

37. „ ( „ ) brencbleyi
Defrancia albo-strigata
Terebra (leiostoma) parva

38. Nassa bifaria .
Pbasianella wisemanni
Stylifer dubius
Jferitina subrugata
Nerita stricta .

„ Nova3-CaledoniiB
89. Hydrocena similis . ■ ~j

Realia (ompbalotropis) lajvis . 1-

(

) Vavauensi.s J

do.
do.

do.

432
434

436

440

LIST OF ENGBAVINGS.

xxvu

PLATE

30. Realia (ompLalotropis) bicari-
uata
Melampus (tifata) ovuloides
4( >. Melania brenchleyi

„ cylindroides .
Chiton (onitbochitou) amico

i"um .
Helix laqueata
„ Vavauensis
,, Samoensis

41. Helicina brenchleyi

„ fulgurata

„ multifasciata

„ julii

,, strigata

„ Novffl Caledonise (not

figured)
Tellina Nova; Caledonia^
„ bifaria .

42. Venus roseo-tincta
Area Novfe Caledonice

,, (byssoarca) dubia
Pecten similis
Perna (isognomon) Samoensis

Drawn hi/ G. E. Ford. To face 44u

do.

444

448

452

[

INSECTS.
Htmenoptera Acdleata.

43. Tbynnus brenchleyi

„ conspicuus

,, pulchraHs

„ unifasciatus
Pompilus pictipeunis
Priocnemis polydorus

44. Priocnemis affectatus

,, ephippiatus
Sphex aurifex .

„ decorata

„ prastexta
Stizus pectoralis

do.

4-56

460

LIST OF ENGBAVINGS.

DiPLOPTEEA.

45. Paragia vespiformis .
Disccelius insiguis
Eumenes sinensis
Rliynchium magnifieum
Megachile monstrosa .
Stenotritus smaragdinus

■ Brawn by G. H. Ford. To face 462

46. Enploea brenchleyi

47. „ lorenzo
„ imitata

48. Dauais insolata
Diadema bolina

49. CalUdryas lactea
Terias ingana .
Appias melania

50. Papilio (Ornithoptera) cassandra

Lepidopteba.

Brawn

A. G

. Bi

dler.

464

■

do.

4G6

■

do.

468

• J

assandrs

do.
do.

470
474

Frrafum.
Pago 261, line 17, for BtilUstes read Balistes.

THE

CRUISE OF THE 'CUEigOA',

CHAPTEK I.

NORFOLK ISLAND.

(June 9 to 13.)

Leave Sydney — Lord Howe Mand — Ball's Pj'ramid— Nepean Island and
Philip Inland — Sydney Bay and Cascade Bay- — L'ide from the Coast to the
Town^-The Rev. Mr. Nohbs and his Adventures — The old Penal Settle-
ment — Araucaria — Character of the new Colonist? — Their Hospitality —
Account of the murderous Attack upon the Crevr of Bishop Pattesou's Yacht
— History of ,an American and his Flag.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, June 4, 1865, when I
left Sydney and went on board the ' Cura^oa ' at 2.15 p.m.
I found there the Commodore together with the Spanish
Consul General, Don Edouardo San Just, and some other
visitors, who had come off to bid their friendly adieus. We
weighed a little before 3, and ju'oceeded inider steam
somewhat beyond the heads of Port Jackson, the band
playing appropriate airs as we went down the harbour.
When we had a good offing we raised the screw, and set
sail with a nice breeze, which freshened tlie farther we

2 CRUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA:

receded from land during tlie uiglit. Tluis satisfactorily
began our pleasant cruise.

In addition to the ship's company there were, besides
myself, whom the Commodore had kindly invited to be his
cuest, Mr. Veitch, the son of tlie well-known nui-seryman,
who had permission from the Admiralty to accompany us
for the purpose of collecting plants ; Mr. Wall, for many
years Curator of the Sydney Museum, who was going out
as taxidermist ; and Mr. Brazier as shell collector. Science
being thus represented, our creatine comforts had also been
attended to. A good cow and calf, seventeen sheep, and a
quantity of poultry were our guarantees for these. We had
also canine companions not a few, belonging to the officers,
including a kangaroo dog, and two pretty spaniels of the
Commodore's. Thus provided for in a variety of ways
we went on our course NE. by E. half E. The weather
was fine for the first two days, with bright starlight nights,
the moon getting on to the full. The wind having freshened
a good deal the ship rolled considerably, and it did not
much add to my comfort to have my berth drenched by the
water coming through the port when the sea dashed against
it. Soon after daylight on the 6th we sighted Lord Howe
Island and Ball's Pyramid ; the former of which can be
seen twenty miles off in clear weather, and the latter twelve.
Lord Howe Island is the southernmost of the outlying islands
and reefs of the east coast of Australia. It is said to be
of volcanic origin, is mountainous, well-wooded, and fertile
in the lower parts. Its highest point is Mount Gower,

NORFOLK ISLAND. 3.'

Avhicli has an elevation of 2,834 feet, and rises abruptly
from the south end. Ball's Pyramid, a remarkable peak, is
1,810 feet in height, towering abruptly from a rocky islet
lying twelve miles from Lord Howe Island. On the 7th we
aime across a dismasted barque, that had probably come to
grief in the squall of the preceding day. She appeared to
have as much sail as she could carry in lier crippled state.
It is said such mishaps ft'equently occur in these seas.

Proceeding slowly with very little wind, and aided by two
boilers, we on the 9th at daybreak sighted Norfolk Island,
and soon afterwards were able to discern the pine-trees that
llourish on Mount Pitt, its most elevated point, rising, it is
said, to the height of 1,000 feet, and also the well-known
windmill on its coast. We could at the same time observe
Nepean and Philip Islands near to Norfolk Island, but
much smaller than it.

Nepean Island, lying low and of a naked appearance, is
separated from Norfolk Island by a channel 000 yards in
width ; it is about 400 yards long from north to south, and
about as wide from east to west. There are only three
trees on this island, which are visible at a great distance.

Philip Island, distant somewhat more than three miles
from Norfolk Island, is much larger and more elevated,
being more than 2,000 yards long and 000 wide. Certain
parts of the cliff of this island have a very decided reddish
tint, others are of a bright yellow, others again of a violet
colour. To judge by the appearance of the S(,)il one would
be apt to suppose that it was of volcanic origin ; I was not,

B 2

4 CEDISE OF THE ^CUR.UJOA.'

however, able iu passing by it to discern anything whicli
resembled an extinct crater.

A httle before mid-day we dropped anclior in Sydney Bay,
at least two miles from the centre of the settlement, after
a capital rnn of 950 miles in less than five days. Tlie
northern coast is steep, nndulating, of a reddish tint, and
tolerably well wooded. On the shore, beyond the breakers,
we perceived a group of people, several of whom presently
maimed an eight-oared l^oat, whicli, forcing itself through
the breakers, made its way to the ' Cura^oa.' Its crew was
soon upon deck. One of them was George Adams the
son of a mutineer of the 'Bounty,' a man sixty-one years
of age, accompanied by his son about forty years old.
There were also Quintal, Christian, and others whose names
the history of the Pitcairn settlers has made familiar to
many of us from our childhood. Though reputed to be
total abstainers from spirituous liquors these people made
no difficulty in accepting a glass of brandy or wine, which
they drank while conversing in an English that was tole-
rably correct. They were badly dressed, and seemed to me
to be of a browner complexion than I liad expected, and
tlian, indeed, I had reason to expect, knowing they were
luilf-castes, or descendants of half-castes. They advised
the Commodore, as a matter of precaution, to seek an
anchorage in Cascade Bay on tlie north-east coast of the
island. We accordingly weighed anchor, and the ' Cura^oa'
made for the point indicated. In sailing past Philip Island
we were informed by them that it is thronged with rabbits,

NORFOLK ISLAND. 5

whose principnl and almost only food is the l)ark of trees.
At 2 P.M. we reached the anchorage in Cascade Bay, a
charming spot adorned with picturesque clusters of trees,
above which soar, giant-like, magnificent specimens of the
famous Norfolk Island pine. As soon as we anchored, the
Commodore invited me to accompany him ashore. George
Adams, who was with us, pointed out the best spot for
landing, about a mile from the ship. The sea was fortu-
nately cahn, and we were able without difliculty to clamber
up the rocks which edged the shore.

We now saw Mr. Eossiter coming to meet us with several
horses. This gentleman is both the schoolmaster of the
settlement and the agent of the Governor of New South
Wales for .superintending the affairs of Norfolk Island.
The horses thus obligingly placed at our disposal were the
pick of the island, but as very a company of nags as ever
looked forward with confidence to being speedily relieved
from their troubles by the knacker. Our gear was in
perfect harmony with our steeds. The saddles were all
rotten, the girths and stirrup-straps mended in various
places with string of all possible kinds ; no trifle this for
one whose avoirdupois endowments requue a stout hunter
or hack, with appointments to match. So equipped and so
horsed, it was not without ludicrous difficulty Ave worked
up a hill from which we had to descend into the town.
No wonder that the natives thus mounted frequently lose
their lives when indulging in horsemanship. The distance
we had to pass over was about three miles, upon a road

•G CBUISE OF THE 'CdEACOA.'

leading through a pretty country, where v/e saw herds of
cattle enjoying themselves ainid rich pastures. We passed
by Cascade Station, a village to the left, near the top of tlie
hill, in which we observed a number of people chiefly
engaged in tlie cultivation of the potato, wliicli is their
principal food. On our way we saw numbers of fine lemon-
trees loaded with fruit, Avliich are cultivated in preference
to orange-trees that are said to fruit less well and less
easily. As we proceeded we came upon the Eev. Mr.
Nobbs, the Church of England clergyman of the settlement,
in company of the Bishop of Melanesia (Patteson), who
had arrived the evening before by the mission schooner
' Southern Cross,' which was standing off and on the coast,
waiting for orders to make for the Loyalty Islands, which
the Bishop was about to visit on behalf of the Cliurch of
England mission. Mr. Ilood,^ in liis 'Cruise of the '•Fawn,'"
has a notice of the Eev. Mr. Nobbs, from which it appears
that he has had a most chequered career, and that there is
a strange contrast between his earlier and later occupations.
He began life as a midshi[)man in the Eoyal Navy, and
commanded one of the boats under Lord Dundonald in the
brilliant cutting-out affiiir in the Basque Eoads. Subse-
quently he went to Chili, where he was made prisoner and
sentenced to death ; escaping that, he was forced to labour
in irons on the roads ; and, after various other adventures,
made his way with a single comjianion in a little craft of

' 'Notes of a Cruise in H.M.S. " Fawu " in the Western Pacific in
1862,' by T. H. Hood, p. 230.

NOBFOLK ISLAND. 7

twenty tons to Pitcairu Island. After some residence there
he was driven away by an impostor, who pretended to be
an agent of the British Government ; but, the fraud being
discovered, he returned to tlie island. He subsequently
went to England and was ordained, after which he returned
to his old friends, and accompanied them when transferred
to Norfolk Island. He left upon me the impression of an
amiable man.

After crossing something like a public garden, no longer
used, we descended as far as the house of the former
governor of the island, consisting of a single story, a sort
of stone bungalow, furnished with a good verandah, and in
front of it a flag-staff from which floated the Union Jack.
It is here Mr. Eossiter resides as agent of the Queen's re-
presentative, now his Excellency Sir John Young. There
are other houses in the neighbourhood of similar con-
struction, but less roomy, which are occupied by persons
privileged to live in them rent free.

The old convict prison, capable of holding 1,700 prisoners,
is a large four-storied building, surrounded by high walls,
as is the case with the commissariat, and the two barracks
in its vicinity. The prisoners, who were all males, and
transported for life, slept in hammocks slung so as to occupy
the least possible space. At the sides of the great prison
were much smaller buildings containing cells for the con-
finement of such as were sentenced to death, and dungeons
in which no light apparently could enter. The buildings
for the warders, superintendents, and those which served as

8 CBUISE OF THE 'CUEACJOA.'

workshops for the convicts still exist. They are all of them
in such a state of preservation as to appear at a little distance
comparatively new, and one is surprised that they should
have been so long in use ; the windows, however, are for
tlie most part broken, the roofs are falling in, and some
]xirt of the wood-woik has been carried ofl' for fuel. The
chapel of the old penal settlement forms part of the great
prison.

€i:«i >-/: y-'-^

THK BAttRACKS, NORFOLK ISLAND.

The actual settlers occupy the houses which were built
by government for the use of the officials attached to the
penal settlement. The greater part of them are in need of
repair ; but, unluckily, the trowel and the hod are, as yet,
mysteries unrevealed to the islanders. Their incapacity in
this respect is thought to be accounted for by the indolence
so natural in a people, who, at the cost of the least possible
exertion, can obtain the satisfaction of the greater part
of their wants. A more satisfactory reason surely is that

NORFOLK ISLAND. 9

having, when tlieir change of quarters took place, found
houses ready to receive them, they were under no necessity
of learnino; the art of construction, either of a civilized or
uncivilized fashion. But as houses will decay, and habita-
tions when required, must be constructed, and cannot be
made to grow, it is a matter of surprise that no attempt is
making to teach them to preserve such as they fortunately
have, and with which they would be sorry to part.

After having been for half a century a land under a curse,
Norfolk Island has become a little terrestrial paradise. Of the
old penal settlement nothing remains but its material relics,
and, in tlie place of criminals who once thronged it, are now
to be seen only properly conducted and happy people, tlie
well-disposed descendants of the mutineers of the 'Bounty.'
The particulars of their history are too well known to be
repeated here. We may merely observe that, after living on
Pitcairn Island from 1790 to 1855, and, finding themselves
cramped for want of room on a rock the siu-face of which
did not exceed 800 acres, they petitioned Government
to transfer them to Noi'folk Island when they learnt it
was no longer to be used for penal purposes. Their
petition was successful, and in 1856 they were transferred to
their new dwelling-place to the number of 19-3 persons, of
whom 40 were men, 47 women, 54 boys, 52 girls, where
they have since lived happily, and full of thankfulness to
their mother country, with the exception of forty who re-
turned homesick to Pitcairn.

Their little town, Kingston, is agreeably situated facing

10 CJRUISE OF THE ' GUEAgOA.'

the sea, at about 500 yards from tlie shore. The principal
street, in wliicli tlie best houses, stone villas with gardens
surrounded by walls of the same materials, are found, is
composed of finely-broken stone, and, though ill kept up, is
still in tolerable condition. This stone, taken from a quarry,
is a sort of concrete sand. A pretty little brook, about five
feet wide, has been brought from the environs to irrigate
the town, and amply suffices for the wants of the inhabit-
ants. A small quantity of taro [Caladium esculentum), used
occasionally for making poi, is grown on its banks. The
hill from which the stream springs, and at the bottom of
which the town is built, is frojn 360 to 370 feet high.
Formerly there were several roads branching off from this
hill towards different parts of the coast, but which, from
want of being attended to, are already in a very bad state,
and rapidly disappearing. The officials who lived in the
island while a penal settlement passed, it is said, their
time pleasantly enough, and contrived to make it a tolerably
comfortable place of residence, having good horses and
carriages at their connnand for making pleasure trips ;
notliing of which is now to be found.

Sydney Bay, near whicli the town is built, is bounded on
the west by Point Ross, and on the east by Point Hunter
near the windmill. When the tide is out a coral reef is
seen stretching from the shore at varying distances of from
100 to 700 yards. Boats landing are obliged to cross the
reef. The sea all along the coast is of great deptli.

The undulating surface of the soil, the woods and verdure

NORFOLK ISLAND. 11

which clothe it, give Norfolk Island a most cliarmiug aspect.
What imparts to its scenery a special character is the
presence of the famous Norfolk Island pine (Eutassa, or
Araucaria excelsa), a magnilieent tree of colossal propor-
tions, small specimens of which in(jst people may have had
an opportunity of admiring in various public gardens of
Europe.

I had no opportunity of meeting with any very large ones
in the part of the island which I visited, but Adams told
me he had recently cut one down which was thirty-six feet
in circumference and more than 210 feet in height ; and he
further assured me he had seen some larger still. In ad-
dition to this tree, there are other very pretty arborescent
species on the heights where they constitute what are really
woods or forests. At the time of the arrival of the present
settlers numbers of wild hogs were to be found at large in
these woods, but they have been almost entirely destroyed
for the sake of their flesh. On all sides oxen and sheep
were to be seen in the pastures, and fowls and turkeys about
the dwellings. Venomous reptiles are unknown ; on the
other hand, numbers of centipedes are to be found beyond
the usual size.

The fortunate settlers on Norfolk Island are of a joyous
and engaging disposition. Their cheerful ringing laugh,
ever ready to burst forth, and in perfect harmony with the
lively expression of their faces, predisposed me immediately
in their favour. This gaiety, most conspicuous in the
women, is however common to both sexes ; in a word, they

12 CRUISE OF THE 'CURAQOA:

completely won me at first sight by their apparent amia-
bility : I say apparent, having bad experience of the man-
ners of the half-castes of Hawaii, who are perpetually smiling
and making the most gracious advances, but who, at bottom,
are nothing more than actors skilled in inspiring kind feel-
ings which they do not reciprocate. But I will say at once,
and sincerely too, that nothing authorizes me to throw
doubts up(jn the sincerity of these islanders.

On June 10, 11, and 12 we remained on shore, contrary
to our expectation and our intention, but by no means to
oiu' regret. Foul weather had compelled the 'Cura9oa' to
put out to sea the night of our landing, and she did not return
to her anchorage till the morning of the 12th, which gave
us an opportunity of testing the hospitality of the inhabit-
ants ; and, we one and all acknowledged, they neglected
nothing that could speed on the time agreeably, which the
capricious elements had ordained we should pass among
them. They placed themselves entirely at our disposal ; ,
housed us as best they could; made us a heart}- offer of
what they possessed ; and even went so far as to beg us to
take any peculiar specimens of their workmanship which
their houses contained. As they neither make nor import
spirituous liquors of any sort, it Avas impossible to attribute
their extremely kind treatment to any passing and factitious
excitement ; and the warmth of their manner proved very
clearly to us that their offei's proceeded from no formal
and routine politeness, such as is to be found among more
than one people of Euroi)e.

NORFOLK ISLAND. 13

DancinLi' uud siuging arc their principal means of recrea-
tiou. After having, for two honrs each evening, charmed
our ears with tlieir strains in a great hall, wherein the
whole island was collected, they began dancing, which, on
one occasion, was continued until almost daybreak. Our
young officers were so much pleased with these diversions
as to declare them the most charmin" and deliohtful of
any they had ever experienced ; some went so far as to
say they had never met so many pretty girls collected
together in one ball-room. The sober truth is, there
was not a single girl of any very striking beauty, but
the majority of them were attractive, and very pleasant
to look upon. Admirable figures, fine eyes, good teeth,
and remarkably clear, slightly olive-tinted complexions,
were no mean constituents of personal comeliness. But
not the least of their attractions was their sparkling
gaiety.

We passed a Sunday in the island, and were present at
morning service in the ci-devant convict chapel. Bishop
Patteson confirmed a number of young people, among whom
the girls appeared to great advantage in their white dresses,
and veils hanging from the back of the head to the feet.
The ceremony concluded, the Bishop delivered a touching
address, in which he introduced an account of the painful
affair that happened in the island of Santa Cruz at the time
of his last voyage, which may be told in a few words. The
Bishop, when touching at Norfolk Island, had taken on
board two of the most respectable youths of the place, one

14 CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAgOAr

;i son of the Eev. Mr. Nobbs, the other a member of the
Christian familj'. They had but just lauded at Santa Cruz,
when, from certain appearances, they began to suspect that
some foul play was intended. They therefore thought it
jirudeut to return to their boat, and were not a moment
too soon, for, when in the act of pushing off, they saw clearly
that it had been the intention of the natives to prevent their
doing so, and immediately after leaving the shore their boat
was enveloped in a shower of ariows, which wounded Nobbs
in the wrist and Christian in the jaw, while one of the
boatmen was struck on the breast by an arrow which passed
through him. The two first died of lock-jaw two days after
the attack, while the third, more seriously Avounded to all
appearance, survived and got well.

The Bishop's narrative caused a good deal of emotion
among his hearers, composed in great measure of the rela-
tives and friends of the two victims. I took an opportunity
of asking Bishop Patteson if he had any clue to the motives
of this brutal attack. He told me he was all the more
puzzled to account for it, inasmuch as he had been well
received by the savages on his first visit ; but that, after
much reflection on the subject, lie had come to the con-
clusion, that their altered conduct was an act of retaliation
for some outrage upon them by seafaring men. He added,
in a general way, that he had grounds for attributing the
hostility of the South Sea Islanders to the wliites, to acts of
violence and inju.stice to which they were exposed by their
contact with lawless traders ; and this \iew of tlie case I

NORFOLK ISLAND. IB

myself eventually adopted after having seen with my o\vn
eyes of what the people who navigate these seas are capable.
Hence it happens that tribes we treat as savages witli a
certain air of superiority might, were the barbarous acts
attributed to them carefully enquired into, find fiivour in
the eyes of civilized nations, which have not always reason
to be proud of the adventurers who represent them in
distant seas.

During our stay at Norfolk Island a deputation of the
inhabitants waited on the Commodore to complain of an
American who, residing there, obstinately persisted in
hoisting the American flag every Sunday on the top of his
house, which is government property. The settlers looked
upon this as an insolent pretension, offensive to their loyalty
and patriotism. Sir William Wiseman undertook to appease
their irritation, and succeeded in some way or other in doing
so. The name of this eccentric American was Bates. When
in command of a Yankee wliale ship he had touched at
the island short of provisions. While getting in his supplies
he fell in love with Mr. Eossiter's, the schoolmaster's, sister,
and married her. Having done this on condition of re-
maining on the island, he sent away his ship under the
care of his mate ; and having thus taken up his quarters he
amused himself every Sunday with this tolerably harmless
display of his nationality.

Before taking final leave of our amiable hosts we invited
them to pay a visit to the ' Curacoa.' Several of them
accepted the invitation and came and spent an hour or two

16 CRUISE OF THE 'CURA^UA.'

on board, ;uid we avrtiled ourselves of the opportunity of
pressing on tlieir acceptance a few trifles likely to be of use
to them, of whicli they manifested a tliankfulness far in
excess of the obligation. Determined not to be outdone in
liberality they sent us, just as we were about to set sail, a
gigantic tiukey and a prodigious assortment of fruits. We
shall see in our })rogress islands of more curious interest,
settlements of more importance, stranger usages, and less
familiar products ; but I question whether we shall carry
away from any other ])lace recollections so agreeable, and
such charming impressions of friendly feelings, sincerely
reciprocated, as from this first visit of our cruise.^

' Tlie same testimony to the beauty of the island, the remarkable
amiability of the inhabitants, and the even and happy tenor of their
lives, is borne by Mr. Hood, ' Cruise of the " Fawn," ' p. 242.

NTUE, OB SAVAGE ISLAND. 17

CHAPTER ir.

NIUE, OB SAVAGE ISLAND.

(Jo-E 29.)

Raoul Island — OIF Niue — Tiger Sharks — The Missionary— Excursion in the
Island — Familiarity of the Xatives — General Aspect of the Island — Its Pro-
ductioiks — Animals — Population — South American Slave Dealers — Police-
men — Costumes — Language — Manners and Customs — Past and present
Character of the Natives — Contiadictoiy Statements.

0.\ June 13, before nightfall, we weiglied anchor with the
intention of shaping our course towards Niue Island. For
several days albatrosses, Cape pigeons, and other birds,
followed in our wake. At first we had head winds and
rain, followed by calms, which obliged us to get up steam.
In the evening of the ]5th we were all thrown into con-
fusion by the captain of the main-top contriving to let
himself fall from the main -topsail-yard on the larboard gang-
way ; his fall having been fortunately checked by his coming
into contact with several parts of the rigging, he got off for
a sharp contusion on his spine, from which he recovered in a
few days.

On the 23rd, about seven o'clock in the morning, we
sighted Eaoul or Sunday Island, the most northern of the
Kermadec group. The land is high, its greatest point of
elevation reaching and perhaps exceeding 1,600 feet. Its

18 THE CRUISE OF TEE 'CUBAgO.L'

banks appeared to us to be steep. It is certainly of volcanic
origin, and is about five miles long by three wide. We
observed a fire upon the coast, and some animals, which, in
the distance, looked like sheep. The island is covered with
verdure, with the exception of its cliffs, in which I tliought
I perceived columnar basalt. It is said to have been in-
habited in 1840 by an American named Halstead and his
family, and it was on its shores that Captain Denham, of
H.M.S. 'Herald,' buried one of his sons in 1854. Whalers
stop here occasionally to procure water, vegetables, and
poultry. We could not discern the sliglitest trace of Twelve-
foot Eock, marked on tlie chart as being distinctly visible on
account of its breakers.

On the 29th, about 9 o'clock in the morning, we hove
to about two miles from Nine Island. An aged native,
of remarkably good appearance, wlio had been on board a
whaler, immediately came on board to inform us that the
missionary's wife ^\'as ill. Soon afterwards a number of canoes
rapidly approached tlie ' Curaooa ' laden with spears, shells,
fruit, models of canoes, and other objects intended for barter
with the sailors. AU these canoes were small sized ; I did
not see one which carried more than six persons, the greater
part not more than four. As our stay was to be very short,
I hastened to land. In the remarkably transparent waters
off the coast I saw several of those sharks which the sailors
call tiger sharks, but which, to all appearance, are not so
dangerous as they are supposed to be, since the islanders
swim among them without manifesting any apprehension.

NIUE, OB SAVAGE ISLAND. 19

The Commodore, who remained on board, amused liimself
Avith his rifle, firing at them; he killed several, to one of
which the natives made fast a rope and hauled it upon
deck.

The island appeared to me bright with verdure ; it hes
tolerably low, rising in no part more than 250 or 260 feet
above the level of the sea. There is a cliff from ten to
twenty feet high on the west coast. The coral reef where I
landed did not appear to extend far from the shore. The
boat not being able to land me high and dry, I was obliged
to wade a little way through the water and thus reach the
shore, where, to my surprise, I found a wooden landing-
place with steps, which, in such a spot, at first considerably
puzzled me imtil I connected it with the missionaries. A
number of natives, among whom I did not perceive a
single woman, were ranged on the shore, and many of them
came and shook hands with me. Among them was a young
Albino with reddish-yellow hair and with a fine clear skin.
Supposing, as a matter of course, that he was of white blood
I spoke to him in English, but was instantly convinced that
I had made a mistake, and that he did not understand a word
I had said. He was a pure-bred native, less dark than his
fellow -islanders, who themselves, indeed, had much lighter
skins than I expected ; I should describe them as of a bright
broAvn colour. They saluted me with the word '■Alo/a '
(love), to which I replied by '■Aloha,' which is a form used in
Hawaii on these occasions, meaning the same thing.

On leaving the landing-place I made for the village of

20 THE CRUISE OF THE ^CUtiA(JOA:

Alofi, Mid called at the house of the Rev. Mr. Lawes, a
member of the London Missionary Society, settled in the
island with his wife and two children since 1861. His
house is large, solidly and tastefully built, with a roof of
suo-ar-cane leaves, which, extending beyond the walls, forms
a sort of verandah. The interior is divided into three
compartments, the partitions of which do not reach to the

illSSIOX UOUSE, XIUE.

ceilin<]f. Mr. Lawes received me in the middle one, where I

found Dr. Picken and Mr. Halpin, of our ship, who had
luirried to visit his wife, Avho was suffering from a very
serious affection complicated with delirium and persistent
want of slee]3. The missionary is an agreeable looking man
of ratlier dark complexion and slight make. He was dressed
entirely in white, and after expressing his regrets at being

NIUE, OB SAVAGE ISLAND. 21

unable, ou account of his wife's position, to show his fellow-
countrymen the attentions he could have wished, he offered
me some cocoa-nut milk, which I drank with pleasure, enor-
mous oranges with very thick rinds, and baked bananas,
which I found not at all bad. I led him to chat with me
about his island, and it is to him I am indebted for part of
the information which I shall presently detail. Near the
Missionary's liouse is a tolerably large church, also thatched
Avith sugar-cane leaves, which seems to be the case with all
dwellings of the natives, that are extremely clean, some of
them having their walls whitewashed and openings screened
by what looked like rude imitations of Venetian blinds.

I set out to examine the island with a young lad, attached
to the mission, as my guide. Some ten of the natives fol-
lowed me, shouting in such a way as to deafen me. I gave
them all jew's-harps, which appeared to amuse them much,
and to put them in great good humour. One of tliem
seemed bent ou allowing himself the privilege of trying each
of them before choosing, but I took the liberty not to gratifj'
this fancy ; others wished to smoke my pipe, which I could
prevent only by telling tliem it was tabu. They gave me
the title of Kcqyena, that is to say, captain. I did hope they
would tire themselves out at last and have done with their
deafening cries, but all in vain : I do confess I found their
noise a thorough nuisance. On my way I met numbers of
natives carrying poles on their shoulders, as do the Hawai-
ians, to the two ends of which were tied pigs, yams, and
other eatables. For a space of four miles I proceeded on

*c.3

22 THE CBUISE OF THE ' GUSAQOA.'

a road finn aud strong in some places, and with a gentle
rise. As I went along I met with a plantation of young
cocoamit-trees, sugar-canes, yams, and other vegetables ;
and I had the opportunity of shooting some small birds.
The sun was very liot, and there was a total lack of shade,
the natural vegetation of the soil consisting for the most
part of low shruljs. Even the cocoanut-trees were small,
either from being yet very young or of a dwarf species.
At length I came upon a sort of wood, and left the road to
take shelter imder tlie trees, not one of -which was of any
considerable height, or as much as two feet in diameter ; in
fact, I did not meet with a single fine tree, but it struck me
that all of thern had smooth bark. I noticed some Aleu-
rites and Calophyllum. The ferns did not seem to abound
in varieties, though they were very uumerous ; they all had
large fronds, but I did not see a single specimen of an
arborescent species A Dractena attracted attention by its
flowers of fine red. I did not liear the song of a bhxl ; but,
on the other hand, I saw a great number of pretty little
lizards, some handsome butterflies, a large species of spider,
and a grasshopper. I picked up three species of small land-
shells. I found the walking in the wood fatiguing, the sur-
face being so uneven, and filled with holes not always very
easy to perceive. The soil, of a reddish tint, superficially
was veiy moist ; and yet I coidd not find a drop of di'inkable
water.

Towards 3 o'clock I turned back with the intention of
making a longer excursion next day. Several of the

NWE, OB SAVAGE ISLAND. 23

natives, who liad followed me, took a fancy to feel my legs,
arms, and hands, in order, I suppose, to get some notion of
my strength, which seemed to surprise them, and as they
expressed a wish to have me try the force of my hands upon
theirs, I satisfied them by a grip which made them shout
out, and appeared to astonish them. I may notice that the
children occasionally placed one of their hands upon their
mouth in passing before me. When I arrived at the top of •
the cliff I found a great number of women assembled, who
seemed to have come there together by appointment during
their husbands' absence. They laughed like mad, and my
appearance did not in the least disconcert them. Several
were very pretty and engaging ; one of them appeared
delighted at my taking notice of her baby. I took leave of
them, saluting them with the word Alofa, which they re-
echoed with one voice.

On returning to the ' Curagoa,' I picked up on the rocks
several curious Algas for my collection. I found the ship's
deck covered with natives, and I learnt that at least fifty
canoes had boarded her during my absence. The Commo-
dore had found these visitors so annoying, so importunate,
so wearisome, such obstinate beggars, that he was im-
patiently waiting my return to stand out to sea again ; and
thus it was that, contrary to my expectations, I was obhged
to limit my observation of the island to a few hours' survey.
Our boats were hoisted in, and the signal for sailing soon
given. It was then a very striking scene presented itself:
as soon as the ship began to move, the natives who had

24 THE CBUISE OF THE 'CUEAQOA:

manifested no disposition to retire before, leapt into the sea
and swam back to their canoes. Several liad expressed a
most eager desire to accompany us as far as Samoa, but the
Commodore did not think proper to gratify it.

Niue Island may be some nine miles in breadth. A road
thirty-three miles in extent passes round the island, at some
points diverging considerably from the coast. The forma-
tion of this road is due to the influence of the missionary,
the only white man living in the island, and it is owing to
him that it is kept in good repair by means of natives con-
demned to hard labour for crimes or offences. The island
is entirely a coral formation, and must have been gradually
upheaved, as would appear to be indicated by three distinct
layers evidently of successive superposition, which are
observable in one spot. It seems, moreover, from an inspec-
tion of the banks that tliis uprising or upheaving action has
not yet exhausted itself. To it may no doubt be attributed
a narrow deep fissure which extends nearly a mile into the
interior. Lime abounds in many places, as well as a great
quantity of sea sliells. The aspect of the island is of a
uniform character ; so that a walk of two miles, no matter
in what direction, supplies an accurate conception of the
whole. The water in tlie wells is brackish, which in general
obliges the natives to confine themselves to cocoanut milk.
In the interior are to be found pools of not more tlian two
feet in diameter, which contain fresh water, the level of
which seems afl'ected by the tides, a fact noticeable in
some parts of the island of Oahu. It was in these holes

NIUE, OB SAVAGE ISLAND. 25

or pools that the natives used formerly to collect the
stalagmites, which they made use of as projectiles in their
combats and which they adroitly threw without the aid
of a sling.

The layer of vegetable earth which lies on the coral is
almost everj'where from five to six feet in depth, and
appeared to me much more fertile than the missionary had
led me to suppose. It grows the cocoanut-tree, the guava,
the orange-tree, the banana, plantain, and the melon ; all,
except the first which is indigenous, are of recent introduc-
tion into the island. Among other vegetable products I
may notice the yam, arrowroot, sugar-cane, and taro ; I
also met with a white pea growing wild. There exists but
one indigenous mammifer in the island, a small rodent of a
size between a water-rat and a mouse. I must not, how-
ever, pass over a great bat which I saw flying at a remark-
able height. With the exception of fowls, which are reared
everywhere, there are but few birds ; among them are
pigeons or doves of a green colour, parrots, a pretty little
green bird Avith white feathers under the tail, a small
martin or swallow, the tropic bird or the boatswain, whose
tail feathers are used to make elegant fly-brushes, the
handles of which are neatly l)ound round with plaited
human hair. I had not time to make any observations
respecting the fish, but I noticed quantities of shai'ks con-
stantly accompanied by their little pilots, and beautiful small
fish about an inch long, of the deepest blue colour, but
which I could not succeed in catching among the rocks by

26 TEE CBUISE OF TEE 'CUBACJOA.' .

the shore. The cow, goat, pig, and dog have been intro-
duced ; at all events I am not aware that tlie latter animal
was known to the natives before tlie an-ival of the white
man. They breed a great quantity of pigs, which struck
me as being generally small and rather meagre. There is
but one horse in the island and that belongs to the mission-
ary ; not a venomous reptile is to be found, and even the
centipede is unknown.

The things most in request by the natives in their barter
witli tlie whites, are gaily-printed calicoes, hardware, and
silver coin. They give in exchange cocoanut fibre, pump-
kins, fowls, and otlier produce. Occasionally they offer
cotton, which they as yet cultivate on nuich too small a
scale. The average temperature during the rainy season is
about 80° Fahrenheit, and this would seem to be pretty
nearly the case throughout the year. The climate is
healthy, the diseases few, and with the exception of dysen-
tery, which made its appearance onoe during the last ten
years, no epidemic has been known, or, at all events, remem-
bered. The population increases in a ratio of 2-| per cent,
annually. In 1864 the mmiber of inhabitants amounted to
5,001, distributed in the six following villages: Avatele,
1,075; Alofi, 1,011; Hakupu, G31 ; Mutalau, 910; Liku,
334 ; Tavahiki, 1,040.

In the course of the years 18G2 and 1863, some Peruvian
slavers, which roved through these seas as unmistakable
pirates, inflicted great mischief on their way on the natives
of this island, killing .several of them, and carrying off

NIUE, OB SAVAGE ISLAND. 27

about 100 young men from a village, which has been
in consequence so depopulated, that scarcely any other
tlian widows and orphans are to be found in it. Since
these barbarous attacks, the islanders have been be-
seeching the missionary to acquaint the British Govern-
ment with their unanimous desire to be taken under its
protection.

The inhabitants of Nine are good-looking, well and
strongly built, of a good height, of a cheerful temperament,
and, as they now appear, of a gentle disposition. Their
skin is free from blemish, and I did not meet with a single
instance of a scurfy surface. The only case of elephantiasis
I remarked was that of our i)ilot, who had a slight affection
of this sort in his two legs. But I was assured by the
Albino, already mentioned, that there were eight other cases
in the island.

The natives of both sexes go generally bare-headed, with
the exception oi the missionary's policemen, who wear a
four-cornered hat, sometimes black with a white or red
cross, sometimes in silk with a front of red or white paper ;
which said police officials, I must own, looked to me like
' regular Guys.' I saw very few men wearing shirts and
pantaloons ; the majority had nothing else on than a skirt,
apparently made of bark, which is fastened round the loins,
and descends to the middle of the thighs.

The toilette of the women is exactly the same as that of
the men, save as respects the young girls, who in addition

28 THE CRUISE OF THE 'OUliAgOA.'

wear a kind of pinafore, which covers their breasts and
reaches to the skirt. Like the men, too, tliough exceptions
are to be found among these, they wear their liair short ; I
did not see a single instance to the contrary. Tliey are
well made, liave splendid teeth, and soft hands witli delicate
taper fingers. In the course of my ramble I met a young
woman fit to be, from head to foot, a model for a sculptor ;
never did I see anything like or even approaching it in
New Zealand.

These people, so well knil, vigoi'ous, and active, are
endowed with an intelligence which makes them easily
receptive of instruction. Not a single pagan exists any
longer in tlie island, and nearly everybody knows how to
read and write, thanks to the schools established in each
village.

The language has a great affinity to that of Hawaii, so
much !<o tluit the ten first numerals are almost identical in
the two languages, and that many substantives are precisely
similar : as, for instance, ihu, nose ; vavae, leg ; Ihiia, hand ;
mate, death, &c.

It appears that they were once ferocious in their wars,
though there is reason to believe they never were canni-
bals. Their principal ai-ms were spears, tomahawks, and
missiles made of the stalagmites, rounded by the action
of water, to whicli I have already referred. The form of
government was formerly aristocratic or feudal ; but in a
revolt at a comparatively recent period, the chiefs were all

NIITE, OB SAVAGE ISLAND. 29

slain, and now it has become in some sort patriarchal, the
head of each family managing his own private affairs as he
pleases, and coming to an understanding with others, under
the missionary's direction, in matters of common interest
and in the control and punishment of delinquents. The
morality of this little population is remarkable : the laws of
marriage are respected, adultery and illicit intercourse are
rare. Theft is frequent enough, especially as regards food
in general ; it is punished like other crimes by hard labour
on the roads.

As the change supposed to have taken place in the dis-
position and social condition of these islanders is cited as
one of the most marvellous instances of missionary success,
it is a matter of some interest to ascertain to what extent
this pretension is justified. Nine was first visited by Cook
in 1774, who, having attempted a landing, was furiously set
upon by the natives, and not being imder any necessity of
spilling blood, humanely took his leave, satisfied witli the
innocent revenge of calling it ' Savage Island.' From this
time the island was regarded as being the nest of an ex-
ceptionally truculent people. The first missionary notice is
thought not to dispel this idea. In 1830, Mr. Williams
landed two teachei's upon it ; they were presently set upon
by the savages, who tore their clothes to fragments, and
seemed as if they would serve them in a similar manner,
which, on the supposition of their assailants being the
rudest of uncivilized men, it is rather singular they did not.
But, at all events, they frightened the teachers away. The

80 THE CRUISE OF THE 'CUBAQOA.'

next visit, we are informed by Mi". Murray,^ was in 18-40, by
a party from Samoa in a small schooner, but with no perma-
nent result ; for what with ' great dangers ' from the savages,
which are not specified, and the roughness of the weather,
from both Avhich they were of course ' mercifully preserved,'
they returned to Samoa, taking with them an ' immense
quantity of weapons,' wliich they were glad to purchase in
order to ' disarm the noisy and ungovernable barbarians
who surrounded their little craft in numbers that made them
feel anything but secure.' It is manifest that the mercifidly
preserved party had been doing a httle welcome bartei' — they
pleasantly call it ' disarming' — with the savages who had been
so dangerous to them, and that those savages were much
better pleased to sell their weapons than to use them. • More-
over, three natives had spontaneously gone on board the
schooner and been quietly tiiken away without let or
hindrance from the wild multitude around it. This is
evidently inconsistent with any notion of supreme savagery,
and, so far then as the testimony has gone, it is clear that
the inhabitants have not yet deserved the hard names they
have been called.

Six years after this two missionaries visited the island,
and landed a teacher, a native of it, who had been many
years at Samoa. He was, of course, exposed to great perils ;
but it seems that, on the day foUowiug his arrival, after

' ' Missions in "Western Polynesia,' &c. by A. W. Mun-ay, twenty-
five years a ^lissionary in Western Polynesia, in connection with the
London Missionary Society, pp. 360-381.

NIUE, OB SAVAGE ISLAND. 31

giving up the contents of liis chest, he was safely housed
and left unmolested ; a result by no means discreditable to
the ' ungovernable barbarians.' In 1849 Mr. Murray him-
self/ to whom we are indebted for these details, visited the
island, and reported all things quiet, and, so far as missionary
prospects were concerned, in a hopeful state ; nevertheless,
writing in ] 862, and referring to this visit, he says of the
islanders that they were then (1849) ' the wildest heathens
he had ever seen.' Luckily we have some other evidence, not
missionary, which enables us to test the value of this judg-
ment. In the same year (1849) a most competent observer,
Captain Erskine, in H.M.S. ' Havannah,' lay off' the island for
a day, during which the ship was surrounded by and thronged
Avith natives, and this was the conclusion he came to : ' Alto-
gether tliey impressed me very favourably with their dis-
position, uor did they seem wanting in natural capacity.' ^
No trace here of the ' wild ungovernable barbarism ' from
whicla there had been lately so ' merciful a deliverance,' nor
of the exceptionally wild heathenism that had been so mani-
fest to the missionary.

Our next witnesses are again two niissionaries, Messrs.
Murray and Sunderland, in 1852. They inform us, that
Paulo, a native teacher, having converted two or three hun-
dred of the islanders, being over 4,000 in number, the con-

' ' Missions in Western Polynesia,' &c. p. 363.

2 'Journal of a Cruise among the Islands of the Western Pacific, &c.,
in H.M.S. " Havannah," ' by John Elphinstone Erskine, Captain, R.N.
He adds that, 'with few exceptions, the expression of their countenances
was intelligent and prepossessing.'

32 THE CRUISE OF THE 'CUBAfJOA.'

verts desired to build a chapel, whereat theheatheu majority,
very unreasonably, of course, took offence, and threatened
violent opposition ; but no such opposition was made, and not
a single outrage, or attempt at outrage, is recorded. But
Avhen we reflect how jealous much more civilized people are
of any invasion of their religion, it seems to me that this
tolerance is highly to the credit of the uncivilized.' And
so docile and willing Avere they to be taught, that we actually
find, by the same authority — in 1853 — that 'the desire for
teachers is now universal, and we liope very shortly to oc-
cupy the island fully.' We are not very much surprised,
therefore, at finding Messrs. Herbert and Drummond, in
1857, confinnmg Captain Erskine's favourable impression,
and declaring that the ' Savage Islanders are a remarkably
niikl and intelligent looking people,' though we cannot quite
ascribe these national characteristics to the efforts of our good
friend Paulo — tlie unassisted native teacher — who some
five years before had gathered round him only 300 con-
verts. National character does not change with such rail-
road speed ; nor will even the missionaries, Ave sui:)pose,
credit the teacher Paulo with powers of conversion exceeding
those of the Apostle Paul. Finally, in 1862, Mr. Murray, as
he himself informs us, visited Nine ; and this is what he
says: ' My last visit to the island was at the close of 1853.
At that time it was much in the same state as wlien it was

' The Chinese are not savages, but we see, by the recent massacre
at Tien-tsin, what passions are aroused by the intrusion of a foreign
religion.

NIUE, OR SAVAGE ISLAND. 93

discovered by Cook. Now how clianged ! liow mar-
vellously changed ! ' That it was ' at that time ' much in the
same state as when Cook saw it, it is easy for me to credit ;
but how Mr. Murray professing to believe in its extreme
savagery at that period could say so, after having told us
only a few pages before, when speaking of this year of
similitude 1853, that ' the desire for teachers is now uni-
versal, and we shall very shortly occupy the island,' would
be inexplicable, were we not aware of the irresistible pro-
pensity of the missionaries to proclaim marvels, and, by
means of vague generalities, to give a semblance of sup-
port to their highly-coloured statements. Captain Erskine,
though far from underrating the value or merit of their
sei'vices, has protested strongly against their exaggeration
of the difficulties with which they have to contend, and
of the habit of some of them — less usual, it is true,
with those of the London Society than some others —
to be perpetually giving accounts of ' miraculous deliver-
ances,' and, he might have added, of miraculous successes.
At all events, taking Niue as a test of their descriptive
accuracy, I think evidence enough lias been adduced to
show, that their sombre unsubstantial sketches of the
aborigines do not obtain confirmation when placed by the
side of clearly ascertained facts. Hence it is not surprising
that, when to minds influenced by these sketches the oppor-
tunity of direct observation arrives, there should be the
astonishment which was experienced by the officers of
H.M.S. 'Fawn' in 1862, when such an opportunity was

34 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.

offered. ' Instead,' says Mr. Hood in his interesting notes of
the cruise of that sliip, ' of the uncouth ferocious savages we
had expected, we found them pleasant good-looking fellows,
of a light olive complexion, with well-shaped features, clean,
quite sufficiently attired for the climate, merry and happy,
but quiet and well-behaved.' ^ But how then, it will be asked,
are we to account for the ferocity displayed by these people
for which Cook gave their island the bad name? The
missionaries can help us to the explanation, thougli they
make no ethnological use of it. ' The natives,' says Mr.
Murray,^ ' had a great dread of disease, and they had an
idea that if foreigners were admitted among them they would
introduce disease, and when any of themselves left the island
and returned, they were regarded in much the same light as
foreigners, and the consequence was, were nearly in as much
danger.' Now this pecuhar prejudice is merely mentioned
to enhance the difficulties the missionaries have had to con-
tend with ; but it is of much more use, as showing why,
when this notion was in fidl vigour, there must have been
intense excitement whenever any foreigners attempted to
land, and that their ferocity towards strangers no more
implies a social ferocity of disposition and manners than did
the cruel persecution of witches imply a general barbarism
among om- ancestors in the days of the dread of witch-
craft. Since Cook's time the prejudice has evidently abated;
and a^^, since then, there has been a sort of invasion by tlie

' Hood, p. 24. 2 Murray, p. 360.

mUE, OR SAVAGE ISLAND. 35

Tongans, some of whom remained and settled in tlie country,
it is possible that this has been one of the causes of its
abatement. At all events, enough has been said to remove
their progress in civilization out of the category of the
marvellous, and to make us regret that we have not been
made acquainted with the real original character and
condition of this manifestly prepossessing people,' at the
time they were first made known to us.

' That this epithet is warranted will be seen from the following
passage, in which Mr. Hood is alluding to the departure of the ' Fawn.'
' At sunset we reluctantly bade them farewell ; and, after another
general hand-shaking with old and young, who pressed round the
boat, some swimming alongside to bid us good-bye, we left the shore
of these highly interesting and pleasant people, and their adventurous
instructors, in whose future fate we shall all feel an interest, although
I entertain no fear for their safety.' — Hood, p. 26.

36 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA.'

CHAPTER in.
TUTUILA—SAMOAN GROUP.

(July 1 to 4.)

Pango-Pango Harbour — Appearance of the Natives — Statements by the Mis-
sionaries — A Pilot who takes his Ease — Dwellings — Visit to the Missionary
—Trip into the Interior — Village of Fungatele — American Artisans — Native
Women — The Chief dines on Board — Native Dance — Christian Church —
Cascade — Population— Climate — Manners — Progress due to Christianity —
Indigenous Products.

On the evening of the same day tliat we arrived at Nine,
we set sail for Tutuila Island, one of the Samoau or
Navigator gronp. Favoured by a pleasant trade-wind, the
' Cura^oa,' under sail, went ahead at about the rate of nine
knots an hour. On June 30 we met with several squalls
which darkened the sky, but which had not much effect on
our way.

In our coiu'se we passed Manua, where we hove to for about
an hour. One of our officers, Mr. Foljambe, who landed at
the little village of Feleasau and walked along the coast to the
missionary's house at Tau, described the path as being kept
in good repair by prisoners who have been guilty of public
offences. Erskine^ speaks of Feleasau as 'a beautifully

' Erskine, p. 36.

TUTUILA. 37

kept village,' where he and his party, on landing, were
taken to a large house, the Falatele, or public house of
reception, in which strangers are entertained at the public
expense. He adds that he had never seen a people more
prepossessing in appearance and manner. Hood^ also bears
witness to the hospitaUty shown to Captain Cator and
several of his officers, who passed a niglit in the village.
The scenery is described as beautiful, but the heat (July)
very oppressive.

On July 1, at daybreak, we came in sight of Tutuila, at
about a distance of six miles. This island is mountainous,
intersected by deep ravines, and well wooded. Some steep
faces of the coast were covered with verdure only ; on other
spots, where the land was lower, the soil was dotted over
with clusters of cocoanut trees, which were much larger and
prettier than at Nine. We passed close to the islet of
Anuu, also referred to by some navigators under tlie name
of Cocoanut Island. The Commodore, judging from his
charts that he ran some risk in searching for a safe anchor-
age, lay to for a pilot, who soon made his appearance in a
whale-boat. This pilot was a native of Honolulu, who
spoke a little English and who lived upon Anuu islet. He
told us he had not seen a ship for two months. He directed
us to cast anchor in Pango-Pango Bay, the best port of the
Archipelago, which we did about nine in the morning in
twenty-two fathoms, after having entered the harbour
through a very narrow passage. The scenery was raagni-

' Hood, p. 30.

38 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

ficeiit. Some features are well described iii the following
passage, -vvliich I extract from my lamented friend and
companion Lieutenant Meade's joiu-ual. ' Nothing,' he says,
' could be more superb. At sea the contrast between the
brilliant cobalt blue within the reefs which skirt the shores,
and the dark olive-green of the deeper waters, separated by
lines of foaming breakers on the coral walls ; on laud the
black lava I'ocks along the shore, with intervals of white
sand dazzling in the sunlight and fringed with cocoauuts,
palms, and bananas, bending to the sea breeze, and inter-
spersed with the thick-thatched domes of the native houses ;
the whole surmounted by the towering crater sides smothered
with the densest foliage to the very crest, save in one
direction, wliere a single lofty cliff rears its grey walls
against the sky, as grimly and as bare as when, thousands
of years ago, the volcano was in the plenitude of its power.'
To complete this picture I am tempted to add the
following description of this remarkable locality from Mr.
Hood.^ ' To those who have never beheld tropical scenery,
it is difficult to give any description which will enable them
to realise the singular beauty of these islands. Here high
rugged mountains, clothed with dense green forests, sink
sheer down to the ^vater, a grey precipice now and then
relieving the eye. Against the blue sky the outline is
broken by a graceful palm or some high pinnacle, or by the
waving bamboo or banana. Silvery sands stretch along in
front of the narrow plain, shaded by thick groves of cocoa-

' ' Cruise of the Fawn,' p. 40.

TUTUILA. 39

nut trees, whose leaves wave and dance, reflecting the rays
of the bright sun, underneath which are tlie scattered
villages of the natives. Upon the narrow fringing coral
reef the dark green waves break dazzlingly, while at the
head of the bay the white cottage and mission church give
an air of quiet civilization to the scene, enlivened by num-
bers of canoes, with their picturesque occupants, moving
about in all directions.'

A great number of women were busy on the shore
catching shell-fish. By means of my glass I perceived,
though not able to distinguish accurately her features, a
young gii'l who was entirely naked ; as soon as she thought
she was observed, she burst into a laugh and covered her-
self with a banana leaf. Dwellings were to be seen on the
points of the bay wherever there was sufficient space for
building, and all of them were shaded with cocoanut trees,
the fruit of which supplied the drink of the inhabitants.
Presently a multitude of outrigger canoes swarmed off" to
the ' Cura9oa,' so small for the most part as to contain not
more than one or two persons ; nevertheless, that there
were very large ones in use by the natives we had our-
selves an opportunity of observing. They contained both
men and women, as well as unripe bananas for sale.
Neither sex appeared to be so well-looking, or so clean, as
the natives of Nine Island. Their skin was covered with
spots and scars, arising either from the itch, or some other
disease. I observed everywhere on their backs, shoulders,
legs, large blackish pimples, such as frequently present

40 THE CRUISE 0^ THE ' CURAQOA:

themselves in the Hawaiian Ishinds. Their noses are veiy
flat as compared with those of the Nine Islanders, and the
nostrils much dilated. The men are tall and stout, but
their muscles appear flabby ; many are tatooed from their
middle down to their legs, and the designs are so fxill and
well executed as to give the impression of their wearing
pantaloons. They smear their hair with lime, which gives
it a reddish tint. The women have no otiier covering than
an apron made of bark attached to their loins ; they make a
practice of whitening their hair with a paste, which looked
to me like arrowroot. These islanders are not quite so
noisy as those of Xiue, but they are not a particle less in-
considerate or inquisitive. A woman seemed to be mightily
amused by thrusting her head through a port-hole in order
to have a good view of one of our officers who was in the
act of dressing; and it was hardly to prevent his being
imaware of what she was doing, that she cried out audibly
to him, ' Say ! say ! '

Soon after we had anchored, one of the two missionaries
of the island, Mr. Powell, paid us a visit in a ten-oared
boat. He was accompanied by Maunga, the chief of Pango-
Pango, a man of mature age, of a calm and dignified deport-
ment, who had for the occasion donned a black coat over
the shirt and waistcoat which constituted his usual attu'e.^

' Maunga is described by Erskine as being ' in 1849 a fine look-
ing young man, in a sailor's loose jacket and an ample flowing robe
of coloured siapo,' who had recently arrived from Manua to assume
the chieftainship of this island. — ' Islands of the Western Pacific,'
p. 42.

TUTUILA. 41-

The missionary told us that, only five weeks before, there had
been a tolerably bloody fray in the island on account of .a
woman about whom two chiefs had quarrelled. In refer-
ence to this matter he observed, that since the introduction
of fire-arms among the natives their contests had been
much less murderous than before. He informed us also
that they were exceedingly anxious to place themselves
under British protection, that neither France nor any other
nation might take possession of the isle ; and he preferred
a request to the Commodore, in their name, to authorize
them to hoist the English flag, to which Sir William replied,
the thing was not possible. It appears from what he told
us, that, two years before, the Governor of New Caledonia
had compelled the Protestant missionaries to abandon the
Loyalty Islands, where they had settled ; and that, in con-
sequence, a deputation had been sent from London to the
Emperor of the French, who immediately gave orders that
the Protestant missions were not to be interfered with. He
added that, in consequence, Bisliop Patteson was then on
his way to ascertain if the imperial instructions had been
carried out.

While the missionary was talking to us about all these
matters, the pilot had remained on board, and got so very
drunk that he could not stand, which did not prevent his
proposing to the officers a fishing-party. The Commodore,
displeased, but not wishing to be uncivil, asked him re-
peatedly why he did not leave the ship ; but all in vain ; he
either did not comprehend or would not go, and caused all

42 TEE CRUISE OF THE 'CUBAgOA.'

manner of annoyance to the sailors busy in swabbing the
decks.

About half -past threeSir William placed at my dis-
posal his gig, as I wished to make an excursion on land.
I had considerable difficulty in passing the coral reef by a
very narrow and shallow channel, in which I observed
some admirable specimens of madrepores. I landed at a
village agreeably situated in the midst of cocoanut trees,
the inhabitants of which came out to meet me, and appeared
very friendly and good-natiu-ed. I spoke to them iu
Hawaiian, which they seemed to understand without much
difficulty. The Samoan houses are so prettily and inge-
niously constructed that I will insert here a minute account,
given by Mr. Hood,^ of one of them, in which he passed a
day and a night. ' Upon a raised platform of rough stones,
covered with gravel, varying in diameter according to the
size of the building, beyond which it extends ft-om ten to
twenty feet, stands Avhat at a distance looks hke a huge
mushroom, the usual size being about a hundred feet in
circumference. It is, iu fact, a great dome-shaped roof,
raised from the ground upon posts about four feet high, and
the same distance apart, between which a sort of blind
made of plaited cocoanut leaves is let fall at night or in
stormy weather. This roof is so constructed that it can be
removed in three or four parts, and is sometimes taken by
sea on a raft of canoes. It is supported in the centre by
three posts, about twenty-five feet high. Rounded beams,
' Hood, 'Cruise of the Fawn,' p. 32.

TUTUILA. 45}

cut from the heart of the bread-fruit tree, which treated thus
is very durable, are placed at equal distances horizontally,
and tied firmly and very neatly with sinnet to the cross pieces.
To these are lashed closely a great number of small battens,
also of the hard part of the bread-fruit tree, in rows of six,
generally of darker and lighter shades alternately. To this
the thatch is made fast in a very ingenious manner, being
composed of the long leaves of the sugar-cane pinned like a
fringe to reeds with the rib of the cocoanut leaf. This part
of the work is done by women ; and one, if she works hard,
can prepare about fifty of these reeds in a day. Each is
about five feet long, and, in the way they are laid on, about
four thousand are required for the roof of a good-sized
house. The effect inside of these numerous reeds of the
same size, carefully lashed with cocoanut cord, is very
pleasing. Tlie floor, of fine gravel, is covered with mats,
clean ones always being laid for strangers. The house
contains but one apartment ; but bedrooms are formed at
night by the mosquito tents, which are about eight feet
long and five wide, made of dark siapo, and are let down at
equal distances around the central posts. On either side of
it is a fire-place, a circular hollow ten or twelve feet in
diameter lined with clay. In several of the houses were
women seated upon mats, who showed such of the sailors
as were curious to have a peep a whitish preparation of
food baked in leaves.'

I advanced as far as a rivulet bordered by a picturesque
rock with a very high peak, from which there was a

44 THE CRUISE OF TEE 'CUBAQOA.'

splendid view. I endeavoured to procure some cocoanuts
of an old native ; but the miserly fellow having asked me an
absurd price for half-a-dozen nuts, which he had knocked
down and unhusked, I refused to buy them, whereupon he
at once offered them to me for a small piece of tobacco. I
met here several men who wore their hair in a strange
fashion : short and black on the top of the head, but long
and reddish below and all round. I returned to the shore
without difficulty, and had myself carried to the canoe,
which I preferred to wading and getting my boots wet. The
water was extremely shallow, and the boat grazed the
bottom several times on its way to the ship. At ten in the
evening the thermometer stood at 85° on deck and 105° in
the gun-room. The trawl which I had thrown overboard
before going to land brought me twenty species of shells,
generally small, and of little interest.

The next day, being Sunday, about half-past three I
landed with the Commodore, under a brilliant sky, to pay a
visit to the missionary, whose house is built on the top of
the hill at some distance from the sea. We found only his
wife, who at once presented us with a cup of milk. Mrs.
Powell, the mother of six children, is suffering from ele-
phantiasis, of which she hopes the climate of England will
cure her in a year, whither she is on the point of going
with all her family after an expatriation of twenty years.
She said the people had a great aptness for learning, and
with the exception of some old men and children, eveiy-

TUTUILA. 45

body knew how to read, write, and cypher,' and that there
was in each village a schoolmaster, fed, clothed, and paid by
the natives. Slie showed us several books printed in the
native language ; among otliers a Bible, a work on geo-
graphy, and a dictionary. With respect to this language I
may say, it seemed to me that the Samoans use an ' F '
wherever the Hawaiians use an ' H ' or ' W ; ' for instance,
they say fajine (woman) for wahine,fai (water) for wai, &c.
About five o'clock, after his Sunday duties, the missionary
returned. He called our attention to the very fine view
from his house, and showed us over the various parts of his
residence, the roof of which he had constructed himself,
well executed, but, of course, not so skilfully done as that
which the Alofi natives had made for Mr. Lawes. The
form of government in the island, he told us, was patri-
archal ; also that there is a chief in every village, that all
the chiefs are equal one with another, and that they confine
themselves entirely to the affairs of their own districts.
He spoke highly of the inhabitants, who almost all of them
buy Bibles bound in calf at nine shillings each, and who
contribute a very considerable sum (1,200^. in 1864) to the
support of foreign missions. While we were conversing,
tea and bread and butter were brought in. Among
other things, we were told that an American blacksmith,
who had been settled thirteen years in the island, made
harpoons and fish-hooks for the whole archipelago, which
he disposed of in exchange for cocoanut oil. Tutuila pro-
' This, as we shall find (at p. .59), is an over-estimate.

46 THE CBUISE OF TEE 'CUBAQOA:

duces annually 130 tuns of oil at 22/. or 23/. a tun, payable
in silver coin or merchandise. Soap and white calico are
the articles most in request by the females, who are so
cleanly that they are always busy washing.

Mr. Powell conductetl us to the shore. On our way I
picked up several land shells, one of which was veiy pretty.
My attention was called to the Tutui or candle-nut [Aleurites
triloba), which grows naturally in the island, and the
cotton plant under cultivation, which seemed to me to be
well grown. There is said to be a great variety of
wood exceedingly well adapted for wheelwright work and
carpentry, which was formerly used by the natives for
making their weapons, that are now laid aside for ours.
On the sides of our road grew an Asclepia, with flowers
of a reddish orange tint, with fruit full of a white and
shining silk-like substance, of the same species, it seemed to
me, as that which is so common in India, China, and
Hawaii. Musquitoes, which are abundant here, very much
annoyed us in our walk. I saw two white birds flying very
high over a valley, which I took for hawks, but which the
missionary asserted were terns.

The next day, in tlie morning early, I again went on
shore, accompanied on this occasion by Messrs. Foljambe
and Veitch, with tlie intention of crossing the island to visit
Massacre Bay. We stopped a moment at the missionary's,
who was good enough to provide us with two stout natives
and a young boy as guides. After passing through some
brushwood, we crossed a brook in which women were busy

TUTUILA. 17

washing their liaen, which they rubbed and beat upon stones,
as I had seen done by the Chinese and Hawaiians. This
practice, still so common among the French, once existed in
England, as we learu from a letter of Dr. John London, one
of the visitors of rehgious houses in the reign of Henry VIII.,
to Lord Cromwell, making it a ground for granting a new
town hall ' to the honest men of Readinge.' For, he says,
' their Town Hall is a very small howse, and stondeth
upon the Eyuer wher ys the common wassching place of
the most part of the town, and in the cession dayes and
other court dayes tlier ys such betying with batildores as
oon man can nott here another nor the guest here the
charge given.' ' I saw cocoanut trees, breadfruit trees, the fruit
of which had not yet attained half its full size, plantations
of plantains and bananas, patches of taro set in a dry soil,
contrary to the Hawaiian practice in localities like this, on
the seaboard, which exclusively confines its cultivation to arti-
ficial marshes. These mai'shes are formed in this way. A
piece of land, varying in size, is surrounded by an earth bank ;
the ground being then turned up and irrigated by some neigh-
bouring stream, is worked up by the hand and trodden until it
becomes of so miry a nature that you may sink two or more
feet in it. The soil being thus prepared, the tops of the taro
plants are set in rows, about a foot or so apart, where
they are allowed to remain until their tuberculous roots are
fully formed, when they are ready for use. In Hawaii,
some taro is also cultivated in a dry soil ; but this is in the
' Ellis, Original Letters, first series.

'48 THE CRUISE OF TEE ' CUEAQOA.'

uplands, where there is more raiu and a lower temperature ;
it grows less quickly, but is considered to be of a finer
quahty. I also observed pine-apples, but the cultivation of
them in general appeared to me slovenly. We now got
into a path with a slight ascent, which shortly brought us
into the midst of extensive woods. Here we were surprised
by a rattling shower, which obliged us to take shelter under
a bushy tree nearly three feet in diameter, with dark green
foliage ; my guides brought me a large banana leaf, which
made me a capital vnnbrella. When the rain was over we
quitted our shelter, the atmosphere still continuing moist
and thick. I saw a tolerable number of trees of different
species, and a very great variety of ferns, among which
were several tree-ferns, which sometimes, I was told, attained
the height of forty feet, but I had not the chance of seeing
any of such a growtli. It was a fine forest ; it had not,
however, so tropical a character as I had expected. I saw
arrow-root, tutui [Aleurites triloba), and ginger, which
looked very pretty, with its cluster of white flowers tinged
with pink, resembling somewhat in shape a bunch of white
grapes. The farther we advanced the steeper the path
became, as well as stony and difficult. The boulders, formed
of a sort of broken lava, were so slippery that I was obliged
to make use of my hands to prevent my slijjping back some
feet each time I planted my foot. The ground was strewed
with dead land-shells, while live ones were to be seen upon
the ferns and other plants. In two or three little brooks I
crossed I saw several varieties of live shells, some of them
of a remarkably handsome form.

TUTUILA. 49

The rain soon began to fall again, bnt we made the best
of it, and set to work shooting some small birds, several of
which were lost in the brnshwood. Among those which
we found were a sort of kingfisher, a small species, very
much resembling the laughing jackass of Australia. I also
killed a bird of fair size, like in its plumage and shape to a
hen blackbird, but larger, and also a bird of a pretty brown
colour, with bright yellow about it, and yellow flaps below
the eyes. In the interior of a small white egg I found a
little black lizard, about an inch and a half long, so
extremely nimble that I had considerable difficulty in
getting hold of it, though just released from its shell. As
at Niue, the greater part of the trees I saw in my way
had a smooth fine bark; which, according to my impression,
appears to be a usual type in tropical countries, where I do
not recollect to have often met with roughish bai'k like that
of the elm and oak.

Having reached the highest point of the island, I could
see the sea and Bay of Funga-sa, or sacred bay (Pango-
Pango Bay is called Funga-loa, whicli means deep bay).
Some fields of taro are to be found on these heights ; but I
did not stay long on the spot, wishing to go on exploring.
At first I found the descent as steep and abrupt on this side
as the ascent had been on the other ; afterwards it became
more gradual and less rough, and our way still lay through
the wood, which extends equally far down on this .dde as on
the other. Having reached the extreme limit of the road,
I found myself within a few steps of the village of Funga-

THE CRUISE OF THE 'OUBAQOA.'

tele, where I arrived all dripping with rain. I entered the
nearest house, and found there Mr. Carr, our i^hotographer,
busy dressing the wounds in one hand and leg which lie
had got in scaling the heights.

The house belonged to an American of the name of
]5raidwood, who had been settled in the island for two or
tlu'ce years, where he gained his livelihood by working for
the missionarv and natives. While a torrent of rain

l'U\GA.SA, on MASSACRE BAY.

detained us under Iiis roof, he had some ava prepared l)y
the villagers, who masticate it after the f;rshion of the
Hawaiians, of whi(h I drank about half a ]^int in a cocoa-
nut bowl. Tliis liquor appeared to me very weak, and I do
not recollect ever to have drank any that was more so in
the Sandwich Islands. Our host .said the natives never
make it strono-er in tlie Sa,moan otou]) than this he gave
us ; it (lid not at all meet the fancv of our sailors, llecol-

TUTUILA. 51

lectiag that this drink is severely proliibited through the
Hawaiian archipelago by the missionaries, I was rather
surprised to learn there is no prohibition of tlie kind what-
ever either here or at Niue. The American carpenter was
very emphatic in his praise of the hardness of most of the
woods of Tutuila, which are very handsome. He gives the
name of iron-wood to the Toa (Acacia heterophylla),
employed not long since by the natives for making their
spears, clubs, and tomahawks. We found at Braidwood's
another American, him whom I have mentioned above as a
blacksmith, and whom no one knows by any other name
than that of Sam. Both these men have been sailors in the
merchant service, and both are bachelors. Braidwood
suffers from asthma, and has a sickly look. He asserts that
the climate is very unwholesome for the whites, and says
that this season, which to me appears extremely damp, is
called the dry season, or winter. He requested me to shoot
a pig, which he desired to give the sailors who had come
to visit him. The pig was immediately committed to the
native oven, and I have reason to believe that our men
found it very much to their liking. The village of Funga-
tele, situate about 400 yards from the sea, upon a soil
which is covered with broken stones, contains at the
utmost a dozen dwellings of tolerable size, each occupied by
a single family ; they are of the same form as those
previously mentioned, and are all paved within with small
stones covered with mats made of pandanus leaves. Our
appearance at Braidwood's attracted a good many of the

E 2

52 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

neighbours. The women whom I saw had notliing on but
a strip of cotton or tapa depending from their waists to the
middle of their thighs. Several of them had flowers in
their hair ; a head-dress which showed them off to advan-
tage ; tho.se wlio were mothers had breasts loose and
falling, those who were not had tliem firm and very pointed.
The men for the most part were tattoed from the breast to
the knees with clever designs of a bluish tint, which gave
them the appearance of being clothed. They offered me
for sale spears, tomahawks, and shells ; I offered a dollar for
a club which a woman handed to me, but after having
taken my money she returned it to me, saying it was worth
double. I left the carpenter's house about 2 o'clock, on ray
way back to the ship, while Mi". Carr was still trying to
obtain some photographic .sketches. I stopped a moment
on the summit of the pass to light my pipe, and was again
overtaken by a heavy shower. Having reached the coast
about 3 o'clock, I fired two shots to announce my return,
and as a signal for a boat. But the shots not having been
heard, I was obliged to have recourse to the natives for one,
which I did not get imtil after half an hour's haggling, and
showing them the money which I intended for their wage.
I assisted the paddlers the ^vhole way, and at length reached
the ' Cura9oa,' thoroughly drenched, where I found the
Commodore at dinner, having the Missionary and the Chief
Maunga for his guests.

This chief, whom some sailors have honoured witli the
title of king, was suffering from elephantiasis, a common

TUTUILA.

.53

malady of the country, but wliich did not at all prevent
him, — any more than liis wife,— finding the champagne
very much to his taste. Maunga was seated at dinner opposite
his wife, a good and simple person, with a very pleasing ex-
2)ression of face (not shown in tlie wood-cut), who was con-

wire OF MAUXOA.

stantly suckling her baby at table. These august guests,
as also the Missionary's children, greatly amused us by the
surprise they testified at the sight of a piece of ice ; a thing
utterly unknown in the country. An ice-cream was then
served, and poor Maunga at once sputtered out the first

54 THE CBUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

mouthful under the impression it had burnt his tongue fear-
fully. But a plate of potted salmon, to which he was
helped, he found so dehcious that he could not sufficiently
express the delight it gave him. In a word the chief
appeared to be delighted with his dinner, and especially
with the nuisic, which they took good care not to omit for
liis amusement. He said little, which I attributed to his
suffering state ; but he listened attentively, and it seemed to
me he understood a little English and Hawaiian.

After dinner, the chief gave us on board the exhibition
of a native dance. It was opened by some half-dozen fine
and well-knit fellows, Avhose oiled skins, and aprons of red
Dracaena, glittered in the light of om- lanterns as, to the
souad of a small drum, they executed a series of irregular
movements in perfect unison with each other, and keeping
time with a chant and clapping of hands by the group of
native spectators of whom there may have been between
eighty and a hundred. Of some the heads were bound
round with large beads of the pearl nautilus, while those of
others were radiant with wreaths composed of the flowers of
the scarlet Hibiscus. The women next took their turn,
similarly ornamented, and performed their part in first-rate
style. The effect was charming. ' It may seem incredible,'
says one who had witnessed these Samoan dances, ' to our
fair sisters in England, that a young lady arrayed in no
other garment but a mat tied round her waist should look
handsomely dressed; but could they see the Samoan
belles enter the circle in their fuU evening costume, with

TUTUILA. 55

tlieir coronets of nautilus shells and scarlet Hibiscus, and their
necklaces of red and yellow flowers, I believe they would
admit that their appearance is highly imposing.' ^

The marked peculiarity was the enormous head of hair
worn by each dancer. The hair is suffered to grow long
and bushy, from the top round on either sides, and the long
black hair being tied round with a string close to this mop
is suffered to fall down behind, producing a singular effect.
Had these dances been performed on shore, there would
have been, we were assured by the Missionary who re-
mained below while it was going on, some very indecent
additions to it ; on which account he had felt it his duty to
discountenance and suppress this and other native dances.
It is probable, however, that dancing of any kind, no matter
how inoffensive, would have been regarded as profane
according to the usual missionary estimate. Towards the
close of the dance I went and sat near the chief, who had
been sitting talking to Mr. Powell in a line with the door,
so that he could see and hear what was going on. Being
next the chief, he kept nudging me, putting his fingers to
his mouth, and then looking sometimes at me and sometimes
at Mr. Powell, conveying to me the impression that lie
would like to have a smoke if the Missionary were not
present. Suggesting this to Sir William, the latter asked
the chief if he did smoke, to which he signified that he did,
whereupon Sir William let him know that at all events he
had his permission to smoke.

' ' Cruise of the " Fawn," ' p. 50.

56 TEE CRUISE OF TEE ' CUBAQOA.'

After the Coiiunodore had dismissed the performers and
his guests, Yankee Sam paid a visit on board. He had a con-
versation with the Commodore, in which he exaggerated, and
seemed to romance, to such an extent, that it was impossible
to know whether one ought to beheve a single word he said.
The next day I went ashore with some of the officers to see
the Missionary's collections and a double war-canoe, from
seventy to eighty feet in length. Afterwards I visited the
school and church, as well as a great public building used
chiefly for public meetings, convoked and presided over by
the chief. The church is built after the same fashion as the
houses, except instead of being round it is elliptic, and
has windows furnislied with outside blinds. There are
I'eligious services in it twice a week, and the congrega-
tion is seated on benches with frames or desks to put their
books on.

There is a cascade in the island, called by the natives
Pishi-tali (the Great Cascade), which is said to be more than
2,000 feet high. One of the officers, Lieutenant Meade,
who went to see it, found it to be extremely striking and
fine, but was of opinion that it did not reach one-half
the height reported.

The island of Tutuila, which seemed to me to be partly
composed of basaltic strata, varies in width from two to five
miles, by seventeen miles in length, and is said to be sixty
miles in ckcumference. There are plenty of paths, but
nothing resembling a road. There are forty-three villages,
of which the principal are Leone, with a safe and good

TUTUILA. 57

anchorage in the usual trade winds, Aoloau, and Asu, the
latter situate on the bay of Funga-sa, generally known to
Eui'opeans as Massacre Bay, on account of the sanguinary
attack in 1787 by the natives on several officers and sailors
of the expedition commanded by the brave and unfortunate
La Perouse.^ The total population consists of 3,948 souls
distributed thus: 1,293 men, 1,191 women, 765 boys, 699
girls. For many years this number has been stationary, the
deaths equalling the births, being 1 in 39^. There are 14
strangers in the island, one Frenchman, three Americans,
one Irishman, and the rest EngHsh (i.e. the Missionary and
his family). There is a difference of opinion respecting the
salubrity of the climate. According to my view, it cannot '
be considered healthy ; fur, in the first place, it seems to liave
a remarkable tendency to develop brain diseases, especially
lunacy. Then again there is a disposition to a fever whicli
develoj^s elephantiasis in Europeans as well as natives ;
scrofula, phthisis, a form of opthalmia, and intestinal
diseases caused by worms, especially lumbrici, are also to
be found. Influenza, diarrhoea, dysentery, frequently as-
suming an epidemic character, as well as whooping-cough,
which has appeared only recently.

The Tutuilans are less intelligent, industrious, and skilful
in whatever they undertake than the people of Nine, whose
tapa cloths are certainly better linished. As for the rest

' According to a tradition in the island, it was an act of reprisal for
the deatli of a native, accidentally or otherwise killed on board the
' Astrolabe.'

58 THE CRUISE OF TEE 'CUBAQOA.'

they are inoffensive, naturally indolent, hating work
in general, but setting a very high price on the least trifles
they produce. The Missionary, who, by the way, is as much
liked as any white man could be in this country, recom-
mended me to pay a dollar for the slight service rendered
me by a native for acting as my guide in one of my rambles.
Silver is highly valued among them, as is the case among all
the tribes in these seas. Next comes tobacco, which is in
great request. Theft is the prevaiUng vice, and is
unfortunately on the increase. In the course of twenty
years there has been but one case of assassination, and the
criminal suffered death. Prostitution seems to be unknown ;
but, on the other hand, sexual intercourse between the
unmarried, and adultery, are common enough, if the white
residents are to be believed ; yet the men, it is said, are
extremely jealous, and keep a sharp look-out upon their
wives, especially when there are any ships in port ; a state
of marital vigilance which makes it somewhat difficult to
understand how adultery can be a common practice.^
Marriages take place by elopement, or according to native
usages, or through the agency of the Missionary. Marriage
according to local custom is distinguished by a singular,
and, as measured by our ideas, grossly indelicate
ceremony, which requires a woman to establish the fact of
her virginity in public ; when the proof is not satisfactory,
they are brutal enough to kill the woman.- It appears from

' See infra, p. 80, ■what Captain Erskine reports as to their manners.
2 See Deuteronomy xxii. 20, 21, where the same penalty is imposed
a similar want of j)roof.

TUTUILA. 59

what tlie Missionary told me, that this singular usage is now
so far inodified that two or three aged women suffice as in-
vestigators and witnesses in the case.

Christianity was first introduced into this island in 1830
by Messrs. Barff and Williams. Now-a-days there are no
more adherents to the old faith, but they are all Christians
in some fashion or other. Mr. Powell puts the number of
Eoman Catholics at from 20 to 30/ and that of the Mormons
from 70 to 80 ; the rest of the population is Protestant.
Among the latter there are 307 church members and
284 candidates for church membership. We have already
mentioned the very large contribution in support of the 'pro-
pagation of the gospel ; ' all which is undoubtedly evidence of
a strong religious movement ; but whether it indicates a rich
harvest of religious results, is a point which is fairly a matter
of mere conjecture. The number of individuals who are
said to be able to read amounts to 1,138.

With respect to vegetable products I may mention Malay

apples, papau apples, hog-plums, lemons, citrons, a small

kind, of Cape gooseberry, different sorts of small wild figs,

several varieties of bananas, and plantains, two or three

species of nutmegs never used, wild long peppers, ava, wild

ginger, turmeric, thirty-two varieties of the bread-fruit tree,

taro, yams, sweet cassava, the cocoanut tree, the banyan

tree, cotton-plant, fan palm, rattan cane, 130 species of

ferns, and ninety varieties of mosses.

' I hear they are rather gaining ground lately, owing partly to the
attractive doctrine of remission of sins by confession to the priests, and
partly because the converts to Romanism are not expected to pay any-
thing.

60 THE CRUISE OF TEE 'GUBAQOA.'

The mouse aud pig ' are said to be indigenous. The cow,
the goat, and horse have been imported. Some twenty
species of birds have been recognized. As respects reptiles
there are only lizards, geckoes,^ and the green turtle, which is
found around the island, and whose eggs are collected in
great abundance by the natives. There are no sharks, but
a great abundance of fish of different species, all exceedingly
good with scarce a single exception. But one exception
we w^ere informed there is in a little fish of a round
shape, and only a few inches long, which is said to differ
fi'om all other known fish in having its fins and scales setting
towards the head instead of towards the tail ; so deadly and
ra[>id is the action of its poison, that some one, either from
ignorance of their venomous property, or doubts as to the
reality of it, having eaten one or two of them, expired
almost instantaneously afterwards.

' Pigs abound, but they have the honour of being principally re-
served for public festivals. As many as seventeen hundred have been
killed to celebrate the opening of a chapel. — Erskine, p. 59.

^ A genus of Saurian reptiles, having leaf-like expansions at their
toes, which enable them to climb and adhere to smooth surfaces, such
as walls, ceilings, &c. The name is supposed to have been taken from
the peculiar sound it emits.

VPOLU. 61

CHAPTER IV.

UPOLU—SAMOAN GROUP— (continued).

(July 5 to 10.)

Apia Bay — Consul Williams, son of the Martyr of Eranianga — Mischief caused
by a Hurricane — Resident Strangers — Baptisms on Board — Sunday at Apia
— Catholic Bishop — Protestant Missionary — History of a Bible in the Ellice
Islands — Visit of the Great Chief Malietoa — Inconsistent Criticisms— Natives
and Whites — Manners and Customs — Ancient Crater — Cascade — Island
Products.

The ' Curat^oa ' weiglied anchor on July 4 at 5 o'clock in tlie
afternoon, and steamed out of the bay of Pango-Pango, the
channel of which is not more than a third of a mile in
width. As soon as the ship got out to sea a gentle breeze
sprang up and enabled us to set sail. Towards sunset the
mountains and coast of Tutuila assumed so beautiful an
appearance that we could not turn our eyes away from
them. During the night the breeze so slackened that, with
all sail set, we did not make more than from three to four
knots an hour, and yet the air w^as agreeably cool. Next
day at dawn we got up steam in order to run along the
northern coast of Upolu as far as the entrance into the port
of Apia. The shore was exceedingly picturesque, with its
bends and high lauds gradually sloping towards the sea.
The mountains, which at their highest point reach to 4,000
feet, were here and there lost in clouds. A cascade fell

62 THE CRUISE OF TEE ' CUBAQOA.'

from tlie heights hke a silver thread ; and in the distance
was to be seen a hxrge island, that of Savaii, the dome-
shaped summit of which reminded me of the famous
Mauna-loa of Hawaii. The whole of Upolu seemed covered
with verdure, and well-wooded up to its topmost points.
At the entrance of Apia Bay a pilot came off to us in
a whale boat ; he was a Yankee of small stature, as dark
as a Portuguese ; he appeared to detest the English, having
been, as we were afterwards informed, expelled from Savaii,
where he had settled, after being fined 1,000 dollars for
killing one of the natives.

A coral reef, of a crescent shape, incloses Apia Bay,
which is accessible by a large opening through it. We
came to anchor, about 9 o'clock in the morning, in five
fathoms. The whole shore of the bay is lined with dwell-
ings built under cocoanut trees ; the flags of the English
and American consuls, the houses of the whites, the Catholic
church, and the huts of tlie natives were distinctly visible
to us. The British consul, Mr. Williams, came on board at
an early hour in his official costume to pay his respects to
the Commodore. This gentleman not only recommends
himself by his personal qualities, but lie inspires a peculiar
interest as being the son of the celebrated missionary, wlio
died a martyr's death under the blows of the savages of Era-
manga. On leaving the ship he received, according to custom,
a salute of seven guns. We speedily rejoined him on shore,
where our first visit was to him. He received us in the midst
of his family in a large house, surrounded by a verandah,

VPOLJJ. 63

and whidi he liacl himself built with the assistance of a
single native, as, in hke manner, he had made his principal
pieces of furniture out of the most precious woods of the
island. It would be hard to fmd a man of more varied
resources than Mr. Williams. He has built two ships, one
of 25 tons, another of 200 tons. He is skilful as a photo-
grapher, and occasionally practises medicine, not shrinking,
if needs be, from performing a surgical oi)eration, a proof
of which we had in the case of two natives, one of whom
had had his arm and the other his finger successfully
amputated. He showed us portraits in oil of his father,
who was killed in his forty-first year, of his mother, and
other relatives. He told us that he had been engaged in
the coal trade in Sydney, and lost all he had in it ; after
which he came to Samoa, where for the last ten years he
has been English consul, with a salary of 400/. a-year. He
possesses about 100 acres of land, seventy of them planted
with cotton, which yields an excellent staple. He informed
us that the cocoanut trees of Upolu are reputed to be the
finest of any in the South Seas ; an assertion which I am
not at all disposed to qualify, for they are unquestionably
very lofty, very bushy, and very vigorous. We learnt
from him that all that part of the liay, which is comprised
within the two rividets, is reserved exclusively for the use
of the consuls and missionaries, a privilege they have
obtained through their influence witli the chiefs. The
Americans, of whom there are many in this island, had
just celebrated the anniversary of their Independence by

64 THE GBUISE OF THE ' GUBAQOA.'

races and various festivities which were described to us.
We met at his house the chief of tlie phnce, a very com-
mon-looking person, who did not open his mouth in our
presence.

Mr. WiUiams appears to be thoroughly quahficd for liis
position. He takes a proper and deep interest in tlie just
and equitable treatment of the natives, for which, as we
may easily conceive, he does not obtain the thanks of those
settlers whose only object is to make profit and capital out
of them.^ No man, it is allowed, understands the native
character better than he does ; a knowledge which renders
him eminently qualified to assist and direct their develop-
ment.

It was raining when tlie Commodoi-e and myself left
Ml'. Williams, but we took a short walk on the shore until
Sir William thought it tinae to return on board. Our
attention was drawn to tlie traces of the damage done by
one of those terrible hurricanes to which the island is now
and then exposed. A small carriage-way on the edge of
the bay had been so completely covered over with black
sand that they had not yet had time to clear it. At a place
near the reef, and not far from our anchorage, were visible
the masts of a Hambui-g bark, which had gone down at
anchor with all her crew dviring the same storm, in January
1865. In the hope of recovering the oil with which the

' We are indebted to lii.s kindness for the communicaHon of several
notices respecting the South American slave-traders.

VPOLJJ. 65

bark was laden, and which was contained in iron tanks, the
owner, Mr. McFarland, requested the Commodore to lend
him some help in attempting to IdIow up the wreck. We
could not, however, accomplish the task, though we made
two efforts to do so, by trying to explode barrels of powder
by means of a fuze inserted in a gutta-percha tube,; the
fuze burnt in the tube, but the water extinguished it before
it could conmiunicate with the powder.

Consul Williams gave a dinner to the Commodore and
wardroom officers of the ' Cura^oa,' to which the principal
residents were invited ; among others Mr. Cole, the Ame-
rican consul, who is married to a native woman; Mr.
Webber, the Hamburg consul; and a rich Irish merchant,
Mr. McFarland, married to Mr. Williams's sister. I had
also the pleasure of being included in the invitation. On
approaching Mr. Williams's house it was evident that his
intended hospitality had caused great sensation. The gate
was beset by a large crowd, and facing it was a sentinel
with a veiy important look, and armed with a whip to keep
order. He was, we were told, one of the chief's guard in
the uniform of his corps, namely, a scarlet coat made of
woollen serge, of the tightest possible adjustment, and
terminating behind in strange appendages, which we boldly
conjectured were intended to represent swallow-tails — those
once indispensable parts of military costume. A pleasant
feature of the entertainment was our being waited on by
native girls, who at intervals fanned, when not otherwise
serving, us.

6-2 CRUISE OF TEE ' CUBAQOA.'

Mr. McFaiiaiid complained tliat the iiifkieuce of the
missionaries was too great in the couiitr}', and expressed
unreservedly his desire to see it diminished. The arrival
of the ' Curagoa ' was a welcome event to him, as he was
in a difSculty about the baptism of liis children, the mis-
sionaries refusing to perform this rite, because, as was
alleged, he was a member of the Church of England. But
why these missionaries, so eagerly baptizing the children
of heathens, should refuse to admit into the Christian fold
the children of a Christian, differing from them only in sect,
is unintelliijible. It was not the fault of Mr. McFarland's
children that their parent Vv'as in this fallen state, why then
object any more than in the case of the offspring of the
heathen? The only way I am able to account for it is,
by supposing that Mr. McFarland wished the rite performed
in the language, and according to the form, of the Church
prayer-book, a proposition which would of course be
horrible to the ' dissenting ' missionaries, and therefore a
very unreasonable one to make. But if the fact be as
stated to us, the sooner tliese missionaries are sent about
their business the better it will be for the race with which
they are in contact.^ The request of this gentleman, that
the Commodore would permit the ceremony to take place
on board the ship was, of course, immediately acceded to,
and it was accordingly performed by the Eev. Wm. Payne,

' As respects the Baptists, wlio do not practise infant baptism, thej
could not possibly comply. In fact the reason given seems highly im-
probable.

UPOLU.

the Curacoa's chaplain and naval instructor. The Commo-
dore and myself standing godfathers to the two children
by his desire.

Simday is very scrupulously observed by the natives,
as Ave had some opportunity of seeing by attending the
afternoon service. A native teacher officiated, dressed en-

NA'nVE TFACnER.

tirely in white, and without anj' canonicals. He was a man
in whom devoutness seemed to be incarnate. Standing
while the congregation was seated, he began by reading a
hymn, then made an extempore prayer, read a chapter of
Joshua, gave out another hymn, preached at great length.

68 CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.

and, after another liymn, concluded the service by a short
prayer. The congregation, the men of wliieli sat on one
side and the women on the other, exhibited throughout a
devout attention. When the chapter from the Bil>le or
tlie liynm was being read, all present took up their books
and followed the reader. The preacher expressed himself
very distinctly ; so much so that, with my knowledge of
Hawaiian, I had no great difficulty in understanding much
that he said. The singing was not exactly what it ought
to be ; an organ would have been useful in keeping the
voices in unison. The chapel, though spacious enough,
has by no means an ecclesiastical aspect. It stands where
it is partly shaded by a fine bush tree, and is thatched with
suaar-cane leaves. In the inside there is a marble slab
on wliich tliere is the following inscription : ' To the
memory of the late Rev. John Williams, founder of the
Samoan and other missions in the South Seas, who was
barbarously murdered on tlie 20th of November 1839, in
the 41st year of his age, on the Island of Eramanga, while
attempting to plant the gospel of peace among its cruel
inliabitauts. " Father, forgive them for they know not what
they do " (Luke xxiv. 34).' At the side of the chapel is
a small cemetery, surrounded by a wall ; in it are five or
six graves of white men, one of which contains bones
brought from Eramanga, supposed to be the remains of John
WilUams, but his son doubts the fact of their being such.

During my stay at Apia I visited several foreigners,
among others the Eoman Catholic Bishoj), a very fine man,

UPOLU. 69

tall, thin, upright, with a quick eye, and a long beard
almost white. This striking looking prelate has been en-
gaged in missionary duties for thirty years in the South Seas,
and by his chance intercourse with Englishmen, whom he
has met on their way, has learnt to speak English tolerably
well. He received us very politely, insisted on our drink-
ing a glass of Bordeaux, and chatted agreeably with us on
matters of local and European interest. In the rear of the
mission houses is a garden of large extent, very pretty and
picturesque. His church, which is built of stone, with a
spire of some height, has a very effective appearance.

On leaving the Eoman Catholic missionaries, I paid a
visit to the chief of the Protestant missions, Mr. Murray,
who had also spent thirty years of his life in this region.
He is a tall, spare man, intelligent, and agreeable. He is the
author of a book entitled ' Missions in Western Polynesia '
(8vo. London, 1863). His wife, who is in very delicate
health, has kept her bed for three years. The incrimina-
tions and recriminations which are perpetually going on in
these islands between the missionaries of different sects
are in general not worth reporting. But a charge is pre-
ferred by Mr. Murray against the Catholic missionaries in
reference to an asserted practice, which must be so very
tempting to a religious belligerent as to favour the pre-
sumption of its probable occurrence. It is that, whenever
a chief gets tired of the matrimonial bonds which the
Protestant missionary has imposed upon him, and is anxious
either for freedom, or a change of servitude, he goes to the

70 CRUISE OF THE 'GUBAQOA:

Catholic priest who tells him that the Protestant obliyatiou
is worth nothing, and that he is liberated from his former
tie, or warranted in contracting a new one, provided that
in changing his wife he changes his sect. Mr. Murray is
naturally, and, if actuated solely by interest in his flock, is
justly indignant at this species of ecclesiastical kidnapping.
Nevertheless the Catholic missionary, when he does this, is
but acting on a principle of his Church, which it must
everywhere carrj^ into action, if not restrained by the civil
power. In a society like this, it has full [)lay ; therefore
fiat experiinentuiH in corpore vili. The liberties which are
taken with the nati\'es in the name of religion, and the
impositions practised upon them, were curiously illustrated
by a story which Mr. Murray said he had heard in the
Ellice Islands. Some of the natives, it seems, had been
partially converted to Christianity l)y some one Avho, being
obliged to leave the island, and having no Bible to leave with
them, impressed upon them the importance of obtaining
one as soon as possible, as a thing indispensable to their
salvation. No sooner, therefore, did another ship make
its appearance, than our new converts rushed on board
to obtain the precious volume. The opportunity was not
missed by the acute trader, who said he was fortunate
enough to have a 'Word of God' on board, but that it
was far too costly an article to pait with without a
consideration, and it Avas accordingly agi'eed that 120
gallons of oil, of at least 20/. value, should be the price
for it ; a very fair remuneration, seeing that the original

UPOLU. 71

price as marked upon tlie cover was 3s. The talisman
thus obtained was, of course, as regards its contents quite
unintelhgible ; but, after being carefully folded up in tapa,
it became for many years a sacred deposit in a chief's
house, where it was subsequently produced to some native
teachers, who visited the island for the purpose of con-
version. How it came into Mr. Murray's hands I do
not know, but, if 1 remember rightly, he showed it to us.
It is probable good care was taken not to let in light
upon the fraud which had been practised, otherwise the
natives would have had an odd conception of the morality
taught in it, as thus practically exhibited l^y the be-
lievers in it. Well might Rajah Bi-ooke observe to the
missionaries, when he permitted them to come into his
dominions (under the proviso that they would not teach
their converts to quarrel with one another), that he much
feared their moral instruction would hardly be a match
for the immoral instruction of all kinds practically taught
by the traders. Nor is it only by gross people of the
latter class that civilization is exhibited to savages in any-
thing but an attractive and elevating form. A circum-
stance, mentioned by Captain Erskine in connection wdth
this island, very forcibly illustrates the examples of un-
fairness and one-sided advantage, which are set before the
natives by those who ought to know better, but whose
practical illustrations of civilized equity are by no means
commendable. It appeals that when the well-known Mr.
Pritchard arrived at Upolu, invested with consular func-

7a CRUISE OF THE ' CUEAQOA.'

tious, lie brought with hau from Tahiti several young
horses and marcs, the first ever seen in the island. Suffered
to go loose these strange creatures leapt over enclosures,
trampled down provision grounds, and terrified the chil-
dren, upon which the natives speared one or two of thein
during the night.' Now it is manifest that these people
would inevitably think they had as much right to destroy
Mr. Pritchard's horses as he had to permit his horses to
destroy their propertj', and endanger the lives of their
children, and yet, we are gravely told that no compensation
could be obtained, because the perpetrators could not be
discovered. It would appear from this, that our Missionary
Consul, who, in either of his capacities, was bound to set
an example of equity, would have actually exacted compen-
sation from the parties ofTendiug him, but without, as tar as
we can learn, in any way compensating those injured by
him, who could prove their non-participation in the act
of retaliation. It is obvious that they ai'e not the best
teachers of civihzation wdio give iheir lessons in this fashion.
Malietoa," the head chief of the Samoan group, came on

' Tliat it was no fanciful apprehension on their part may be inferred
from what Captain Erskine says of the Tongans, namely, that they
destroyed all the horses left by Captain Cook, from fear of mischief to
the provision grounds, and discouraged their importation for this reason.

At p. 406, vol. ii. of ' Fiji and Fijians' is a wood-cut illustrating
' the fright of natives at first seeing a horse,' in the village of Nandi,
on the coast of Vanua Levu: some are running away in frantic terror,
and others seeking safety in the trees.

2 In 1849, Malietoa, then thirty-five years of age, was described as
having a mild expression of countenance, and being quiet and gentle-
manlike in his manners. His dress was a long white linen coat, and

UPOLU.

board the Curagoa to pay a visit to the Commodore ; he
was accompanied by his talking-man, who carried a whisk
of cocoannt fibre to drive away the flies, not unhke the fly-
brush used by grooms in Calcutta. He came with an escort
of twelve natives, large well-grown muscular fellows, who

SAi[OAN CIIIKF IX WAK COSTUME.

seemed to have been selected from among the finest men in
the archipelago. Some of them wore shirts, others had
white mats round their loins ; others again had feathers on
their heads. One of them had a splendid head of hair
reddened with chinam or coral lime, the national cosmetic.

one of the fine mats made from strips of the pandanus leaf, ornamented
with a border and tufts of red worsted, hanging from his waist nearly
to his feet. — Erskine, p. 76.

74 CRUISE OF TEE ' CUBACOA:

I was told that a headgear of tliis sort was admired hy the
natives as the thing, and that it is worth a pound sterling.
The chief was correctly dressed in European style, from
which we concluded that he could at least speak English ;
hut nothing of tlie kind ; he knew nothing beyond his own
native tongue. Malietoa, Malietau, are titles signifying the
brave warrior, the generous ivarrior ; they were given to
one of the chiefs ancestors by an enemy whom he had
conquered, and whose wives, waving the customary rights
which victory gave him, he had respected. The chieftain-
ship of Malietoa is recognized and accepted by all the isles
of the Samoan group, with the single exception of Tutuila,
which, and it is a matter of general regret, is not subject
to this central and paternal authority. The honours of the
ship were done to him, every part of which he examined.
An Armstrong gun Avas fired off which greatly astonished
and pleased him, witjiout his seeming to have much idea
what it was all about.

As respects the character of the people of the Samoan
group the reports are highly favourable. They are repre-
sented as being sober, quiet, inoffensive when not excited ;
but, if roused, the savage very soon gets the uppermost ; a
result however which is not uncommon among people of
a much older civilization. Such qualifying remarks, natural
enough in the mouths of missionaries prone to exaggerate
the roughness of the materials with which they have to
build, arc not, it must be allowed, confined to them ; for
nothing, indeed, is more curious than the sort of shyness

UPOLU. 'o

with which writers coinmeud the good quahties of un-
civiUzed or semi-civilized people. A remarkable instance
of this is furnished by Captain Wilkes/ who, in his notice of
the Samoans, has had manifestly every desire to be just to
them. Having remarked that when this group was first
discovered the natives were represented as being ferocious
aud treacherous, he fairly accounts for this as being the
result of the sanguinary conflicts with the boats of La
Perouse's squadron, which originated an impression appa-
rently sustained by various acts, arising not unfrequently
out of a just resentment caused by wrongs committed upon
them by lawless traders. So for they are wdiitewashed,
but presently, he adds, ' the instance of Oportuno, hov/-
ever, shows that this idea of their character is not without
foundation.' Now this chief Oportuno, of Savaii, was a
brutal fellow, who was detested by the othi.'r chiefs for his
outrages ; and it is not easy to undei'staiid why his personal
and exceptional brutality is to be taken as illustrative of
the Samoan character any more than the atrocities of the
lawless traders in these regions can be made evidence as to
British character. This little disparagement disposed of,
then follows a little eulogium : ' Both sexes show great
kindness for their children, and age is so much respected,
that only old men are admitted to council' Now, again,
the turn comes for a little disparagement : ' As a shade on
this picture they are covetous, indolent, fickle, and little
reliance can be placed upon them.' Fortunately, we get

' ' United States Exploring Expedition,' vol. ii. pp. 126, 127.

76 CRUISE OF THE ' CUBACJOA.'

wliat is called an illustration of some of these features.
First, as to tlieir covetousuess. When a chief receives a
visitor, his first question is, ' Wliat present will you take ? '
He then places everything he has at his guest's disposal,
though he might be awfully mortified were his offer ac-
cepted. But how this proves the charge is not very clear,
especial!}^ as a similar custom has always existed in Spain,
and, as I know from experience, exists in Eussia, without
carrying with it the reproach of either covetousuess or
deceptiveness. Moreover, when this formal offer has been
made, we find that, as soon as the ceremony — or, as it is
called, ' the risk of acceptance ' was over, ' they were but too
happy to supply us with cocoa-iuits and fruits.' But then,
this liberality is said to be only apparent, since what they
do is in expectation of a full rctm-n. Nevertheless, such
is the general hospitality and kind social feeling, that when
provisions fail in one district, they who are in want freely
visit those of other districts where provisions abound, I'cady
to do the same kind offices to then- entertainers when the
conditions ai'e reversed. Thus, while the abstract charses
are deteriorating, the illustrative facts are encomiastic, as
respects their liberality.

Next, as to their indolence. Their habits are described
as regidar. They rise with tlie sun and breakfast ; tliey
bathe and oil themselves to go to their daily occupations,
comprising the cultivation of taro and yams, building houses
and canoes, fishing and bird-catching sufficient for tlie
day's supplies.

JJPOLTI. 77

Dining at one, they spend the rest of the day in amuse-
ment, and after supper go to bed at nine. The men do all
the hard Avork, even the cookery, which is varied and com-
plex, the women simply preparing the food. The latter,
who are treated with great respect, imdergo no drudgery,
but take care of the houses, and exhibit great industry in
making mats and tapa. Their attention to order and neat-
ness surprised Captain Wilkes, who says he had seldom seen
a place where more attention was paid to cleanliness than
at Sagana. A similar regard to neatness he found prevail-
ino- in the walks about the village, and in the cultivation
of taro, melons, and bananas, whicli is carried on in the
immediate vicinity. A broad path leading to the cultivated
grounds passes through fine shady groves, and the careful
preservation of tliese paths appears to be, we are assured,
rather an amusement than a labour to the villagers. Captain
Erskine furnishes evidence of the same kind.^ The descrip-
tion he gives of the Samoan villages in general affords a
pleasing impression of the existence of much industry and
order. They are usually in the midst of cocoanut groves,
(the certain indications of inhabited places), and the
approach to them is by a neatly kept path through
provision grounds enclosed by low walls of broken coral,
and containing bread-fruit trees, bananas, yams, taro, and
ava. The huts are regular and detached, the communica-
tions between them kept cleanly swept, as is also the open
space before the Fala-tele. In some places the missionaries

' ' Craise of the " Havannah," ' p. 45.

?H CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAgOA.'

have introduced houses of coral plastered with lime, and
the natives have learnt to divide their houses into separate
rooms.*

Alluding to one of those Fala-teles Erskine says, ' we
walked up to a beautiful village (Feleasau in Manua) and
entered a large house, which our American interpreter called
the ' Town,' where clean mats were spread for us, and we
were invited to eat or smoke. This is, in fact, the house
of reception for travellers, who may remain as long as they
please ; their food being supplied by the inhabitants as long
as they make themselves agreeable.''^ In these Fala-teles
their public meetings are held, the decorum and order of
which are something very remarkable, worthy, as has been
observed, of our Houses of Parliament. When two speakers
arise simultaneously, as there is no speaker's eye to catch,
they remain standing until one gives way, the meeting
meanwhile being perfectly quiet. As, however, the privi-
lege of precedency is fully admitted, and each district has
a generally acknowledged position attached to it, such
difficulty rarely occurs. Nevertheless it does sometimes.
Erskine, at Apia, was lucky enough to see an instance.
When he entered the meeting two S23eakers were on their
legs, neither, apparently, inclined to give way, but each,
occasionally, addressing the other in an undertone ; at the

' It is to be hoped that the new houses are not built ■ without
reference to external appearance, and that the native taste is in this
respect not left undeveloped.

'^ ' Cruise of the " Havannah," ' p. 36.

UPOLU. 79

expiration of half-au-hour, the younger of tlie two yielded
the point, observing however, first, that ' the staff on which
he leant was known to all ; ' by which he meant, that in
surrendering his place he did not surrender his claim to it.
The other then addressed the assembly with great fluency,
eliciting applause or smiles as his argument was serious or
ironical, the audience occasionally expressing its approv^al
by words, ' malu, malu,' sweet or good, uttered in a sub-
dued tone. It would be a gross breach of order to walk
across the circle round which the chiefs are seated ; and
when occasionally, as Mr. Hood ' informs us, ' a white man,
looking upon himself as so far superior to the " savages,"
that he may infringe all their rules, marches carelessly with
his pipe in his mouth in front of the speaker, the only
remark they make is, " Oh, poor white pig, he knows no
better." ' And there is good reason for their contempt, for,
as the same writer informs us, the Sanioans are a ' nation of
gentlemen, and contrast most favourably with the generality
of Europeans who come amongst them.' Take, as another
proof of this, the following testimony of Captain Erskine.
Speaking of Mumui and old Vacateuola, two chiefs of Tonga,
to whom he pays the compliment of saying that they
equalled in polish Samoan chiefs, and who, being his guests
at dinner, were dressed in a robe of flowing native cloth,
leaving neck and shoulders bare, he says, • their behaviour
at table was that of finished gentlemen.' In the evening,
being on deck listening to the drums and fifes, and the air
1 ' Cruise of the ' 'Fawn," ' pp. 49-60.

80 CEUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA:

cold, ' they unrolled the train of their robes, and wrapping
it gracefully round the upper part of the body close to the
chin, somewhat after the mannei- of a Spanish cloak, stood
listening to the music, looking like beautifully draped
statues, until it was time to depart.' ^ The same writer
thus concludes his notice of the Samoans : ' It would be
unjust not to allude to their remarkable cleanhness and
habits of decency, which these islanders carry to a higher
point than the most fastidious of civilized nations. Nor
however low the morals of both sexes may have originally
been, did any example of an indelicate word or action come
under my notice during our stay of seventeen days.' ^

It is evident from these interesting details, that though
the Samoans may be, as is affirmed, less energetic than the
people of some other groups, they are, nevertheless, dis-
tinguislied by some remarkable qualities, which, if not
deteriorated by so-called civilized people, give promise of
a superior civilization. It is much to be regretted that
they are not assisted in their advance by men of a more
polished order than the greater part of those who have
undertaken to elevate them. At all events it is greatly to
be apprehended that the present miscellaneous instructors
of these people will have but little sympathy with the highly
distinguished manners that have so much astonished those
who know how to appreciate them. Yet manners have
a great influence on the character and development of a
society ; at least, such is the opinion of a great authority.
' Erskine, p. 152. 2 Ibid. p. 110.

UPOLU. 81

' Manners,' says Burke, speaking of them in combination
with some other things, ' are required sometimes as supple-
ments, sometimes as correctives, always as aids to law.
Manners are what vex and soothe, corrupt or purify, exalt
or debase, barbarize or refine us, by a constant steady
uniform insensible operation like that of the air we breathe.'
It would be interesting to ascertain, if possible, how the
Samoans have come into so rich a possession of these
important adjuncts.

That there must have been a valuable peculiarity in the
mental and moral constitution of this interesting people is
manifest from what we know as to their religious practices,
and what we are told as to their theological belief. As
regards the former, Williams, in his ' Missionary Enter-
prises,' says of them, ' that they have neither marais, nor
temples, nor altars, nor offerings,' to which he adds the
very significant remark, ' and consequently none of the
sanguinary rites observed at other groups.' Hence, he
informs us, they were regarded as an inferior race, and in
some quarters the word Samoan became synonymous with
' godless.' It seems safe to conjecture that this exemption
from sanguinary religious rites arising possibly from a natural
repugnance to violence must have had a beneficent effect
upon their character. There can be no doubt that the
fierce passions of nations have been fed and sustained
by that ritual homage, as it were, paid to violence and
ferocity, — the natural expression of an early condition of
society, which is more or less visible in all religions. Ex-

82 CBUISE OF THE 'OUEAQOA.'

planatory of tliis abstinence from religious violence is a
certain feature of their theology (if we may dej)encl upon
the account of it which Captain Wilkes tells us he received
from the heathen or non-christianised natives), namely, their
notion of a supreme God, which seems to have excluded the
attribute of violence or war-patronage. But, inasmuch as
there is an inevitable tendency to war which must have super-
natural patronage, they admitted three subordinate deities,
one of whom enticed them to war, another who led them
to it, and a third, like Bellona, who encouraged them to
fight. In thus placing their supreme God above the insti-
gation or superintendence of human destruction and
slaughter, their views had the advantage over those of the
Mosaic scheme, which regarded God as the Lord of hosts.
So sensible, indeed, had some of the Jewish people just
before the birth of Christianity become of this blot in their
own ftiith, that we find one of the most eminent of thera,
the famous, patriotic, and pious Jew of Alexandria, Philo,
earnestly and eloquently protesting against the belligerent
character ascribed to God in the Old Testament, declaring
it to be a temporary accommodation to uninstructed minds
yet incapable of higher conceptions, and looking beneath
the rudeness of the letter for an interpretation more in har-
mony with a behef in a beneficent deity, the object of vene-
ration and love.

The population of Upolu is about 15,000, including 120
Europeans. A slight increase has taken place since the
census of 1854. With the exception of two or three

UPOLU. - 83

families, which remain there, everybody else is Christian ;
the Eoraaii Catholics are reckoned at 3,000 ; the rest are
Protestants. The native population of the whole group is
estimated at 40,000 souls, and that of the whites at 200,
including; the missionaries and their families.

The average temperature is 82° Pahr., and the climate is
regarded as healthy, though phthisis and dj^sentery are not
rare, and elephantiasis, influenza, fever, and ague sometimes
take an epidemic form. Smallpox had never appeared in
Upolu up to the time of our visit, but this had not pre-
vented the natives from having themselves vaccinated as a
measure of precaution. The morality of the Samoan group
is said to exceed that of the other South Sea islands ; but
in spite of this flattering repute, several of the ofhcers of the
' Cura9oa ' are inclined to think that the colony of Apia is by
no means a model of all the virtues, and that the natives
are, thanks to some of the whites, kept in a state of corrup-
tion which rivals that of many a seaport. It is not only the
EngHsh consul who is sceptical on the subject of the chastity
of the native girls, but the greater part of the whites also,
whence we may conclude that this article is still more rare
in the neighbouring groups. The Sanioans carry the
' tokens-of-virginity ' system to an indecent extreme. A
sheet is laid down in the most public place in the village ;
the inhabitants assemble round it, and then the bride and
bridegroom consummate their marriage for the first time in
broad daylight and in tlie public gaze, after which the

*G 2

84 CBUISE OF TEE 'CURAgOA.'

' tokeus-of-viigiiiity ' ^ are exhibited. Girls who have re-
mained chaste up to marriage agree to undergo this process
(though not otherwise immodest) in order to demonstrate
the fact of their virtue. But owing mainly to the sexual
relations subsisting between boys and girls from a very
early age, these ceremonies are very rare ; one had occuri'cd
about five mouths before our arrival, and another was to
take place in about three weeks' time.

As respects the internal communications of the country,
they are of the rudest kind, mere tracks, or rather paths too
narrow for any vehicle ; neither the influence of the chief,
nor the presence of the whites, seems to operate any im-
provement in this direction.

Here, as in other places we have visited, tlie natives have
exchanged their ancient implements of war for those used
hy Europeans, with the exception of the tomahawk, which
they still retain. They are very fond of firing off guns, an
amusement they have recourse to on every possible oppor-
tiniity ; the very night before our departia-e the report of
gun- shots was to be heard all along tlie haj, on the occa-
sion, as we were informed, of the death of a petty chief.

No mineral of any value or utility has hitherto been
found in these islands. The chief natural curiosities of
Upolu are an ancient crater and a cascade. The crater,
situated twelve miles from xVpia, is filled with a lake which
covers about twelve acres, and on the borders of which
gi'ow palm-trees and large ferns. The cascade, which may

' Deuteronomy. See Xolc at p. 58.

TJPOLJJ. 85

be seen from the sea at a distance of ten or twelve miles,
has a fall, apparently of abont two hundred feet.

Various kinds of bananas, the mountain plantain, some
thirty varieties of bread-fruit trees, the wood of which is
never attacked by worms, the vi, or Brazilian plum [Spon-
dias dulcis), the ifi, the cocoa-nut tree ; the yam, taro, and
other esculent roots ; the pandanus, sundry palm trees, the
the malili, the taina or ati (Calophyllum inophyllum).
Woods adapted to ship-building are indigenous to the island.

The chief commercial products of Upolu are beche de
mer, cocoanut-oil and fibre, ari'owroot, and cotton. Fifty
thousand cocoa-nuts yield 500 gallons of oil; that is to say,
one hundred nuts make a gallon. This oil sells at from 35/.
to 40Z. a ton. In the preparation of it there is yet much to
be desired, the mode of producing it being of the rudest
kind ; and it is a matter of regret that presses are not used
such as are employed in Ceylon, though even there the pro-
cess is so imperfect as to cause a considerable waste.
Cotton succeeds admirably-, two excellent varieties of which
are grown, one of them decidedly of the first quality. The
value of the exports annually is 200,000 dollars ; that of
the imports is somewhat less. Among the latter the things
most in request are calico, cotton-prints, handkerchiefs,
ribbons, guns, powder, shot, axes, cutlery, tobacco, wine,
and spirituous liquors.

In the port of Apia are to be had vegetables, beef, pork,
and excellent water. The watering-place is not conve-
niently situated, it being difficult to get really fresh water

86 CRUISE OF THE ' CUEAgOA.'

without taking the boats too liigli up the stream to be able
to float out again before the next tide.

The rat, tlie flying fox, or large fruit-eating vampire bat
{PteropiMs), the pig, are indigenous throughout the group ;
the dog, the cow, the horse, have been imported. Birds
are tolerably numerous and remarkable. The most singular
of all is the Didunculus strigiroslris, or tooth-billed pigeon,
of which I have met but two specimens, one aUve, the other
preserved in spirits of wine, and making part of my collec-
tion/ It has the feet of a pigeon, short legs, the beak large
and strongly hooked at the tip hke a bird of prey, with
three teeth on each side of the lower mandible, fitting into
corresponding cavities in the upper. The plumage is dai'k
and uniform in colour, the body of the shape and size of
a pigeon. This bird is so rai'e here that the natives
were unable or too lazy to find any specimens, though
stimulated by the promise of lOZ. for eveiy bird they
brought. It is said to be found only in one valley on the
mountain. I saw honey-suckers -with yellow plumage, re-
sembling those I had seen in Tutuila. I shot some brown
birds hke hen blackbirds, and pretty little birds with pink
feathers about their heads and some parts of their bodies.
The foliage being thick it is hard to get a shot at them.
Also several pretty white and black birds. I saw two
parrots in a cocoa-nut tree, with fine blue and brilliant green

' Since this was -written I have presented it to the British Museum.
There is said to be another specimen in the Imperial Museum in
St. Petersburg.

UPOLU. 27

about their heads, a fine white bird, and a beautiful bird
with a short beak and brilliant variegated plumage, &c.
I got a good many beautiful little crabs with a single claw,
in some red, in others yellow, and the backs beautifully
spotted with bright blue. A pecuhar feature of the place
was the great number of holes, from two to five inches
in diameter, burrowed deep in the earth by the large land
crab. Crabs of this description, they say, five in the moun-
tains, from which they descend once a year in great num-
bers for the purpose of depositing their spawn in the sea,
and having done this return to their mountain quarters. It
is stated that, when on these expeditions, they will go over
everything that comes in their way. At one place I came
upon some muddy stagnant water, in which I saw some
curious looking things with pointed tails, rather large
heads resembling somewhat those of the iguana, and two
. feet ; they were very shy and jumped about so nimbly that
I could not catch one ; in fact, I had not even time to
examine them closely. Centipedes are to be found here,
scorpions and cockroaches also. There is a great variety
of fish, and many sharks which, I was informed, are not
dangerous.

88 CEUISE OF THE ' CUBAgOA.'

CHAPTER V.

VAVAU— TONGA GROUP.

(July 10 to 15.)

Boscawen and Keppel Islands — Sandy Point — Excui'sion on Shore —
Missionaiies — Village of Neiafu — Visit to the Governor^The Guide Papalaugi
• — Roads and Convicts — Volcano of Latte — Curious Natural Grottoes — Popula-
tion — Diseases — Government — Laws — Products.

The Commodore liad intended to get under sail on Sunday
morning, but he altered his intention in deference to a remark
of the consul, Mr. Williams, that the Cura9oa would be the
first ship which had left the port on the Lord's day ; that
it would be regarded as a great indecorum ; and that the
Missionaries would be exceedingly distressed by it. It was
not, therefore, till Monday, July 10, about 7 a.m., that we
put to sea, under steam, from the port of Apia. The pilot
soon after left us, and we were scarcely five miles from the
reef encircling the island, when we suddenly came upon low
banks of coral, which occasionally did not leave much more
than three fathoms water. After some anxiety we got
free of this dangerous passage, and, at about half-past 3 p.m.,
the Commodore, taking advantage of a light breeze, gave
orders to set sail. We looked back much pleased at the
southern coast of Upolu, which seemed as if it were covered

VAVAU. 89

with a forest of cocoa-nut trees ; and, for a long while, with
the aid of our glasses, we were able to see the spire of the
Catholic Church. The air was delightfidly cool, a very
welcome exchange for the damp heat we had experienced
at our anchorage. We passed between Upolu and Savaii,
and coasted along two pretty islands, the one called Paluale,
the other, Manono ; the latter somewhat elevated, on which
were to be seen some dwellings and many cocoa-nut trees.
The island of Savaii appeared to much advantage in the
distance ; its coast, rather low, was set off by some hills,
which are probably ancient craters. Next day, about mid-
day, while bending our com-se south-west, we sighted
Boscawen or Cocos Island, a truncated cone of picturesque
appearance, 2,000 feet in height, obviously suggesting the
idea of its being a crater more or less ancient. Some time
afterwards, at thirty miles distance from Boscawen, and
within seven miles from the ship, we came in sight of a reef
of more than a mile long, with its huge breakers. On
sounding, we found a depth of six fathoms. This reef is
not marked on any of the Admiralty charts, though it was
upon an old chart in the Commodore's possession. We
next saw Keppel Island, much longer than Boscawen Island,
but also, at the same time, much lower. The following day
the wind freshened, and in the evening we could perceive
the island of Vavau in tlie distance.

On July 13, the weather extremely fine, and the sea
beautifully calm, we came to anchor at Sandy Point, the
port of Vavau, at 10.30 a.m. in seventeen fathoms. The

90 CBUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

island seemed entirely clothed with vegetation, among
which the casuarina, the pandanus, and cocoa-nut trees,
were easily distinguishable ; the latter appearing to exist
in greater abundance than I had ever before remarked in
any one place. We saw a building resembling a church,
with graves around it, and on the shore a whale-boat, two
things indicative of civihzation. There were also a good
many canoes and canoe houses. The Cura^oa was speedily
surrounded by canoes with red-headed men, their hair cut
close to the scalp. These natives, who are of a brightish
brown colour, are very well made, but with faces which,
owing to their extremely flattened noses and very wide
nostrils, are by no means pleasant to look on, as compared
with the natives of Savage Island. The greater part of their
canoes were small ; I saw one double one, the ends of which
were ornamented with milky cowrie shells {Cyprcea lactea).
A man, calling himself an Englishman, about thirty years
of age, and of an appearance very far from prepossessing,
came on board, and informed us he was the friend of the
chief, and that he hved in a village called Neiafu, a portion
of which was visible at the point of the island. We learnt
afterwards that he is a sort of vagabond who conceals his
real name, and that the natives have given him the sonorous
appellation of Papalangi Jonah Pokahorse, which indicates,
among other things, his principal occupation — that of a
horse-gelder.

In the afternoon I went on shore in the dingey. After
crossing a reef, where I saw several varieties- of madrepores,

VAVAU. 91

I found a convenient landing-place on a jetty of coral. On
reaching the shore there were a few natives who treated me
with great respect. Seeing a little hillock before me covered
with grass, I took a fancy to go to the top, and there found
a pretty house surrounded by an enclosure made of cocoa-
nut leaves very neatly intertwined. I learnt it was the
dwelUug of the governor, David Unga, the son of King
George of Tougatabu. Thence I followed a broad path
leading gently downwards covered with grass, and edged
with two lines of cocoa-nut trees, forming an avenue, leading
to the Protestant Mission, which consisted of two houses
erected very near to each other. The two resident
missionaries informed me they belonged to the London
Wesleyan Missionary Society : their houses had glass doors,
and it appeared to me they were Uving there veiy com-
fortably with their wives and children. They showed me
some implements, weapons, and curiosities, which they had
on sale for the benefit of the mission ; it struck me the
greater part of the tomahawks, spears, and bowls for drink-
ing ava had come from the Fiji Islands. After having
examined these things, I requested them to give me a guide,
and took hasty leave of them, for the purpose of making
a little round in the neighbourhood. The country appeared
to me very pleasing, pretty even, with convenient roads,
or rather paths, in all directions, continuously shaded either
by the leaves of the cocoa-nut tree, the bread-fruit tree, or the
kukui {Aleurites). The temperature was slightly lower than
that of the Samoan group, but the air so much drier that I

92 CRUISE OF THE 'CUBAQOA.'

found it mucli more enjoyable than at Pango-Pango, or
Apia, where I always felt as if I was in a vapour bath. I
saw but two species of land shells, very small and like those
of Apia ; the small birds, also, that I killed were similar to
those I had previously met with. I saw fields of yams, of
taro of two kmds, sweet potatoes, bananas of tliree varieties,
and pine-apples not yet ripe. A hibiscus covered with large
yellow flowers was in abundance everywhere ; the papaw
apple, orange tree, pammelo or shaddock, the lemon, citron,
and other trees, grow marvellously well in the island, and
yield, it appears, fine large fruit. No trees that I saw were
at all remarkable for their circumference or height. A
species of ti-tree [Draccena) here and there showed its flowers
and fruit of a fine red. I also saw some plantations of ava,
and frequently came upon patches of land in good condition
for receiving crops. The ferns did not appear to me very
numerous ; those I saw were of the same species I had
previously met with in the Samoan Islands. I passed
through several villages, and met a good many natives ; the
women for the most part had tlieir bosoms covered with
a sort of small pinafore, which only reached to the waist,
and all of them had their hair cropped so close as to make
them undistinguishable, as far as their heads were concerned,
from the men ; and, by means of lime paste (chinam), they
brought the colour of their hair into a kind of harmony
with that of their skin, making their hair of a redder tint
than is usual in Samoa. The people of Nciafu and the
neighbourhood appeared to me very orderly and industrious.

VAVAU. 93

Oil all sides was to be heard the sound of the mallets used
ill making tapa, whieli, far from being disagreeable to me,
had something as it were musical iu its hollow tone. I
obtained some particulars respecting the mode of preparing
this fabric; the bark employed is never more than two
inches wide ; small narrow strips are first manufactured,
and then glued together by means of arrowroot, so as to
form pieces of any length or width desired. Oil also appears
to be a product much attended to, as we saw in every
hamlet two or three canoe-shaped bowls filled with cocoa-
nut pulp, which is submitted to the sun's action for the
purpose of being converted into it. Compared with any-
thing I had yet seen, all around me appeared clean and
comfortable. Many of the houses w^ere surrounded, as with
walls, by palisades made of cocoa-nut leaves cleverly twisted ;
though generally resembling in their forms and roofs those
I had already seen in other places ; they had this pecuharity
about them, that they have mats of cocoa-nut leaves closely
attached to each other hung round them ; they have each
two large entrances facing each other, the sleeping part
being separated by a partition of mats. Of the chapel at
Neiafu, which is of an elliptical form, with a roof carefully
and even elegantly made, I am tempted to give the follow-
ing description by Captain Erskine,^ as illustrative of the
artistic skill of the natives : 'This building is of large dimen-
sions, being 100 feet long by 45 wide, and 28 or 29 high.
In general design it resembles those of Samoa, having

' 'Cruise of the '• Iliivauiiali,'' ' p. 117,

94 CRUISE OF THE 'CUEAQOA:

curved ends iiud a higli-pitclied roof. It differs from them
in having two rows or orders of cokimns, every three of
the lower supporting a sliort beam, from which s^^rings
tlie second order, bearing the ridge-pole. This, as well as
all the horizontal beams, is most beautifully ornamented
with cocoa-nut plait, so arranged as to give the appearance
of Grecian or Italian mouldings, of infinite variety and
delicate gradations of colour, black, witli the different shades
of red and yellow, being those employed. Different com-
binations of interlacing diamonds or rectangular figures
formed the groundwork of these designs ; but the same one
was seldom twice repeated, and, the size of the pattern
being nicely proportioned to the distance from the spectator's
eyes, the effect was very artistic and pleasing.' The natives
w^ere busy, when I saw them, making ' for the love of God'
a handsome road round it. Tliere is, moreover, in the
village a house for the use of the council, a sort of town-
hall.

Next day I went with some of the officers to the
govei'nor's, hoping to find horses on which we coidd make
an excursion into the interior. This personage, David
Unga, is, as I have said, son of King George, sovereign of
the Friendly Islands, which comprise the Ilaafuluhao
Islands (improperly called the Vavau group), tlie Hapai
Islands, and the Tonga group, including Tongatabu. David
is heir ap[)arent to King Geoi'ge, being his son by one of
the wives His Majesty discarded, on becoming Christian,
at the instance of the missionaries ; the only t,)ne he had by

VAVAU. 95

tlie wife he retained having died. The governor is a very-
tall, imposing-looking man, in spite of the loss of an eye,
the resnlt either of an accident or a wound in war. He
w^as also minus two fingers, cut off as a tribute, according to
the custom of these islands, to some deceased relatives.-^
David has the reputation of being a great warrior, and a
friend of civilization ; he speaks a little English, provided
there be no missionary within earshot. I found him dressed
in a piece of tapa, which he told me he changed every
three days, and which covered all his body with tlie
exception of his legs and feet. He has a bed and some
old furniture of European make ; his flag, the same as his
father's, is red, with a cross of the same colour on a white
ground in the upper corner. He has two children, a girl
and a boy : his daughter, twelve years old, is strongly built,
and has her breasts perfectly developed, as is usual in a
country where the women are generally mothers before
they are thirteen. His son, wlio rejoices in the name of
Wellington Ngu, is an intelligent-looking boy about ten
years old. David says he is going to send him to Sydney
to be educated, and adds, he will gladly pay 300/. a year
for his education.

Papalangi Jonah Pokahorse was with the governor at
the time of our visit, and appeared to be on terms of great
intimacy with His Excellency. This self-styled Briton,

' In Hawaii a similar tribute is paid by breaking off a tooth to the
gum. I have seen many men and women who have had several teeth
broken off in this way.

96 CRUISE OF THE •CURACnA.'

from whose lips issued mori; lies than truths, told us he had
been in the island four years, the fact being, as we were not
long in learning, that he had only been there some weeks,
having been expelled for theft from some other island
where he had been living. It was this person, nevertheless,
wliora the governor instructed to procure horses for us, and
to be our guide.

We proceeded on horseback by a pretty road shaded by
cocoa-nut and pandanus trees, and fragrant with the white
flowers of a leguminous plant resembhng the pea. Being
informed that any^one might at pleasure make use of the
cocoa-nut trees which border the roads, I did not fail to do
so, more especially as no water was to be found on om-
way. We passed groups of prisoners of both sexes, busy
in constructing a road, which is to cross the island with a
stretch of nine miles. I was informed that there are
offences, adultery for instance, which are punished by a fine
of from twenty to thirty pounds sterling, or by hard labour
for a year, and even more. Hard labour involves the
making and keeping up of roads, which are thus generally-
maintained in good condition. Our ride did not add much
to the sum of our knowledge respecting the island, but we
were all of opinion it would be difficult to find a more
agreeable one, so pretty and well shaded were the roads.
At a hut where we stopped, I purchased different native
articles, such as an ava-bowl, which cost me a dollar, and
some spears at two shillings each, &c. I also procured a
curious wooden pillow, such as young women receive as

VAVAU. 07

presents when they are about to be married, and whicli
they keep, it is said, witliout ever nial<ing use of them ;
but the one I have seems to liave done good service ; it is
made of a hard dark wood, and covered over with a greyisli
paint or enameh

The soil of Vavau is of a dull red, and of so friable a
nature that it crumbles in the hand like the ashes of
Pompeii. Lava is to be found in many places, and a white
stone riddled with holes, which some refer to the coral,
but which appears to me to be rather a species of lava, hke
that formerly thrown out by Vesuvius, and which is still
found in the Bay of Naples. This stone is very hard,
heavy, and susceptible of a very fine polish. The igneous
origin of these countries is, moreover, proved by the little
island of Latte, situated some miles to the west, where
there is now an active volcano, which I was sorry not to
have visited. There exist on the coast of Vavau some
curious caves which were visited by my fi-iend. Lieutenant
Meade, from whose MS. I have borrowed the following-
description : — • The first cave was well worth inspection ;
the mouth was broad enough to admit our two boats easily,
and there was sufficient water in neaiiy every part to float
a fi'igate. The stalactites and columns under the high-
domed roof resemble gothic arches. The bright sunlight
streaming through the narrow gateway of the cave, through
the singularly clear water, and reflected up from the
sparkling stones, and coral at the bottom full five fathoms
deep, shed a beautifid series of lights and tints, shades of

98 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAgOA.'

delicate blue and gi-een, over every part of the walls and
vaulted roof. At the innermost end of the cave there is an
upward slanting passage over rocks and luider arches, the
further end of which is lighted by some direct communica-
tion with the open air above. One or two of our men
scrambling up to explore the place, now in sight, now
hidden from view, almost comically reminded one of the
" Eobber's Cave " business in an opera. The next cave we
visited was smaller and less remarkable. We then made
sail before the wind to a cave with a submarine entrance.
This is the scene of the romantic adventure in Byron's
poem, " The Island," wherein it is well described under the
name of " ISTeuha's Cave." The native tradition is that the
family of a certain chief having been condemned to exter-
mination for rebellion, one of the daughters, a very beautiful
girl, was prevailed upon by her lover to accompany him by
night to this cave, which he had accidentally discovered
not long before, while diving for turtle. Here he kept her
concealed, visiting her nightly with food and fresh water,
till an oj:)portunity occurred of escaping together by canoe
to the Fiji Islands, where they remained undistm-bed in their
connubial bliss, till the death of the Tougan viceroy
enabled them to return to Yavau. Two sticks placed
crosswise over a ledge of rock marked the position of the
entrance to the cave, which would have otherwise been
very difficult to discover ; for above water there Avas no
sign whatever of an opening, nothing but nn unbroken and
almost overhanging chfT. When, on the boats stopping, the

VAVAU. 99

water was still for a second, becalmed by the boats, or
wlien the fierce glare of the sun being kept off the glancing
surface of the Avaters by the overhanging rocks made the
sea transparent, then a darker patch than usual among these
coral covered rocks was seen some eight or ten feet deep.
This was the entrance. One of the natives — skilled divers — ■
who accompanied the chief, went overboard from the galley
with the end of the boat's lead-line. The first time he
seemed to fail, and rose again almost immediately ; the
second time he disappeared in the direction of the cavernous
darkness, arid remained out of sight for eight or ten
minutes, when he returned after having made fast the end
of the line in the cavern, and rose again to air and day-
light. The chief (David), who had talked so glibly of
taking down one of us in each hand, now did not seem
very anxious to distinguish himself in that line ; so the
captain, who, whether in the hunting field or elsewhere, is
always " to the front," persuaded two of the most expert to
take him down into the cave.' After entering the passage
the skipper became unable to withstand the natural tendency
of his body to rise, thereby repeatedly striking against the
sharp projections which form the roof of the passage, and
the natives grasping him, one by each arm, had to keep
forcing him down through nearly all the length of the
passage, which the lead-line showed to be about 30 feet.

' The officer referred to was Captain Luce, of H.M.S. ' Esk,' to wliich
sbip LieutenaBt Meade was transferred soon after tlie arrival of the
' Cura(,'oa ' at Sydney.

H 2

100 THE GBUISE OF THE ' GUBAQOA:

This to a man not acciistomecl to protracted diving was
rather exhausting, and en reaching the surface of the water
witliin tlie cavern he liud to be helped across the short
distance which separated them from a ledge of rock, just
visible in the dusk, whereon they sat and rested. The little
light within the cave was derived solely ft'om the reflection
through the mouth of tlie submerged passage, save
when the watei"s within were disturbed by the swimmers,
then the phosphorescent light displayed was more beautiful
and brilliant than anything of the sort lie had ever seen
elsewhere, and he induced the natives to cross the cave in
all directions for the sake of admiring the streams of liquid
fire which followed every motion of their limbs. In return-
ing, after having passed the lowest point of the passage, the
glare of light, shining do^vn wards through the waves from the
open air beyond, repeatedly caused him to attempt too soon to
rise, thereby coming into collision with the rocks overhead.
The natives now refused to take anyone else down ; they said
that " the men of the sea are too short-winded," and that after
the difficulties they had had to keep the chief of the great
war-canoe clear of the roof of the passage, they feared tliat
an accident might happen should they attempt it again.
And, in truth, the appearance of our worthy chief was such
as in a great measure to cool the ai-doui-, and lessen the
disappointment of those who had been most anxious to
follow his example ; for his exhaustion for a minute or two
was such that, on showing above water, he had to be helped
to the boat, only a yard or two distant ; his complexion had

VAVAU. 10]

turned to a colour of bleuded ^'ellow and green, and after
liaving been lifted into the boat his first act was to appease
the fishes, whose sanctum he had invaded, by feeding them
most liberally. The natives said the correct way to proceed
is to dive in the ordinary manner to the entrance of the
passage, and then, turning on one's back, keep oti' the roof
witli hands and feet till the cave is reached. By the cap-
tain's account the interior (jf the cave, as fur as he could
judge by the fitful light, fully bore out Byron's description.
The legend that we heard agreed with that given in
Mariner's " Tonga" in the main, but some of us were told
ihat, whether from want of air, or anxiety during her stay
in this submarine or subterranean prison of refuge, the
young bride's hair turned grey. At the time of our visit I
had never read " The Island," nor, oddly enough, was I or
most of my messmates aware that this was the cave
described by Mariner and the theme of Byron's poem ; and,
diving being tit all times not only disagreeable but pahiful
to me, I had not concealed the fact that the retiring
modesty of my natiu'e woidd prevent the cave from ever
being inconveniently crowded by my adding to the nimiber
of its inmates. I fancy that if ever I should revisit the
spot, I should feel inclined to try the experiment of letting
a deep sea-lead slide down the line, which woidd lodge at
the lowest point of the bight, and so afford a fair leader to
keep one clear of the rocks above.''

The population of Vavan and of the small adjacent

' Mcadu MS., H.JM.S. 'Esk,' i. pi.. 18-25.
* ., ■■

102 Till!] CliUlSli OF THE ' CUUACOA:

isles, included by the nalives iu the general name of
Ilaafuluhao, now amounts to 4,000, a number indicating
a considerable diminution within a few years. The
causes of this are supposed to be emigration to other
groups, shipwrecks, and the destructive effects of certain
epidemics, such as intermittent fevers, diarrhoea, Avhooping-
cough, which have very recently done great mischief.
The population has also suffered from other diseases, such
as dysentery, phthisis, scrofula, affections of the bladder,
ophthalmia, different kinds of ulcers, and a disease known
bv the name of tona, which very nuich resembles fram-
Ixpsia. Though the climate is very debilitating to the
Avhites, it is said not to V)e worse than that of the other
Friendly Islands, nevertheless the average temperature of
Vavau is higher, reaching to 90° in the shade through the
greater part of the year.

The actual form of government may be delined a limited
monSrchy ; but it is right to observe that the country is
in a state of transition, caused liy the cflects of Christianity
which the Weslej^an missionaries have introduced, and
which has been embraced by the greater part of the in-
habitants, including a very small number who have become
Eoman Catholics. The laws have been (;ollected into a
printed code, and there is reason to believe that moralitv
is on the increase in spite of the bad examples set bv
the whites who occasionally visit these islands. Illicit sexual
intercourse, adultery, theft, backbiting (very civilized
features by the by) arc the most u^ual ofl'cnces.

VAVAU. 103

The island possesses no indigenous mammifers, those now
found in it being of recent introduction. On the other hand,
there is a great quantity and variety of fish and Crustacea.
The birds, as I have ah-eady remarked, present no great
variety of species, and resemble those previously met with
during our cruise.

Besides the vegetables I have mentioned, cabbages and
onions are cultivated. The principal product of tlie island
is cocoa-nut oil ; sugai'-cane is grown, but on a very
small scale ; the same may be said of the cotton-plant.

104 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

CHArTEIi VI.

TONOATABU— TONGA r77?ODT— oontimu-d.

(July 17 to 2i.)

\iiniei'oiis Islands — Volcano of Latte — First Trip on Shove — Royal Palace —
Schools — Muscular Christianity — The Wesleyan Mission and its Chapel —
Captain Croker and the Siege of Bea — Msit to King George — The King's
Eeturn-visit — His Majesty dines on Board — Fear of tlie French — A. Dinner
at the King's — Catholic Missionaries — Council House — The Kava-ring —
Public School Examinations — Xative Diversions — Reniarliable Monument^
The Island and its Productions^Cliniate — Malndii'S — Populalion — The Race
and its Customs — Christianity and its Effects — Relations of the Tongans with
the Fijians — Governnieut and Constitution.

().\ July 15, at seven o'clock .\.Ji., we left the deep watens
of the port of Vtivau, and steamed towards Tongatabu.
We took what is called the passage of the ' Astrolabe,' and
saw a number of islands which, though Ij'ing low, that is to
say, not more than from five to ten feet above the level of the
sea, presented a very pleasing appearance by their verdure,
and their trees growing down to the water's edge, The
smallest are of a roundish form, but the largest are oblong.
Pretty bays gracefully indent their coasts ; the soil of all of
tliem appeared to me to be volcanic. On our starboard
side, but at a distance from us, rose the volcanic cone of
the little isle of Latte, from which a Avhitish smoke issued.
In tlic afternoon we sighted the low isles of the Ilapai
grouj) ; towards evening our soundings showed onl_y ten

TONGATABTJ. ]0.5

fatlioms, and it became oln-ioiis tliat we were but a slioi't
distance from a reef, from wliicli proceeded an odour
strongly resembling that of fish. The wind, that had been
always ahead since we left Norfolk Island, continued to be
unfiivourable, which compelled us almost the whole time to
keep up our steam.

On July 17, after passing through some twent_v small
islands of but slight elevation, and all covered with vegeta-
tion, we cast anchor about one o'clock p.m. in tJie port of
Tongatabu, just opposite the lung's house. The most striking
object in this regal village is the church ; it stands about
GO feet above the level of tlie sea, on a small hill covered
with a variety of trees. The island appeared to us to lie ver_y
low, and, after the church and some dwellings, what most
attracted our attention was the sandy shore with a coral
reef about 150 yards distant.

Numbers of small canoes with outriggers soon crowded
about the ship freighted with pigs, poultry, large branches
of bananas, cabbages, onions, yams, cocoa-nuts, oranges,
shaddocks, limes, madrepores, shells, and small white
cowries, which are made use of to ornament their canoes
and the roofs of their huts. They were soon followed by
two Protestant missionaries, Messrs. Whewell and Moulton,
who came to visit the Connnodore.

Meanwhile I went ashore witli some of the officers, and
as it was ebb tide our launch could not approach the shore,
so we were obliged to be carried to land, wliich M'as
efTected bv means oi' a littcii' consistiiii;' of tM'o lon<!: bamjjoo

106

THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAgOA.'

poles, conuected in tlie centre by a piece of strong netting,
whicli made a safe and comfortable seat, and was supported bj-
a man at each end. The King has resolved to have an open-
ing cut through the reef, which has been partly done, but
it is much to be feared that it -will not be very soon ac-
complished. We proceeded to the palace, which stands on
a pretty lawn ornamented with casuarinas, and surrounded

KINO GKOitCK"? IIOrSK, TOXOATAItU.

bv a fence of cocoa-nut leaves. The casuarinas had boon
planted, so wo were told, in memory of a bolovod son, who
had died at 1 years of age. It is said that, since this loss,
the King's disposition has been so much altered by his grief,
that he has become very melanclioly and silent, which, how-
ever, has not prevented his adojiting othoi" cliildron. among
will nil wi> wore shown lh(^ nno lli;it is liis lavniiritc. whose

TONGATABU.

107

uaiuu is Maiifu. At tlie palace gate were two sentinels or
guards in red shirts, coats not alike, black trousers, Avithout
any weapons but a switch or small stick. The royal
mansion is not large, but very neatly built, and the wood-
work of the roof is prettily wrought after the fashion of
the country. The interior is divided into three compart-

.wvA'

^Vf,

Qf i:t:N Of TONGA.

ments or chambers, by partitions made of cocoa-nut leaves.
The Queen, who, as we were informed by oiu' photographer,
was a most portly personage, occupied the first of these
compartments, and as she was at the time ill we could not
see her ; the second is the King's room ; as to the third,
into which I could barely gel a peep, it seemed to be a sort
of lumber-room. Mats made of ihc leaves of the [)andamis

108

THE CRUISE OF THE 'GUUACOA:

cover tliu earth-floors o'i the tliree rooms. From llie beams
of the roof were suspended two sofas, and alongside of them
the sail and oars of the King's gig. The fnrniture, of Ger-
man make, is of wood stained pnrple and green ; it ap-
peai'ed quite new, and consisted of sofas, a sideboard, a
drawing-room table covered with a red cloth, and purple

'\^^'jJ

KING GEOKGE OF T».'>(.A.

and blue chairs ; upon the sideboard were bottles of various
forms, some containing champagne, two bottles of port wine,
and a tumbler full of cigars. The King is a very tall man
with an intelligent countenance, and, in spite of his
colour, has an imposing air. lie may be about 05 j-ears
old, and has the reputation of having been in his j^outh a
distinuuished warrior, lie was extremelv reserved, and did

TONGATABU. 109

not exhibit to us anything approaching to a smile. We
communicated with him through an EngUshmau, named
Moss, who is his interpreter and private secretary. We
were offered a glass of wine which we declined. After
having thus paid our respects to the King we asked his per-
mission to make a tour in liis domains. He replied that he
had great pleasure in granting it, and we retired from the
royal presence.

We crossed through the village by the principal street,
which was filled with natives. The houses, oblong in shape
instead of round as at Samoa, are for the most part sur-
rounded by a small inclosure shut in by the usual fences
made of cocoa-nut leaves, and are shaded by bread-fruit
and other varieties of trees. We went to the public school,
then to the college, which is called ' The Institution,' situated
behind the former on the same grass-plot. There we met
with the two Weslej-an missionaries with their children,
who were waiting to show us over their establishments.
The public school was empty ; as in those I had already
seen, it was void of benches or desks, the scholars being
in the habit of sitting on mats. The Institution, which
is intended for training masters and mistresses, who must
pass an examination before they are qualified to teach, con-
sists of twenty small houses built in two lines parallel Avith
each other, with a broad road running between ihem.
These houses or huts are covered with sugar-cane leaves,
and are divided into three compartments, by the usual cocoa-
mit-leaf partitions ; one of them serving as a bed-room,

:10 THE CBUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

another as a study, the middle one being tlie dining and
sitting room. To each liut is attached a small garden
prettilj' laid out, where the students grow bananas, pine-
apples, sugar-cane, cabbage, onions, lettuce, sweet potatoes,
&c., also some ornamental plants, such as the native croton
with its brilliant yellow and green leaves. Some of the
students are married, of which I had evidence in the case of a
young woman whom I saw asleep with her baby under a tajia.
On leaving the Institution, we met on the road a tall
handsome young man who was galloping on a horse which
the Eev. IVIr. Whewell had ordered him to bring. The
heedless servant had, I suppose, disobeyed the orders of the
missionary, who having made him get off in quick time gave
him on the spot six or seven smart raps on his bare back and
shoulders with a small stick he had in his hand. The delin-
quent, who was big and strong enough to have doubled up his
master had he been inclined, received the chastisement with-
out the least wincing, and went about his business, while we
continued our walk. On exprtissing our surprise that this
young native should have suffered himself to be thrashed in
this way by a man so nuich his inferior in strength, Mr.
Whewell told us he was oiten obliged to treat the natives
in this way, because, having been accustomed to receive
them from their chiefs, they thought nothing of a few
blows ; and that occasionally it was necessary to stir them
up in this way to make them attentive and heedful. It is to be
observed, however, that a certain consequential bearing to-
wards the natives seems rather a peculiarity of the Wesleyan

TONGATABU. Ill

missionaries. Captain Erskine was much sti'uck at Vavau aud
Lifuka with the difference in this respect between these mis-
sionaries and those of the London Society, in the Samoan
Islands. At Lifuka, to his great surprise and disgust, one of
the missionaries sharply reproved a chief of high rank for
daring to sj^eak to him standing. No doubt this arrogance
will hereafter have a reverse. We shall one day have
some lamentations like that of missionary Woon, who, when
speaking of the New Zealanders,^ says : ' They now eat the
finest wheat ; many are dressed with comfortable clothing,
and ride on horses like gentlemen ; while they ride the
missionary walks.' These melancholy facts are given to
show ' tliat their spiritual docs not keej) pace with their
temporal prosperity,' and that ' they have yet to learn the
scriptural lesson, that it is more blessed to give than to
receive.' A lesson, however, which in liis own case he does
not seem to have appreciated. It is sad to think that the
delicate and difficidt process of civilization should be left to
people often so little intelligent as to be capable of uttering
such rubbish, or so strangely selfish as to be envious of the
well-being of those whom they undertake to elevate. The
youth's indiscretion arose, no doubt, from the passion of the
natives for horses, about sixty of which are to be found in
the island.

Shortly after witnessing this singular scene we went in
with the missionaries to pay our respects to their wives.
Mrs. Whewell seemed a nice sensible woman. Mrs. Moul-
' 'Life of Leigh,' p. 496.

112 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

ton was not entirely a stranger to some of us; she had
come out from England to Australia in the same ship with
Mr. Veitch, the able horticulturist attached to our expedi-
tion, who was glad to meet her again. This estimable lady
had left her country for Sydney expressly to marry the
missionary, and had reached Tongatabu with her husband
a few weeks only before us. About the mission houses
were to be seen some old women with old-fashioned bonnets
on their heads, which made them look like perfect frights.
In one of these mission houses we saw a pretty green and
blue parrot with a bi'ight brown breast ; this bird, common
enough in the Fiji Islands, is very rare in the Tongan group,
where it is only found in the small island of Eoa to the south-
east of Tongatabu, from which this specimen came.

The Protestant church is a handsome edifice, completely
finished, divided into three naves by two rows of triple
cohunns of iron-wood, which they have made the mistake
of painting. The internal walls are neatly boarded up to
the roof, and have large windows in them ; the framework
of the roof is of cocoanut-wood, and the thatch is made of
sugar-cane leaves, tastefully bound together Avith fine string.
The pidpit is of handsome dark-coloured wood. In the
place of stone there is a floor made of wood brought from
Sydney. Benches there are none, the congregation squatting
on the floor ; and in this way about 801) persons have suf-
ficient room. 350 workmen were employed for six months
in building this church, and yet the total expense did not
exceed 600/. ; the labour for the most part being given free

TONGATABU. 113

of charge, otlierwise'it would have cost five times as much,
the day's wage of a native being on an average two
shillings.

Near tlie church door is the tomb of Captain Croker, who
was killed in the assault on the fortress of Bea. A brass
plate nailed on a piece of wood, shaped like a tombstone,
bears this inscription : ' Sacred to the niemoiy of Walter
Croker, Esq., commander of H.B.M. ship " Favourite," who
was killed in an attack upon the blockade of Bea, June
2], 1840. Eenewed by H.M.S. "Juno," October 1856. J.
Bresnahan sculpsit.' Bea is five miles from Nukualofa, the
village where the King dwells. It was, at the time of tlie
assault, a village fortified by an earth embankment surmoun-
ted by a stockade fence made of cocoa-nut leaves. Captain
Croker advanced against the embankment with a six-pound
carronade and a small field piece, and led the assault against
the ' heathen ' with a sword in one hand and a Bible in the
other ; for tlie attack was a crusade against idolaters, not
improbably suggested by King George and the Missionaries.^
When he had reached an opening which was used as an
entrance into the inclosure, the captain received a shot in
the body and a bayonet thrust in the arm, which compelled
him to fall back as far as a large tree, where he received
another shot which finished him. Several of his men were

' This fanatical conjunction between the Bible and the Sword, so
familiar to us in the history of Europe (though perhaps less literally-
expressed), 'all for the glory of God,' seems still more strangely
revolting when exhibited in these remote and comparatively peaceful
regions.

111. THE CRUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA:

killed or Avouuded and the cannon tak'en by tlie besieged,
who were thus masters of the field of battle. Croker was
buried on a height, at a spot pointed out by himself to the
Missionaries when setting out for the attack. At some yards
below the fortifications of Bea are to be seen the tombs of
two missionaries who were massacred by the natives. Speak-
ing of tombs I will mention here that the natives bury their
dead in graves they dig not far from the sea ; when
visited the biirying-groimd my attention ■was called to the
tomb of the father of the reigning King, undistinguishable
from the rest, and whitened over as they were. All these
gi'aves are foinid upon a slight elevation, and are properly
attended to ; some of them had stripes npon them from
one end to the other — a stripe of white stones on one side,
black stones or a sort of red coral in the middle, and
green stones on the other side. It had a very good
effect.

The day after our arrival I accompanied the Conuiiodore
in his official visit to King George. Apprised of our coming
by his secretary, the King had the polite attention to send
us four men with a bamboo litter to take us from onr boat,
and bring ns dry shod to shore. The royal flag, red, with
a cross of the same coloiu' in the middle of a white square in
the upper corner near the staff, floated upon a stone platform
near the palace. On entering we found the Kins di'essed in
a blue coat with naval buttons, a white waistcoat and shirt
of the same colour, with a black satin neckcloth, black
trousers, and shoes. At his side were Mr. Moss his secre-

TONGATABTJ. 11-5

taiy, and Mr. Whewell tlie missionaiy, Avho acted as our
interpreter. Tall and robust as he is, the King is not
precisely corpulent ; his feet are large, and his left foot
seems to be partially paralysed. I was a good deal struck
with the very dignified air with which he received us. "We
were told that he understands Englisli tolerably well, but
that he has never spoken it. The Commodore briefly ad-
dressed him as follows : — ' I am very glad to see the King
of the island, and to find him in good health. It gives
me great pleasure, as Her Majesty's representative, to find
your country in so peaceable a state, and your subjects so
Christian-like. I should be very glad to offer you any
assistance in my power.' The King replied through his
secretary, that he was ' very happy to see Sir William, and
that it was now a long while since a British man-ofwarhad
visited Tongatabu.' It was then arranged that the King
should come on board the next day at half-past nine a.m., to
examine in detail the largest ship he had ever seen, and
we took our leave, after a promise from his majesty that he
would come and dine on board the ' Cura^oa ' the day
after he had visited the ship. We saw that a new wooden
palace was being put up with a verandah all round it, the
whole of which had been made at Sydney on the plan of
the bungalows of Norfolk Island : it was nearly finished,
there being only wanting a few planks that were expected
from Australia.

It would seem as if the King had a fancy for house build-
ing, inasmuch as when he was visited by Captain Erskine

lie TEE CEVISE OF THE 'CUBAQOA.'

at Lifuka, in 1849, he was occupying a house temporarily
until tlie new one was finished. The arrangements were
pretty much the same as here described ; there was a table
and two chairs, but the King and Queen Avere found seated
on the ground. The King at that time was a fine-looking
man about 45 years old, tall and powerfully built. He was
lightly draped in native cloth, as was also the Queen, a strong
handsome woman, with her only son, an intelligent boy
seven or eight years old, seated by her. He was attended
by a page of about 1-4, named George, who being sent on
board with a message caused infinite fun by his clever
boyish impudence, making himself quite at home, returning
joke for joke, and rendering himself so popular as to be
sent back to shore loaded with presents.

King George has a nice, smooth-built, fast -looking galley,
and a small sailing schooner, which I saw at anchor near his
residence ; he has also one of the few" carriages to be foinid in
the island. Next morning at half-past nine, as had been
agreed upou, the King came on board our ship. To his cos-
tume of the day before he had added a pair of hussar's
epaulettes, a cocked hat and feathers, which he held constantly
in his hand, while his secretary and factotum, Mr. Moss, kept
on his cap. The 'Cura^oa' paid his majesty the honours
which were his due, and the ' Falcon,' that had arrived the
evening before with our despatches and letters, and the
news of the assassination of President Lincoln, did the
same. After ' God save the Queen ' by the band, the King
was conducted through every part of the ship, and, to

TONGATABU. 117

amuse him, some Armstrong guns were discliarged, the
shells and balls of whicli made so powerful an impression
upon him that he could not help saying, ' liad he not been
aware tliat we were made of flesh and blood, he would liave
taken us for supernatural beings.' Having himself been in
his youth a distinguished warrior, it can be easily under-
stood what attractions our ship must have had for him.
Indeed, whatever reminded hini of his warlike exploits, and
of everything associated witli war, could not fail to be ex-
tremely agreeable to him, for at his outset he was merely
the chief king of the middle group, that of Hapai, and it
was by right of conquest that he added the other two
groups to his crown.

The day following, tlie King came to dine with the Com-
modore, who of course treated him with every luxury that the
situation was capable of. Our royal guest had sent a turtle
on board, and an attempt had been made to tin-n it into
soup, but so unsuccessfully tliat it was to nobody's taste,
which we all seidously felt was a disgrace to the British
flag. Thougli he had made a voyage to Sydney, where he
liad the opportunity of seeing ice, tlie King had never drank
iced cliampagne ; gi-eat therefore was liis surprise and great
his joy when he tasted that which the Commodore gave
him, l)ut of whicli he drank moderately, for besides being
temperate he is accustomed to drink port wine and cham-
pagne at his own liouse. In a word his manners were
thought excellent, his dress unexceptionable ; he knows
how to behave in a society of gentlemen, and is never for a

118 THE CRUISE OF THE ' GUEAQOA.'

moment deficient in trne dignity. The ship's band played
throughout dinner ; towards the end the Queen's health was
drunk and tliat of the King. In fact his Tongau majesty
had 'I'ood reason to be satisfied with his entertainment, and
instructed his secretaiy to convey his thanks to tlie Commo-
dore. This secretary, Mr. Moss, of whom I have already
spoken, is an intelligent man, though not so well educated
as might be wished ; he is very shy or very nervous ; at
table he could not sit on liis chair without continually
fidwettiug with his head and hands : it is said that, before he
was in the King's service, he kept a shop on the shore. He
informed us that the King has had a mistrust of the French
since tliey took him unawares, by making him drunk on
board one of their ships, for the purpose of inducing him to
sign a document to whicli he objected, and which he cer-
tainly never would have signed with a cool head ; hence, as
Mr. Moss added, he does not Hke the French, and all the more
so, because he feels lie has been their dupe. I have heard it
said too that tlie natives of the Friendly Islands, as well as
those of Samoa, are apprehensive that the French may one
day come and carry off the Protestant missionaries, as they
did in the Loyalty Islands.

It was the King's pleasure to make a return to the Com-
modore for the attentions he had received on board the
' Cm'a9oa,' and he therefore gave us a dinner at his jjalace,
Avhere we sat down eight. The courses consisted of a sort
of Juhenne soup, several dishes of fish and crabs, two fine
turkeys, two pigeons, a pair of fowls, a delicious dish of

TONGATABU. 119

taro baked in banana leaves, and seasoned with cocoa-nut
milk and sugar-cane juice, &c. &c. Euinart's champagne
was twice served round ; English bottled beer flowed co-
piously. There were also bowls of cocoa-nut milk, besides
port wine, pale and brown brandy. There was no sherry, this
wine not being to the King's fancy. At dessert appeared enor-
mous fruit pies, plum puddings, and cheese. We were waited on
by two women, the one stout and fat, of pure native blood, the
other a half-caste, of a trimmer figui'e, who spoke English well.
Eveiything went on with great deliberation, and the dishes
were as cold as if they had been prepared the day before.
We learnt afterwards that the King had not only himself
ordered the dinner, but had also superintended the cooking
of it, and we regretted that he liad not instead thouoht of
offering us a simple repast aftei- the fashion of the country.
Cigars were brought in at the end ; there was no question
of coffee. The King again instructed his secretary to ex-
press his thanks to the Commodore for having been treated
by him in a manner he had never experienced from any
other person, and the better to testify his sense of the obli-
gation he declared hiVuself ready to do whatever would be
agreeable to him ; an offer of which we coidd not doubt the
sincerity, for liis majesty had been so thoughtful as to order
his subjects to get for us a great number of pretty live sea-
shells.

Two French missionaries favoured the Commodore with a
visit, I acting as interpreter. They were M. Chevron, ' pro-
vicaire apostolique,' a very amiable old man, and M. Samaze,

120 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' GURAQOA.'

Catholic missioiiiuy. I took tliein over the ship, of wliich
they noted tlie cleanliness and admired the machinery. The
first informed me that he had been for thirty years in the
Pacific, and tliat he had lived with Bishop Bataillon, the
actual bishop of the Samoan group, whom I had seen at
A[)ia. We cliatted a long while, and I heard them express
very decidedly their doubts of the natives being disposed to
accept as the King's successor the person he might nominate.
They seemed to think it was impossible to foresee what
would happen at the King's death.

The Commodore and myself returned the visit of the
two missionaries. Tliey live at the village of Maofanga,
.situated at about one mile from the Kind's residence, and to
the east, on the seashore, in the midst of trees. They came
out to meet us as soon as we were in sight, and then showed
us their churcJi, which is a tolerable one, but very far fi'om
beuig as pretty or clean as that of their rivals the Wesleyan
mi.ssionaries. It is ornamented with a representation of the
nine stations, poorly enough executed. The bell is suspended
between two posts fixed in the cartli outside the church.
They then took us into their house, built at the bottom of a
large garden, and as poor in a[)pearance as in reality. We
remained half-au-hour chatting in a little dark room, wliile
a crowd of natives stood about tlie door to have a look at
us. The missionaries were much gratified by our visit, and
distributed cocoa-nuts among our boat's crew. They then
led us across the village, picturesquely situated under the
shade of trees, and called our attention to a ditch and em-

TONOATABU. 121

baiiknient inclosing a part of it whicli formerly served for
a fortification. We next walked along the cnrve of a little
bay, when our attention was directed to a pandanus, or screw
pine, which threw out from its top roots that descended to
the ground. We returned to the ship during a glorious
sunset, the liorizon being draped with magnificently gilded
clouds.

I have just remarked that the church and mission house
of the Catholic missionaries contrasted unfavourably in
appearance with those of the Protestant missionaries, pro-
ducing an impression of much less attention to order and
cleanliness. And, in point of fact. Captain Erskine informs
us, that the people here struck him as being less clothed and
cleanly in their persons and homes, than others of their
fellow-natives.^ This difference, to the disadvantage of the
converts to Komanism, is a matter of general remark, and is
also an unavoidable result. For, while the Catholic mis-
sionary, for the most part, glorying in his poverty and
privation, is content to invest his religion with a certain
physical squalor, the Protestant missionary, having no such
ambition, labours to associate his with much attention to
physical well-being. The pattern set before the natives by
the former, is copied more or less from the habits of the
anchorite, and is so far incapable of instructing them in the

' Erskine, p. 149. He adds : ' I beard also among tlie younger
officers of our party, complaints of pockets picked and handkerchiefs
stolen, showing a more lawless state of life, and a retention of their
old habits, which were so obnoxious to their early European visitors.'

122 THE CBUISE OF TEE ' GUBAQOA.'

habite, tlie needs, and the tastes of civilized men. Tlie
Protestant missionary, on tlie contrary, tliongh he may,
especially if he be a Wesleyan, gloomily dislike the gayer
aspects of social life, and have no repugnance whatever to
making his converts sombre and sad, has a decided desire
to see them comfortable and clean, and in possession of
those household and otlier appointments and resources
which continuous exertion and industry can alone supply.
While, moreover, in the Catholic missionary, the natives see
an indifference to many personal matters that would hardly
be tolerated in their native priests, they must also re-
mark, in connection with him, an absence of that momen-
tum and energy of action Avhich in the white excites their
surprise and commands their respect. It is reasonable to
infer, therefore, that such of them as embrace the Catholic
faith belong to the most languid and unenterprising of their
race, and that they shoidd exhibit a decidedly inferior capa-
city of progress as compared with those of their fellow-
natives, Avho have been stimulated into action by more
energetic men.

That a most deplorable feeling of enmity should exist be-
tween these rival teachers is unhappily a matter of course.
It is by no means a new phenomenon in this quarter of the
world. Years ago it was remarked and lamented in New
Zealand that, whatever might be the amount of religious
proficiency, sectarian controversy was at all events con-
spicuous, and that ' disputes between Weteri, Hahi, and

TONGATABU. 123

Pikopo (that is, between the followers of Wesley, the
Church, and Bishop of Rome) were carried on through the
length and breadth of the land.' ' Fortunately things are
somewhat better in Eastern Polynesia, where Weteri and
Hahi, finding tliey cannot hunt harmoniously together,
have agreed to conline themselves to their separate hunt-
ing grounds. But now comes in Pikopo to poach on the
manors of botli ; and violent indignation is the necessary
result. The Wesleyan and Eoman Catholic missionaries are
especially bitter against each other. A curious illustration of
the kind of warfare which they carry on to one another's
annoyance is to be found in the account of the Eev. James
Calvert's missionary labours in Fiji.^ It appears that when
Sir J. Evorard Home, of H.M.S. ' Calliope,' visited Eewa, the
priest of that place wrote to him complaining of the con-
duct of the Wesleyan missionaries, stating, among other
things, that they were in the habit of exhibiting pictures
representing the cruelties formerly practised by those they
styled 'Popish persecutors.' This the gallant officer in his
reply admits ; but, on the other hand, he reminds the priest,
that lie, ' with several officers of his ship, had seen hung up
in the priest's houses at Tongatabu pictures representing a
tree, from the branches of which all who did not adhere to

' 'Quai'terly Review' for June, 18-54. See also Dr. Tbomson's
' The Story of New Zealand,' vol. i. p. 327. He .says, that at Taranaki
the feud between Weteri and Hahi rau so high, that the parti.sans of
the one set actually erected a fence and lined it thickly -with fern,
so that the other might not see them ! — p. 325.

2 ' Fiji and the Fijians,' vol. ii. pp. 182, 183.

1-24 THE CRUISE OF THE ' GUBAgOA.'

the Popish Church were represented as feUiag into hell fire.'
Such are the weapons with which these godly men contend
against each other, for the honour of propagating a religion
of which charity and love are allowed to be the eminent
characteristics ; and such are the weapons they will continue
to use to the manifest degradation of that religion, until the
stern common sense of society refuses to permit the nobler
instincts and aspirations of Christianity to be sacrificed to
the narrow interests of Weteri, Hahi, and Pikopo.

Having visited the two mission establishments I took the
opportunity of visiting the council-house, where a public
meetino- was to be held. It is a laro-e building containiu"'
a single room, with a number of doors or entrances ; the
fioor, which is of eartli, was covered with mats as in the native
houses. The King I foiuid seated in a chair at one end of
the hall, and Mr. Moss at the other ; in the middle some
twenty of the principal chiefs were squatted on the mats.
I heard several speakers discoursing on state afiairs as if
it had been the exclusive business of their lives. The
costume of these senators appeared strange enough to
European eyes ; tnttooings for pantaloons, and around their
waist a large piece of floAving tapa ; they spoke without
rising. Mr. Moss's principal business was to take down the
speeches in shorthand. The subject of the actual discussion
had reference to the plantations of the cofiee tree, Avhich
grows admirably well in the island, and the object was to
determine how many of these trees each inhabitant should
be bound to plant.

TONGATABU. 125

At about three miles from the royal village is to be found
a shallow piece of water, but just deep enough for very
small canoes holding a couple of persons, and thither I
went to have some duck shooting, which affords capital
sport liere. This lake, the water of which is brackish,
is bordered with bushy mangrove trees, into which the
wounded birds escape when they do not choose to do so by
diving. I saw a quantity of ducks and killed some, besides
an owl and a heron. In this excursion I saw several
fields of kava very strong and vigorous. This plant plays
so important a part on occasions of great public ceremonies,
that I am tempted to give an account of the curious pro-
cesses of preparation and distribution as I find them de-
scribed by the Eev. Mr. Williams in his account of the Fiji
Islands and their inhabitants,' and by Mariner, whose account
of them Mr. Williams cites as being one of the most accu-
rate that has yet appeared : —

' More form attends the use of this narcotic in Somosomo
than elsewhere. Earlv in the mornino- the kinii's herald
stands in front of the royal abode, and shouts at the top of
his voice, " Yaqona!" IIei-cui)(;>n, all within hearing respond,
in a sort of scream, " Mama " — " Chew it ! " At this signal
the chiefs, priests, and leading men gather round the well-
known bowl and talk over public affairs, or state the work
assigned for the day, while their favourite draught is being
prepared. When the young men have finished the chewing,
each deposits his portion, in the form of a round dry ball,

' ' Fiji and the Fijians,' vol. i. p. 141.

126 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBArOA.'

ill the bowl, the inside of which thus becomes studded over
with :i hirge luimber of these separate little masses. The
man who has to make the grog takes the bowl by the edge
and tilts it towards the king, or, in his absence, to the chief
ap23ointed to preside. A herald calls the king's attention to
the slanting bowl, saying, " Sir, with respects, the yaqona is
collected." If the king thinks it enough, he replies in a
low tone, "Loba" ("Wring it"), an order which the herald
communicates to the man at the bowl in a louder voice.
The water is then called for, and gradually poured in, a
little at first, and then more, mitil the bowl is full, or the
master of the ceremonies says " Stop ! " the operator, in the
meantime gathering up and compressing the chewed root.
Now follows,' adds Mr. Williams, ' the science of the pro-
cess, which Mariner describes so accurately, that I cannot do
better than transcribe his account. The strainer is composed
of a quantity of the fine fibrous vau (hibiscus), which is spread
over the surface of the infusion, on which it floats, and " the
man," says Mariner, " who manages the bowl now begins his
difficult operation. In the first place, he extends his left
hand to the farther side of the bowl, with his fingers pointing
downwards and the palm towards himself; he sinks that
hand carefully down the side of the bowl, carrying with it
the edge of the vau ; at the same time his right hand is
performing a similar operation at the side next to him, the
finger pointing downwards, and the palm presenting out-
wards, lie does this slowly, from side to side, gradually

TONGATABU. 127

descending deeper and deeper, till his fingers meet each
other at the bottom, so that nearly the whole of the fibres
of tlie root are by these means inclosed in the van, forming,
as it were, a roll of above two feet in length, lying along
the bottom from side to side, the edges of the vau meeting
each other underneath. He now carefully rolls it over, so
that the edges overlapping each other, or rather interming-
ling, come uppermost. He next doubles in the two ends,
and rolls it carefully over again, endeavouring to reduce
it to a narrower and firmer compass. He now brings it
cautiously out of the fluid, taking firm hold of it by the two
ends, one in each hand (the back of the hands being up-
wards), and, raising it breast high, with his arms considerably
extended, he brings his right hand towards his breast,
moving it gradually onwards ; and, whilst his left hand is
coming round towards his right slioulder, his right hand
partially twisting the vau, lays the end which it holds upon
the left elbow, so that the vau lies thus extended upon that
arm, one end being still grasped by the left hand. The
right hand, being now at liberty, is brought under the left
forearm (which still remains in the same situation), and
cairied outwardly towards the left elbow, that it may again
seize in that situation the end of the van. The right hand
then describes a bold curve outwardly from the chest,
whilst the left comes across the chest, describing a curve
nearer to him, and in the opposite direction, till, at length,
the left hand is extended from him, and the light approaches

128 THi! CliUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

to tlie left shoulder, gradually twisting the vau by the turn
and llexures principally of that wrist. This double motion
is then retraced, but in such a way (the left wrist now prin-
cipally acting) that the vau, instead of being untwisted, is
still more twisted, and is at length again placed on the left
arm, while he takes a new and less constrained hold. Thus
the hands and arms perform a variety of curves of the
most gracefid description ; the muscles, both of the arms
and chest, are seen rising as they are called into action,
displaying what would be a hue and uncommon subject of
study for the painter ; for no combination of animal action
can develop the srt'ell and play of the muscles with more
grace or with better effect. The degree of strength which
he exerts wdien there is a large quantity is very great, and
the dexterity with which he accomplishes the wdiole never
fails to excite the attention and admiration of all present.
.... Sometimes the iibres of the van are heard to crack
Avitli the increasing tension, yet the mass is seen whole and
entire, becoming more thin as it becomes more twisted,
while the infusion drains from it in a regular]}- tlecreasing
quantity, till at length it denies a snigle drop." The man
now tosses the dregs behind him, or, with a new lot of vax,
repeats the operation, until the liquid is clear and fii, for
use. The yaqona being ready for use, a person approaches
in a sitting posture, with a cup, or frequently with two,
one holding water to be drunk after the infusion ; the vau
is laid over the cup, and the liquor poiu'ed through until it
is full, when the herald, addressing the cup-bearer, says,

TONGATABU. 129

' A woi ceri call ! ' ' Stand up ! ' While tlie man obeys, the
herald offers prayer thus : —

' Me loma vinaka na kalou
A lutu mada na tokalau.' '

The cup-bearer, in a stooping attitude, presents the cup
to the king, who pours out a few drops — the hbation — and
then drinks, while the whole company chant, ' Ma-nai-di-na :
La-ha-si-ye : a-ta-mai-ye : ai-na-ce-a-toka : Wo-ya!yi!yi!
yi! ' All now clap their hands together, producing a quick
and merry measure, finishing abruptly. The triple yi ! is
uttered in a high key, and followed by a shout, in which
the people round the house join ; those who are more
distant catch and repeat the sound, imtil it is carried for
beyond the boundaries of the town. Not to shout would
be considered disloyal.

After the king, the herald names the next in rank, who
notifies his position by slowly clapping his hands twice or
thrice, and the cup-bearer carries him his draught, which,
whether it measure one half pint or three, is drained with-
out pausing. Other individuals are named in the same way,
until all have had their morning cup. There are some
variations in the details of this ceremony in different locali-
ties, but the main features are the same.

During our stay, the commodore presided at a distribution
of prizes among the children of all the Protestant schools,
assembled for the occasion. Arrangements were made to

' ' Let the gods be of a gracious mind, and send a wind from the
east.'

130 CBUISE OF THE 'CUBAQOA.'

render this ceremouy, which took place in tlie Wesleyan
chapel, as effective as possible. The band of tlie ' Cura9oa,'
placed around the pulpit, played a variety of airs. Besides
the two missionaries, already mentioned, there was a third,
the Eev. Mr. Stevenson, who resided at Mua, twelve miles
in the interior. The scholars, boys and girls, were clustered
in tlie church under the superintendence of their respective
masters. Some of the girls, in addition to their crinolines,
wore muslin gowns witli flower patterns. After singing a
hymn, the examination, at which I assisted as one of the
judges, began ; first, the scholars were directed to write
upon slates, which some of tliem did excellently well ;
the best of them being the young Eachel, a schoolmaster's
daughter, a girl about sixteen years of age, as pretty as
intelligent. There was then an examination in reading
from the Bible, which proved that the natives as quickly
acquire the capacity of reading well as the whites. This
was followed by an examination in aritlimetic as firr as the
rule of three. This question was put : ' If a piece of tapa
measures so much, how many will it require to reach from
Tongatabu to London, the distance being, say, fifteen thou-
sand miles ? ' a sum which the majority of the scholars worked
with surprising rapidity. Sir William distributed as prizes to
tlie winners two books, one of which was the Bible, three small
hatchets, some pieces of red cotton print, and some pocket-
handkerchiefs. He then addressed them in a short speech,
congratulating them on their proficiency, and telling them
' that their reading and writing would compare with that

TONGATABU. 131

iu very many schools in England ; that they should be
thankfid for the advantages of schoohng with which they
were blessed, and try to improve themselves, and be grate-
ful to their missionaries and teachers for the trouble and
time they had bestowed upon them.' The Eev. Mr.
Whewell undertook to translate to the scholars what had
been said.

There was room to beUeve that the education of the
children at Nukualofa, which had been neglected, but was
now vigorously attended to, owed this benefit to the in-
trusion of the Catholic priests, against whom it was a defen-
sive measure.^ It would seem to be the fate of education
everywhere to excite no interest except as it may be made
an auxiliary of sect. Tonga in this respect is no worse off
than England has been.

In the afternoon of the same day the scholars took their
turn to give us a fete. It came oflf on the lawn of the
Wesleyan mission house, where a great number of young
girls and some boys had assembled in order to play what
they called the game of ' One-y, two-y, three-y, four-y,'
which words are sung in a monotonous tone by some, while
others answer with the same equivalents in the Tongan
tongue, ' Taha, na, tolu, fa.' Thus singing they go round
iu rings, dwelUng some little time on each leg, and bending
up the other and trotting round with a bent knee, and flap-
ping their hands up and down in the air, and then smacking
them against their bodies, the upper parts of which were
' Erskine, ibid., p. 154.
* K 2

132 CRUISE OF THE ' CUIUQOA.'

naked and thickly smeared with oil. Around their hips
they had a roll of tapa, with a garland of pandanus nuts,
flowers, grasses, creepers, &c., nicely plaited up with leaves
into a girdle, with a fine white underbark hanging about it
in long shreds. They varied in appearance. The teachers
led the game, and, when tired, all halted awhile. They
executed all sorts of figures. Many of the natives came as
spectators of these games, and among the dancers were to
be seen several pretty well-made girls, some having their
hair tinted red, some white, and others again yellow, this
latter hue being derived from powdered sandal-wood.
When the game was over, the dancing girls advanced
towards the commodore, and having divested themselves of
their ornaments and dress, laid them at his feet in a great
heap. Sir William carried off all these trophies in his boat,
not choosing to hurt the feelings of the young ladies by
refusing their offerings.

At the back of the island, about twelve miles from
Nukualofa, one of our officers, Mr. Foljambe, who went
there by boat, found a very curious object which had already
been mentioned by Mr. Moss. It consisted of two per-
pendicular rectangular blocks of stone about thirty feet in
height, supporting a large slab across the top surmounted
in the middle by a large bowl of the same material. Its
history seems to be entirely unknown, but it is very natural
to suppose from its form, that it was connected Avith some
ancient kava ceremonies, and it is a remarkable fact if,
according to the information which Mr. Foljambe received.

TONOATABU.

133

the stone composing it is not to be found in any other part
of the island. The Island of Tongatabu is thirty-six miles
in length from east to west, and eight miles in width from
north to south ; its form being that of a crescent with ir-
regular edges. The soil is fertile, and seems to be composed
of lava, and covered here and there with a layer of coral,
with indications of a slight anterior upheaval. I observed
here, as at Vavau, a heavy compact stone like the white lava

STONE aro^■u^(E^'T, tongatabu.

found on the shores of the Mediterranean, of which bracelets
are made at Naples. Neither rivers nor freshwater springs
are to be met Avith ; the wells that are sunk yield nothing
but brackish water; to remedy tliis inconvenience, deep
notches are made in many of the cocoa-nut trees for the
purpose of catching rain water. An excellent road, some
twenty feet wide, goes from one end of the island to the
other, throwing out branches towards each village.

134 CRUISE OF THE 'CURAQOA.'

The principal indigenous plants are the cocoa-nut tree,
sago, breadfruit tree, the vi, or native apple, the taoa (a
kind of plum), the titlka (a kind of pear), garlic, and the
tilia, something like the almond, the shaddock, the banana,
the kukui, Aleurites triloba or candle-nut tree, and different
varieties of taro, and yams ; of the last several specimens
were sent on board the ' Cura^oa ' by the king, measuring
two feet and a half in length, with a diameter of from six to
eight inches. There are besides several less succulent roots,
which are resorted to in times of scarcity or famine. The
ferns are less abundant, less numerous in species than in the
islands previously visited by us, and do not appear to be
specifically different from them ; but one species only is
arborescent. These plants are more numerous in the island
of Eua, the Flora, as well as the Fauna, of which are said to
be remarkably different from those of Tonga tabu.

The plants introduced are the orange, the lime, the lemon,
and citron ; pomegranate, custard-apple, china-apple, tama-
rind, the loquat, fig, cape-gooseberry, pine-apple, coffee tree,
cotton plant, kumala, or sweet potatoe, carrot, cabbage,
turnip, parsnip, cucumber, melon, pumpkin, lettuce, onion,
parsley, mint, peas, beans in great quantity ; there is also,
as at Vavau, growing everywhere a white pea said to have
been introduced by the French missionaries. Peaches and
nectarines have been also cultivated, but without success.

We heard of no indigenous mammifers in the island.
The ox, horse, sheep, pig, goat, dog, rat, rabbit, ass, are
imports.

TONGATABU. 135

Birds are numerous. Among them are tlie parroquet, the
wild and tame pigeon, duck, fowl, curlew, the biki (a kind
of grouse), the kalia (something like a guinea fowl), the
crane, turkey, the tu (a kind of pigeon), the grey owl, the
bekebeka (a kind of swallow), a grey bird with a head
large and out of proportion, a beautiful species of red-
breasted parrot, pecuhar to Eua, the moho a beautiful
bird of which the natives say that ' its plumage is made up
of the choice feathers of all other birds.' I also observed
some butterflies.

Of fish there is an endless variety ; turtles abound on the
coast, and oysters about the neighbouring islands. There
are also centipedes, a small white scorpion, like that of
Vavau, lizards and water-snakes. These snakes are said
not to be venomous ; but on examining one, two feet long,
scarcely as thick as my little finger, and marked with
pretty rings alternately white and black, I perceived
two small fangs that are characteristics of venomous
serpents.

As regards weapons, the natives have adopted those used
by the whites. They still retain their drums, which are
made of part of the trunk of a tree hollowed out, and
which they beat with a small mallet. They use double
canoes.

The com-nercial products of Tougatabu are cocoa-nut oil,
about 100 tons annually, of the value of £7000 ; aiTow-
root, tapioca, cocoa-nuts, and husks, and cotton. The king
has in late years planted some 20,000 coffee trees, and it is

13(3 CBUISE OF THE 'CUEAQOA.'

hoped that this example will be followed. Turning his
attention to cotton planting, he required that every man
should plant a certain number of cotton trees ; this was done,
of course, but in spite of the most stringent regulations the
crop had never been gathered hi anything hke a satis-
factory state ; time and practice will however cure this.

The principal articles of commerce in request by the
natives are clothing, cotton prints, hardware, &c., which they
pay for in silver or in oil, yams, pork, and poultrJ^

DOCBLE CASOE.

Tlie climate is very moist during the summer, with a
mean annual temperature of 84° Fahr. in the shade. The
months of December, January, February, are debilitating
in the extreme on account of the excessive heat and heavy
rains in that season. Intermittent fevers, dysentery, phthisis,
scrofula, are the most common diseases. Hooping-cough,
which made its first appearance in 1864, lias been fatal in
a number of instances. In ordinary years the mortality

TONGATABU. 137

among adults is 3.', per cent., and among childien it exceeds
4^ per cent.

The population is diminishing in Tongatabu ; it consists
of nearly 9000 souls, and, in the small islands which make
part of the group, is distributed as follows : — Eua, 500 ;
Eua-iki, 100; Atata, 100. The Island of Kaaffa, or
Pilstaart, is at present uninhabited, its population having
latterly emigrated to Eua. Kaaffii is but three miles in
its greatest length, and without any anchorage ; it is the
most southern isle of the group, and also the most elevated,
having an altitude from GOO to 800 feet. The number of
whites at Tongatabu is fifty-four. The inhabitants live in
villages which do not exceed sixty-eight in the whole of
this little group. The natives generally intermarry with
their own relatives, and it would seem that there is but
little acquaintanceship between one village and another.

The Tongans belong to the great Malayan family, as do
the Hawaiians, the Tahitians, the Marquesans, the Samoans,
and the New Zealanders. They are a fine race, tall,
robust, of a lighter complexion than the inhabitants of the
other isles that we have visited in this cruise. They have
little or no beard. Thouerh their noses are flat and their
nostrils wide, many of the men and women might pass for
handsome types. The higher class among the Tongans is
very distinguishable by its physical characteristics from the
common people, being of loftier stature, and lighter colour,
from better nourishment in childhood, and less exposure
afterwards ; their manners are as courteous as those of the

138 CRUISE OF TEE 'CURAQOA.'

Samoans whom they greatly resemble ; but those of the
lower class are less poUshed thau the corresponding class in
the Samoan group. ^

It is a pity that the Avomen, following the fasliion of the
men, cut their hair veiy short and stain it with chinam,
which gives it a reddish tint ; two customs which they put
down to the score of cleanliness, as being preventives
against vermin. The women are accustomed to leave their
breasts bare ; to check this there is a law imposing a fine
of five dollars on any woman seen outside her fence with
her bosom uncovered, but this does not appear to be very
strictly carried out.^

The Tongans were formerly addicted to cannibalism, but
in a very restricted way it seems — that is to say, in only
exceptional cases ; they have now for years abandoned this
savage custom, and have become a very decent sort of people.
The offences most frequent among them now are petty thefts,
fornication, and sometimes burglary ; assassination is rare,
but two cases having occurred within ten years. The
London Mission Society attempted the conversion of these
islands as far back as 1797, but was compelled by the war
to abandon its project ; in 1822, the first Wesleyan missionary
landed at Tongatabu, but owing to a variety of circumstances,
the mission was not fully established until 1826. There

' Erskine, p. 156.

'^ Ibid., p. 158. — Descent is by the female line, as in tlie Sandwich
Islands, and consequently the women have an honourable position.
Their domestic relations are said to bear comparison with those of
any civilised state.

TONGATABU. 139

are no longer any avowed heathens ; all the natives have
embraced Christianity, the greater part of them as Wesleyans,
the remainder, about 1200, as Eoman Catholics.

Primary instruction is so extensively diffused that nearly
everybody knows how to read.^ But what is regretted is
that the people have not, as means of increasing their know-
ledge, other books than those that are merely religious, and,
for the most part, translations published by the missionaries
themselves. Though there are to be found in the country
artisans, both European and American, it is said, and the
fact is curious enough, that there is not a single native
acquainted with any handicraft. In spite of a well-regulated
government, and a code of laws in complete action, the mass
of the people has scarcely made any advance in industrial
pursuits since Captain Cook visited these islands. This
slackness of progress is attributed to the climate, which
renders clothing unnecessary, to the abundance of breadfruit
trees, which furnish fruit to the inhabitants nine months of
the year, and to the small amount of industiy required for
their sustentation during the other three months. The
Tongans are more indolent than many others of the Ocean
tribes to which they presume to think themselves superior,
and are entirely indebted for their reputation to the personal
merit of their king, who is far beyond his subjects in his
zeal for progress and his thorough appreciation of the bene-

' Englisli is said to be tolerably understood by tlie Tongans, but
little spoken in consequence of tbe difficulty presented by tbe pro-
nunciation of the consonants. Ibid., p. 162.

140 CRUISE OF THE ' GUBAQOA:

fits of civilization ; hence it maj' be asserted without fear of
error, that the cause of progress in these islands is to be
found exclusively in the king's personal influence, and the
example which he sets. Taxation is exceedingly heavy ; on
default of payment a man's whole property becomes forfeit
to the government. There is a poll-tax of four dollars
annually.

The Tongans were the first in tlie Western Pacific to
embrace Christianity, and this has been in no small degree
the cause of the vast influence which they possess over their
neighbours, whom they furnished with their first teachers.
In spite of this the Tongans, who have been in commercial
relations with the whites for more than thirty years, decrease
every year their demands for European merchandize. They
have not left ofi" the use of their native stuffs, and they prefer
paying their debts by the sale of their lands to discharging
them by any sort of labour whatever, by tlie preparation of
oil for instance.

The intercourse between the Tongans and the Fijians has
given rise to a cross breed which combines the leading
characteristics of the two people. This mixed race, which
occupies the windward Fiji Islands, always takes part with
the Tongans in any discussions which occur between the two
groups. Moreover, three islands of the Fiji group belong to
the Tonga Islands, the supremacy of which they have recog-
nized for several generations ; these are tlie islands of Moalo,
Mataku, and Vanua-Lava. Though there are not more than
two hundred Tongans in the Fiji Islands, the superiority

TONGATABU. 141

of their intelligence and courage, combined with the patriotic
feeling which unites them, renders them formidable enough to
make their alliance eagerly sought for in the contests between
the different tribes. Those who obtain it, however, have no
particular reason to be gratified by any victory obtained by
the aid of allies whose rapacity is such that they never leave
a district until they have completely ravaged it.

The states of King George Tuboa, whose royal title is
Tuikaixakubidu, comprise the three groups of Tonga, Hapai,
and Vavau. About thirty years ago they were independent
of each other, and it was the reigning king who subjugated
them, for the purpose of assuring the possession of them to
his successors. The plan he adopted was that of destroying
the power of the principal chiefs by taking possession of
their lands, and giving them, as an indemnity, an annuity
seciu'ed upon the public revenues. To the natives in general
he gave as much land as they could advantageously culti-
vate, and he granted to several whites temporary holdings on
moderate terms ; but on the ground, so at least he puts it,
of his territory being of small extent, he prohibits the sale
of any land to any foreigners. It is thought his successor
will be Maafa, one of his adopted children, but this is anything
but certain. In a trip he made to Sidney, King George was
so dehghted with tlie nature and form of constitutional
government, as to desire to introduce it into his own
kingdom ; unfortunately, he composed his parliament of the
chiefs he had dispossessed, and, as is natural, the object of
these is to recover their power, or at all events to augment

142 CBUISE OF TEE 'GUBAQOA.'

their allowance from the state ; the consequence of which is
that the taxation is very heavy.

The present constitution was adopted by the parliament on
June 4, 18G2. The chiefs then assembled under the presi-
dency of the king, at Nukualofa, were in number fifty-seven ;
a catalogue of their names, as given in the Australian
' Missionary Notices,' is highly suggestive, including, as it
does, those of Joel, David, Lot, Caleb, Josiah, Naphthali,
Zebulon, Israel, Samuel, Isaiah, Darius, Arminius, &c. The
regulations enacted by this Tongan senate will be found
in Appendix B.

OVALAU. 143

CHAPTER VII.

OVALAU— FIJI GROUP.

(July 26 to 29.)

The island of Neau — Anchorage at Levuka — A \isit on shore — The consul and
his clerk absent — Russell and his wares — A French lady and her turn for
natural history — Excursion into the interior — Pools at the waterfall of
Waitoba — Method of kindling wood — Appearance of the natives.

On July 22, a little before midday, the ' Cura^oa ' weighed
and stood off from Tongatabu in order to make for the Fiji
Islands. The ' Falcon,' which was going to New Zealand,
left at the same time, having on board Commander Duff,
whose wound, received more than a year before in a fight
with the Maories, would not heal in the chmate of these
islands ; the commodore replaced him by Lieutenant Dent,
who had already on several occasions acted in this capacity.

We had calculated upon taking with us the chief Maafu
as our pilot and interpreter, but, at the last moment, King
George objected to this, on the plausible ground that during
a previous stay in the Fiji Islands the young chief had given
himself up to drink.

A gentle breeze and a superb sea enabled us to go under
sail all the way. On July 24, in the afternoon, we threaded
our way through some twenty small islands of different sizes,

144 CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

all much more elevated than those of the Friendly Group.
After having passed through the passage betv?een the reef of
Bocatatanoa (or of the great Argo) and the Eeids Islands,
we found ourselves in the waters of the island of Neau, in
foce of the anchorage of Lakemba, where the commodore had
an idea of stoj^ping, but at the moment of standing in, he
changed his mind, and determined to bear off for the pur-
pose of reaching Levuka in tlie island of Ovalau. The
weather was very fine, though the heat and humidity were
greater than at Tongatabu. Huge swarms of flying fish
sported around our sliip as we made our way between the
reef of Motlie, at the southern extremity of the isle of
Nairai, and the island of Ngau. All these islands and others
which we sighted were surrounded by reefs and breakers.
We saw in the distance a pretty little cutter, which was
making its way iu the direction of Tongatabu, having a
number of natives on board, among whom we fancied we
saw two white men.

On July 26, at dawn, the weather glorious, the ' Cura^oa'
got up her steam to pass through a number of islands of
considerable elevation, curious forms, and all of them sur
rounded by reefs. They had the appearance of being vol-
canic, some fertile, some barren, the highest of them attain-
ing a clear elevation of more than 2000 feet. We were not
long in coming upon the island of Mbau, while in the
distance before us, the outline of the island of Viti-Levu, the
largest of the Fiji group, began to disclose itself We now
bore down upon Levuka, the port of Ovalau, which pleased

iaa,.i

'iiil'sf 1;

OVALAU. 145

US exceedingly by the pretty configuration of its coast and
uplands. Before reaching the reef, which bars the port, a
boat-full of natives came out to meet us, and put on board
one of its crew who sf)oke English well, and coidd act as our
pilot. The channel is quite wide enough to be easily run
into under sail in a fair wind, and of course was easy of
access and without any danger under steam. The water
within the reef was calm and smooth as glass. A number
of houses were visible on the shore, and the surrounding
landscape was remarkably picturesque, with its vallej's and
deep gorges. We dropped anchor about half- past 12 p.m.
in thirteen fathoms close to the shore, under a high clifl"
which comes down to tlie beach.

To lose no time I went ashore in the boat, which had
brought the pilot, and made at once for the English consul's.
The only person I found there was a clerk, a Mr. Scott,
from whom I learnt that the consul, Captain Jones, who has
received the Victoria Cross, had left a week before for the
purpose of exploring the interior of Viti-Levu, a. place quite
unknown to the Whites, and of attempting to cross it at its
greatest width which is fifty miles, its length being about
eighty miles. Mr. Scott informed me that the Commodore
would have had a good many matters to settle had Captain
Jones been upon the spot. This of course made our regret
at his absence all the greater. I learnt from Mr. Scott that
there are 60 Whites in the island, and 350 in the whole
group ; that it is in the three Fiji Islands belonging to the

146 THE CRJJISE OF THE 'CURAQOA:

Tongans that these islanders come to build those large canoes
on the construction of which the labour of years is employed;
that cotton is cultivated in the island of Ovalau, and that at
Eewa, on the island of Viti-Levu, several foreigners cultivate
it on a certain scale ; and that orange cowries are only to be
found on the western coast of Viti-Levu, between the point
of Eewa on the south-east and the island of Liku on the
south-west. The Consul's secretary had a single specimen
of this shell, but so handsome and perfect that he proposed
selling it for not less than £3. I visited several vendors of
curiosities who all set an exorbitant price on their articles ;
a notion of which may be derived from the sum asked rae
by an old sailor of the name of Eussell for a root of sandal-
wood weighing twenty pounds, for which he wanted fifty
dollars, or about ten shillings a pound, because, as he said,
this kind of wood was selling at the port from £50 to £65
the ton ; he also asked me £2 for a Pandanus mat from
Eotuma, which I had I'eason to know was not worth more
than ten shillings. I saw nothing in the business line could
be done with this cumiiiig, bronze-faced old tar, but when
on the point of leaving him he asked me if I should like to
see his two babies, to which paternal ]iroposition I, of
course, assented. He then, to my surprise, brought me
two old wooden goddesses — native idols, dressed in long
baby clothes, with very flat faces, mother-of-pearl eyes,
with their sexual characteristics clearly defined and very
remarkably developed, observing, as he handed them to me,
' Aint it curous that these people should wuship such things

OVALAU. U7

as these ; I can't make it out.' The costume of these divi-
nities was an addition of liis own.^ Another salesman
showed me a model of a buri, or Fijian temple, made entirely
of sinnet, for which he would not take less than four guineas ;
two specimens of these buris formed part of my collection.^

In the midst of a crowd which had gathered on the shore,
on account of our appearance in port, I was very much sur-
prised to see two white women, and to hear them speak
French. One of them, an English woman, was the school-
mistress, Avho had lived in France from six to seven years,
the wife of a man that deserted her after the birth of
a daughter married in the inland to a Mr. Moakler, the owner
of an estate on which he intends cultivating coffee. The
other was a very nice-looking French woman from Mont-
pellier, the wife of Dr. Graaffe, a German naturalist, in the
employ of the house of Godefroy of Hamburg, then absent,
having accompanied Captain Jones in his exploring visit to
Viti-Levu. Madame Graaffe came with the greater part of
the foreigners living in the island to pay a visit to the Com-
modore. On this occasion she requested to be introduced
into my workshop ; and there every thing she did and said
proved to me that she was at least the assistant naturalist of

' Williams, ' Fiji and the Fiji ans,' vol. i. p. 177, speaks of 'grim,
immodest representations of the human figure about eighteen inches
long, which are used on the larger islands to tenify the children into
quietness.' My friend's goddesses may have belonged to this category.
The probability is, that all such images have relation to that worship
of the principle of generation everywhere diffused.

^ One of them has been presented to the Christy Museum.

L 2

148 TEE CRUISE OF THE 'CU^AQOA:

her husband, and that she had liit upon her right vocation in
marrying a collector. I saw her touch tlie most disagreeable ,
objects which were in process of preparation, such as skins
partly flayed, plunge her fingers into arsenical soap, smell at
everything, try the strength of the forceps, handle dissect-
ing instruments, none of which assuredly tended to perfume
her hands ; in a word, she was fond of her occupation, and
not ashamed to show it. As a matter of course she invited
jf^fo visit her curiosity shop, which I took good care to do.
i went there that very evening with Lieutenant Meade, an
officer not only full of professional zeal, but anxious for
every kind of information. Madame Graafle lived in a very
small wooden house, unpleasantly warm from all tlie windows
being closed, and in which there was scarcely room to turn
about, so crammed was it with dijects belonging to the doc-
tor's collection. Two women servants, natives of the Samoan
Isles, were asleep on a mat in the first room with their mis-
tress's baby between them. The collection being particularly
rich in mollusks, I becsed Madame Graaffe to make a selection
of shells for me peculiar to the Fiji Islands. She was lively
and communicative ; what with her chat first about herself,
tlien lier shells, and tlien lier husband, I began to think I
should never get away. When the selection was made of
shells and other things, then came the packing up ; and.
as ^lere were a great many piinute species of land-shells,
they required careful packing ; the consequence was, it wftS-
past 12 r.M. before all was ready. Now came another
important part of the process, payings for tlic wliole. I

OVALAU. 149

asked wliat she wanted for tlie lot, and she said she would
leave it to me ; a most objectionable way of proceeding.
All I could say she would not name a price, laughing and
talking all the time. So finding it useless to try any more,
I said, three pounds, then fotir, and paused, and asked her
if she were satisfied ; and seeing clearly she was not, I said
Jive pounds, intending to go no further, and then asked if
she were not satisfied now ; she said she was ; whereupon
I laughingly took the liberty of suggesting to her she
might as well have stated her price at once. While all this
was going on the rain fell in torrents, and, what is unusual
at this time of the year, there were from time to time claps
of thunder. I was then obliged to face the storm, and got
back to the ship about one in the morning.

Among the white men who visited the ' Curayoa,' and
whom the Commodore received in a friendly way, was a
man wearing two silver medals, an old English soldier, who
had come to the island I know not how, and was keeping a
boarding-house, which did not seem to be very profitable.
Sir William offered refreshments to all his visitors, and at
the same time ordered the ship's band to play different pieces
for their amusement.

There is but one missionary in the island. Mi-. Moore,
who lives with his wife on a slight eminence about half a
mile from the sea. I paid liim a flying visit one day as I
was on my way into the interior of the island. He told me
he was born in Sidney, and was obliging enough to procure
me guides. I walked for two miles along the foot of a

150

THE VBUISE UF TEE 'GUBAQOA:

high crag, wliich appeared to me composed of coarse con-
glomerate. I then -went as for as a cascade, which had
nothing remarkable in it, and clambered up its rocks in
search of ferns.

Mr. Foljambe in his rambles was fortunate enough to meet
with a fine waterfoll, of which we have here his sketch,
about a mile and a half from the settlement, which consisted
of a succession of falls terminating in deep, narrow pools.
Natives were found jumping down the falls from one pool

PO0I£ AT THE WATKUFALL OF WAITOBA.

to another, the jumps varying fi-om twenty to thirty feet in
height. The sport seemed so attractive that Mr. Foljambe
and his friends were tempted to join in it, and pleasant sport
they found it.

In many places I saw plantations of taro wintered by a rill
whicli comes out of the cascade. To my great surprise, I
saw no birds. The path I was following was stony and
formed of lava. Gorges and vallevs covered throughout with

OVALAU. 151

a dense vegetation gave the country about a most picturesque
aspect. On reaching the top of the ridge the heat became
insupportable, especially as there was not a breatli of air
stirring. I gave up proceeding any further, and laid down
under the shade of a banyan tree, beneath which several
species of pai'asite plants were growing. During this halt
my guides amused themselves with lighting a fire by a process
I had often seen employed in the Hawaiian Islands, that is,
by the friction of one stick upon another.

My halt over, I set out on my return to the ship. On my
way I picked up some flat circular fruit, two inches in diam-
eter and one in thickness, — enclosed in a thick fibrous bark
— which I had boiled, and found to have a taste of chesnut.
I also saw some arborescent ferns. On nearing the coast, I
entered a village overshadowed by cocoanut trees, and was
soon surrounded by a crowd of natives, men, women, and
children, who appeared to me very ugly with their immense
mouths, and large prognathous jaws ; in fact, in the lower
part of their faces they resemble monkeys more than human
beings ; in general they wore, both men and women, a piece
of tapa round their loins. Their hair, harsh to the touch,
was more or less tinted red or yellow by chinam. They
brought me several articles which they wanted me to buy,
and among other things cocoanuts, at, as it seemed to me, an
unreasonable price. I bought for a shilling rather a fine
root of ava ; but it was with great difficulty that I could get
them to give me, for anything like a fair sum, a little brackish
water to quench my thirst. Most of the women had their

152 TEE GBUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA.'

little finger amputated on one hand, and sometimes on both ;
I also saw a man with his little finger ofi'. In the crowd
I observed several persons tolerably robust and strong, but
not one of them so well made as the natives of Nine, or of
the Samoan or Tongan groups. Towards nightfall, just as T
was going on board, I saw some small birds and a pretty
green parroquet, but, unluckily, the dusk did not allow me
to kill more than a couple of them.

■Biii

mM 1

153

CHAPTER VIII.

MBAU AND VITI-LEVU.

(July 29 to August 2.)

Mbau Roadstead — Boat Expedition in Viti-Levu to Rewa up Wai-Levu
River — Interview with Tui-Drakiti, King of Rewa — Courteous Reception — ■
Hospitality of Rev. Mr. Carey, Wesleyan Missionary — Tlie Natives and
their Huts — Return from Rewa to Mbau — King Thakumbau — Exchange
of Civilities and Arms — The great Kava Bowl — Stranger's House — Canni-
balism — Intellectual and Moral Characteristics of the Fijians — Singular
Treatment of Somo-Somo Chiefs at Mbau — Interesting I'icnic with the
Queen of Somo-Somo.

The ' CLifa9oa ' left the excellent port of Levuka for the
island of Mbau on July 29 at half-past eleven a.m., leaving
behind a planter to whom the Commodore had promised a
passage, and who was now seen coming in hot haste in a
canoe, having exceeded by two hours the time appointed for
him to be on board. We took with us as pilot, giving him
two dollars a day, a half-white named Charley Wise, the
son of a Fijian woman and an American who, deserting his
wife and child, had returned to the United States, and had
never since been heard of. When we had got out to sea
some distance the breakers bursting over the reefs had a
very fine effect, and we could at the same time see the
picturesque outlines of Ovalau. Moturiki and other Islands,
surrounded by reefs and rocks, were in sight. A light

154 THE CRUISE OF TEE ' CUBAgOA.'

breeze soon permitted us to crowd on sail, for the purpose
of making the twenty-five miles which separated the an-
chorage of Ovalau from that of IVIbau, where we came to
anchor at half-past three p.m., about three miles from the
beach. Mbau is a low isle, very near tlie S.E. extremity
of Viti-Levu, and has now the honour of being the capital of
the Fijian group, from its being the residence of the cele-
brated Tlmkumbau, formerly a great heathen waiTior and
cannibal, now a Christian king.

The day after our arrival the Commodore was apprised
by a written deposition and formal complaint, that a white
man, of the name of Creelman, a small cotton planter in the
island of Viti-Levu, had been beaten and wrongfully used by
some natives on the banks of the Wai-Levu. Being further
informed from another soiirce, that the offenders had escaped
punishment owing to the protection of two petty chiefs of
the interior, the one a heathen, the other a nominal convert
to Christianitj', Sir William thought proper to despatch an
officer to the King of Eewa, the suzei'ain or liege-lord of
these two chiefs, to call his attention to this matter, until he
could send the Esk to sift it to the bottom. Accordingly,
that very evening, a little before midnight, the cutter, Avell
armed and provisioned, left the ' Cura^'oa ' on its way to the
town of Eewa, in the island of Viti-Levu. The expedition
was under the orders of Lieutenant Meade, with Charley
Wise as pilot and interpreter, and I got permission to
accompany it. We had eight oars, wliich we reduced to six
for tlie sake of room, and in order to give the men the

MBAU ANT) VITI-LBW. 155

benefit of more frequent changes at the oars. The night
being dark and rainy, we for some time could steer only by
the lights of the ' Cura^oa,' and when we lost sight of these
we had recourse to the spirit compass, which was so thick
that we found it necessary to take out the screws, and clean
the glass. We grounded for an instant on a reef, and were
apprehensive that we should be obliged to remain in this
very awkward position till the flood tide. We pushed back
and got off the reef, and then took a large circuit round,
after running aground several times. We at length reached
a bay, which is the Wai-ni-ki or Kaba mouth of the Wai-
Levu, or Great Eiver of Viti-Levu. We tlien entered tlie
Wai-ni-ki, both sides of which were covered with man-
groves, and were rather flat. We met about 4 A.:\i. a boat
with six oars, and a number of people in it. They were
under tlie bank of the river, and we did not see tliem at
first. But they hailed us, and said they were ten white
men going down to see the Commodore, for the purpose of
presenting a petition to him, referring to the object of the
expedition. Creelman, who had been beaten by tlie natives,
was on board together with his witnesses. After a short
parley they were desired to proceed on tlieir course, and
not return with us as they proposed. On our way we saw
some ducks a little after daybreak, and, as they happened to
be on Meade's side of the boat, he got all the shooting.
These ducks appear to be the same as the common brown
duck which is found in Australia. I shot a hawk, which
fell in the cotton plantation of a white man, who had a

156 THE CBUISE OF THE ' GV11A(J0A:

house upon the point of an island in tlie river, and wlio
seemed ashamed or afraid to come near us. We lauded in
search of the victim of my gun, but could not find it, and
the shy or sulky fellow would not assist, though it fell close
by him. We passed a few native houses, and saw nothing
agreeable iu the way of scenery, the banks being flat,
wooded, and uninteresting. The river grew narrower until
we reached the Wai-Levu, or Big Eiver, which was about
300 yards across. We saw a great many native houses on
the banks of the latter which are muddy, and a great many
canoes goiug up and down upon it mostly laden with yams.
There are many islands in it, and also many shoal places, on
which we often got agi'ound. At length, about 10 a.m., we
reached Eewa, where we came upon a small schooner,
manned by some half whites, and having the King of Eewa,
Tui-Drakiti, on board. His Majesty, Avho has the reputa-
tion of loving his glass when he can get it, was sitting,
somewhat jolly, in the stern of the boat. He appeared to
be about fifty years of age. He was just off to do homage
to the memory of a Fiji cliieftainess, recently deceased,
taking with him a fine turtle as a tribute, which, on this
account, he could not divert to another purpose, more
agreeable and personal to ourselves. Meade gave him the
official letters from the Commodore, addressed to the culprit
chiefs iu the interior, which the Kins consented to liave
forwarded at once by a messenger. The object of them
was to rebuke the chiefs for allowing the people to take the
law into their own hands, when there was a consul to ap-

MBAU AND riTI-LEVU. 157

peal to, from whom they might obtain redress. The King
regretted he could not show iis the hospitality, which it
would have been his wish to do liad he not been compelled
to make his intended visit. After taking leave of him
and his party we proceeded on our way, still observing
a great number of native houses on both sides of tlie
river thatched with wild sugar-cane leaves, whicli plant has
very thin stems, and grows in great abundance. Occa-
sionally the houses were raised on piles, and sometimes
rested on a bed of coral. They w^ere not large, had two
very small doorways, the inside very dark, a hole at top to
let out tlie smoke, and mats on the ground generally ; none
of them are open round the sides, as in Samoa.

At length, about 11 a.m., we reached the house of Mr.
Carey, the Wesleyan missionary, situate near the river, but
raised considerably above it, and opposite to a point at
which the river separates into two Ijranches, wliich border
it on each side, producing, as it were, tlie effect of its being
at tlie junction of three streams. It was built of wood and
reed, and surrounded by a verandah thatclied with wild
sugar-cane leaves. We were received very kindly by the
missionary. The men were quartered at the King's palace,
where, through Mr. Carey's kindness, they were well attended
to. Immediately after our arrival, Mr. Foljambe, engaging
a canoe, proceeded with the interpreter and a native up to
Viria, passing Ijy Mr. Baker's mission station, where they
entered the mountain district, and made their way to
Naitasii'i, which Mr. Foljambe speaks of as a large native

158 THE CRUISE OF THE 'CUBAgOA.'

settlement. He found a dense population on the banks of
the river, which he says were Avell cultivated all the way
up. He delivered the letters to the two chiefs to whom
they were addressed, Tui-na-Viria and Koya-ma-kululu,
whom he found at Viria, a settlement of some size. His
instructions were not to wait for replies, which were to be
sent to the Missionaries. He therefore, after having been
provided with something to eat, and exchanging a few
presents, returned to Eewa, which he reached at 2 a.m.,
and was not sorry to find a berth in Mr. Carey's house.
The rest of the party were fast asleep.

In the course of the day natives brought us a number of
things for sale, among them were clubs, spears, mats, pot-
tery, &c. Some of the pottery was very curious, consisting
principally of sangas or water vessels, with rather tasteful
designs ; some representing turtles ; others a bunch of three
cocoa-mits, &c., with one handle, and all communicating
internally with each other. The substance of this pottery
is thin and friable. It is glazed, wliile hot, with the gum
or resin from the Dakua, or Fijian Kauri-pine {Dammara
vitiensis, Seem.), somewhat similar to the Dammara 'Aus-
tralis, or Kauri-pine of New Zealand. Some of this
gum I procured at Eewa, together with other objects of
interest, which were not dear.' The natives were civil and
obliging, and bore out in appearance the good character
which Mr. Carey gave them.

' Some of this pottery, &c., is to be found ia the Christy and Maid-
stone Museums.

MBAU AND VITI-LEVU. l-W

At six A.M. next day, after a welcome batlio in the river,
we set off on our return to tlie ship. The river presented a
lively scene, being full of natives, generally wading up or
down along the banks, carrying loads upon their heads, or
coming towards us to offer things for sale. The greater
part of the men that we saw had their clubs with them.
A fair wind canying us down the stream rapidly we had
little opportunity for sport. Meade killed a few water-
fowl, and I brought down a long-tailed parrot, with brilliant
plumage We reached the mouth of the river at half-past
one P.M., with oars and sails, and got on board the sliip two
hours afterwards, which was waiting for us with steam up,
ready for departure, hy which we unfortunately lost the
opportunity of a visit to Mbau.^ We further paid the penalty
of our expedition by missing the opportunity of seeing the
monarch of the country, who, with his portly wife, had paid
a visit to the Commodore during our absence. He was
described to us as being a fmer-looking man than most
Fijians, as having some beard, and wearing a white shirt and

' If instead of following the Wai-levu, or Rewa ri\'er, uj] its cii'-
cuitous course to nearly its junction with the Wai-manu and then
descending upon Rewa by another branch, the Wai-ni-Mbokasi, we
had taken the Kele Musu Canal, about four miles from the Wai-ni-ki
mouth, communicating in a direct line with the Wai-ni-Mbokasi, we
should have materially shortened our course. This canal is figured
in the map of the river Rewa and its tributaries attached to Mr.
Macdonald's very interesting paper in vol. xx\-ii. of the ' Journal ' of
R. G. S., article XIII. p. 232. According to Dr. Seeman the canal is
two miles in length and sixty feet wide, and navigable for large canoes.
Nothing appears to be known as to the time when, or any special
purpose for which, it was made.

ItiO

THE CRUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA:

tapa, or native clotli, rolled round his body, as will be seen
by the woodcut copied from the photograph taken ou
board.

Captain Erskine, who saw him about fifteen years before
our visit, appears to have been greatly struck with him.

^iTf^^^

KIXG THAKUMBAU AXD HB SO.V.

' It was impossible,' he says, ' not to admire the aj^pearance
of this chief. Of large, almost gigantic size, his limbs were
beautifully formed and proportioned, his countenance with
far less of the negro cast than amoncf the lower orders agree-
able and intelligent, while his immense head of hair covered
and concealed with gauze, smoke-dried and slightly tinged

MBAU AND VITI-LEVU. 161

with brown, gave \\m\ altogether the appearance of an
Eastern sultan. No garments confined his magnificent chest
and neck, or concealed the natural colour of the skin, a clear
but decided black ; and, in spite of this scantiness of attire,
— the evident wealth which surrounded him showing it was
a matter of choice and not of necessity — " he looked every
inch a king." ' ^ But, as respects the gigantic size, tlius and
generally ascribed to him, Dr. Seemann ^ was surprised to
find, on placing himself near him, that he was only six feet
high, the doctor himself being six feet two inches. He attri-
butes the exaggeration, however, partly to the fact that
persons not accustomed to see people in a state of nudity
are usually deceived about tlieir size, and partly to the fact
of his having worn, previous to his conversion, the large
head of hair alluded to by Erskine, which must have added
greatly to liis apparent height.

The following notice of this remarkable person and
his habits will not perhaps be thought superfluous. ' I
visited,' says Lieut. Pollard,^ ' Thakumbau, or Tui Viti, soon
after anchoring, and found him at dinner by himself, but
with several chiefs sitting or crouching near him, which is
tlie native posture of respect. I was struck with the
remarkable cleanliness observed in serving his food ; the

' Erskiue, p. 186.

'^ 'Viti: An Account of a Governmeut Mission to the Vitian, or Fijian
Islands in the years 1860-61, p. 73 : ' by Berthold Seemann, Ph.D.,
F.L.S., F.R.G.S. ; author of the ' Narrative and the Botany of H.M.S.
" Herald ; " ' ' Popular History of Palms,' &c. &c.

3 Erskine, p. 292.

* JI

162 THE GBUISE OF TEE 'GUBAQOA:

boards on which it was served, like small butcher's trays,
were very clean, and covered with banana-leaves, and the
food rolled up in small balls, and also covered with greeu
leaves. He had sevei'al different dishes, each on its own
tray, and each removed when finished by a little boy, who
crawled up to it and crawled back again. Lastly, he had
water brought to wash his hands and mouth, and when he
had finished there was a general clapping of hands by all
present.

With a countenance not only void of ferocity, but ex-
pressive of good humour, and wdth a character which has
shown itself consistent with the requirements of civilisation,
it is difficult to conceive that he should once have been a
caimibal a outrance, and have been in the habit of indi-
cating with his club the liodies suspended by their feet in
the royal larder, which were to have the honour of being
served up for his repast. There was an interchange of
civilities between him and the Conmiodore and also of
presents. The Commodore gave him his own rifle, a
Westly-Eichards, with which he was delighted, so delighted
that in retiu'n lie gave the Commodore his great kava bowl.
In heathen times it was around this bowl that the great
ceremonies and mysteries of the coimtry were celebrated.
It was in its presence that the ancestors of Thaknmbaii,
and this chief himself, if not actually crowned, received and
had confirmed to them the sovereignty of their dominions.
Many a sad tale could doubtless be told of the frightful
orgies committed, and of the scenes of carnage that were

MBAU AND riTI-LEVlT.

163

enacted, when the legs of this bowl Avere seen steeped in
human blood.

Happily these scenes have now passed away, a brighter
day has dawned upon the land, and Thakumbau, once the
terror of liis countrymen, has now become a professing
Christian, and it is to be hoped that ' the lion and the lamb '
may ' lie down together.'

'THE GREAT KAVA RO^VT- OF FIJI.*

We had no time to go and see the principal town of Mbau,
wliich is said to be very dirty.^ We could see a small fort

' Speaking of tlie open place at Mbau, where all the ordure of the
sacred city was deposited (Erskine, p. 191), remarks that it was the
only occasion on which he saw anything of the kind ; the natives
being scrupulously delicate in this respect. The explanation of this
exceptioa was the confined limits of the city, and the inaccessibility
of the beach.

164 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

there, mounting four guns, from wliicli Thakumbau saluted
the Commodore on leaving.

Before we left, news arrived that Thakumbau's warriors
had taken eleven villages or towns, which they waited his
orders to burn.

There is a liillock in the centre of the island, on which is
the mission house, and below is the dancing-ground, where
in the old time were held war and licentious dances, accom-
panied by the murder of prisoners and by cannibal feasts.
The ground, smooth and hard from the tread of thousands
of feet, is overshadowed by a great banyan tree, into the
thick trunk of which a slab of stone four or five feet square
is sunk, and forms a sort of table. This tree is the Akau-
tabu, the sacred tree, or, ' the tree with the forbidden fruit.'
Before cooking the victims, sometimes even before their
death, certain parts of the bodies of both sexes used to be
cut off, and hung in the branches of this tree, which was
sometimes perfectly loaded with this singular and i-epulsive
fruit. Behind this is a row of slabs of stone erect, with
their lower ends embedded in tlie ground, one of which was
used for dashing out the brains of the victims. Thakumbau,
before his conversion, has been known to amuse himself by
catching up by the heels the children of his enemies, and
flinging them at the slabs with his own hands. The same
sportive old fellow, on one occasion, cut out the tongue of a
captive chief, who had used it to beg for a speedy death,
and jocosely ate it before his face. Some officers of our
ship were shown anotlior braining stone situated in a different

MBAU AND VITI-LEVU. 1(35

part of the town, used by the fishermen tribe, sometliing hke
a milestone, but too sharp at the top to be used as a seat.
The mode of braining was this : the victim was seized by
two natives, one on each side grasping an arm and leg with
the head foremost ; they then ran with him as hard as they
could across the dancing ground, increasing their speed till
his head was split against the stone, a part of wliich, two
feet above the ground, has been worn smooth, it is said, by
the thousands of heads that have been knocked against it.
Near the stone is a double row of raised seats, or slabs of
stone, where sat the chiefs to direct the massacres, and enjoy
the spectacle. It is impossible to form an estimate of the
number of those who have been put to death in this manner ;
but it is a common saying among the Fijians, that all the
waters of the ocean could never wash away the blood with
which that soil has been saturated.

There is unquestionable evidence that cannibaUsm will
soon cease to disfigure any part of Fiji. Many places, it
would seem, have strongly protested against it ; as, for
instance, Nakelo, on the Eewa river ; and it is owing to the
aid of this opposition that the missionaries and consuls have
been, it is said, so successfid in its general suppression.^ It
would appear, too, that it has always been tabu, or forbidden,
to the common people and women of all classes, the chiefs
alone having the monopoly.

The origin of this practice is uncertain. It was, of course,

' ' Viti,' by Dr. Seemann, p. 179.

166 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA.'

an act of supreme revenge upon a fallen enemy, and we are
informed that the most violent exhibition of wrath one man
can manifest to another is to say to a person, ' I will eat
you.' ' In any action,' observes Dr. Seemann, ' where the
national honour had to be avenged, it was incumbent upon
the King and principal chiefs — in fact a duty tliey owed to
their exalted station — to avenge the insult offered to tlieir
country by eating the perpetrators of it.' But the same
writer thinks it worth enquiry, if their practice of cainiibal
feasts did not in some degree partake of a religious cere-
mony. His supposition, he thinks, countenanced by a very
singular fact. Not only are the ovens used for this purpose
never appro})riated to any other use ; but, whereas, every
other kind of food is eaten witli the fingers, three or four
pronged forks made of hard wood — generally of a species
of Casuarina — are used for eating human flesh. ' Every one
of these forks,' he says, ' is known by its particular — often
obscene — name ; and they are handed down from generation
to generation ; indeed, tliey are so much valued, that it
required no slight persuasion, and a handsome equivalent,
to obtain specimens of them for our ethnological collection ;
and, when they were aftei^wards shown to persons who
did not know how we came by them, they always looked
grave, and were especially anxious, that they should not
be displayed, especially before children.' ' ' My handhng

' ' Viti,' by Seemann, p. 179, 382. See also p. 192 of the same work
for an able comment on some of the charges against the character
of these islanders based upon some of their most repugnant practices.

MBAU AND VITI-LEVU. 167

them seemed to give as much pain as if I had gone
into a Christian churdi and used the cliahce for drinking
water.'

Tliere lias hitherto been a tendency to ascribe most of the
revolting practices of the Fijians, such as launching their
war canoes over the bodies of tlieir captives, using them, in
fact, as rollers, interring them at the base of the posts sup-
porting the chief's houses, or boiling or baking them alive, to
what is supposed to be an innate ferocity and love of cruelty
in these islanders. But it is admitted, that the peculiar
features of their religion, and the use made of them by their
priests, must have tended to infuse a taste for these revolting
practices. It requires, however, no great knowledge of the
antecedents of European civilisation, to be aware that the
greatest refinements of cruelty, and the most brutal disregard
of human suffering, have been, at one time or other and in
various places connected with religion at comparatively
advanced periods of national progress. Baking and boiling
alive have a terrific sound, and are regarded as indications
of a very savage condition ; but the slow combustion by fire
of the living heretic, the frightful tortures of the Inquisition,
or the peine dure et forte, and other brutalities of the civil
process, are facts equally remarkable for their cruelty,
equally depreciatory of our nature, yet were not deformities
belonging to our savage state. We must be careful, there-
fore, how we ascribe the ferocities of the Fijians to some
radical imperfection in their character.

In truth, there is evidence to prove there is no lack in

168 TEE GSUISE OF TEE 'GUBAQOA.'

them of the kindher qualities. It is thus that a witness,
wlio had great opportunity of observing, having lived among
them, and who has thrown no veil over their defects, bears
this testimony to their disposition :

' They are not deficient in courage, manliness, and even
humanity, which some people foolishly assert they are
entirely strangers to, judging from the long-maintained
fashions of the country, instead of scrutinising then- natural
feelings, and making allowance for everything that has been
created by example. I should say, instead of being deficient
naturally, they have a greater share of those qualities than
Europeans, as far as I can judge from my acquaintance with
them.

' There is one thing I am certain they possess, which, of
course, must proceed from humanity, and that is universal
hospitahty, which some people erroneously attribute to
the spontaneous growtli and production of their articles
of food, &c. I never saw any difference with respect
to their goodnature and liberality, not even when they
were surrounded by the worst of privations, wliicli was very
often.' 1

Captain Erskine indorses this favourable opinion of them

' The witness here alluded to is an English sailor of the name of
Jackson, who lived nearly two years in Fiji, and mastered the languao-e.
After acting as interpreter to Captain Oliver, of H.M.S. 'Fly,' he was
engaged in the same capacity by Captain, now Admiral, Erskine, on
board H.M. S. ' Havannah ; ' who was so convincedof the trustworthiness
of his statements as to induce him to have them committed to writing,
and published at great length in the Appendix to his own very interest-
ing work. See p. 273.

MBAU AND VITI-LEVU. 169

where he says, it is to be inferred that there must be much
that is attractive in their character, ' not only for the esteem
and respect they are held in by their Tongan neighbours,
but from the voluntary choice, by many respectable English
and Americans, of these islands as a permanent abode.'
He deposes to one fact, which it were much to be wished
were common among us, viz. ' that they are good-tempered
in their cups, from which we may give them credit for
naturally kind dispositions. When Thakumbau and Na-
vinde departed from the " Havannah " in a half-drunken
state, no one seemed to apprehend any cruel or outrageous
act in consequence.'

They are accused of cowardice, though Jackson is evidently
not of that opinion ; and there is a Fijian saying, which cer-
tainly implies the sense of the dignity of courage. To tlie
enquiries, ' Wliere is the brave man ? ' the answer is, ' Being
dragged (i.e. to the oven) ; ' and to ' Where is the coward,'
the reply is, ' Talking of his deeds in the town.' They
are a people of considerable intelligence and acuteness ;
but what we should hardly expect to find in them is a
certain amount of literary capacity. Yet the missionary,
Mr. Williams,^ has given us some specimens of their metrical
productions, whicli he says ' take the shape of dirges, sere-
nades, wake songs, war songs, and hymns for the dance ;
the last class being the most numerous, and including much
that might be termed heroic' Of course, the merit of these
productions is not very striking. Their proverbs are more
' 'Fiji and Fijians,' vol. i. p 110.

170 THE CRUISE OF THE 'GUBAQOA:

interesting ; and as tlie proverbs of a nation are supposed to
be illustrative of their character, they are well worthy of
notice. I therefore cite specimens of them given by the
same writer in his interesting account of this people. First,
there is a couplet in which greediness is reproved : —

Your evil eye esteems your share too small,
And prompts you greedily to aim at all .

The next speaks for itself,

what a valiant man you are,

Who heat your wife, hut dare not go to war.

That with increased means comes increased care is noted

thus.

If you have a great canoe.

Great will he your labour too.

Idleness and too much attention to personal ornament are
warned that ' No food is cooked thereby.' Improvidence
and want of forethought are thus censured : ' The Nakondo
people cut the mast first,' that is, prepare the mast before
securing the canoe. ' The saucy,' it is said, ' take reproof
like water ; ' that is, swallow it without thought. Again,
it is said, ' An unimproved day is not to be counted.'
These proverbial sayings are certainly proofs that good
sense and wise purpose are not deficient in the intellectual
qualifications of these islanders. Their remarkable addiction
to fun and jest, and sensational exaggerations of a comic
nature have exposed them to a character for trifling and
untruthfulness which they do not entirely deserve. Mr.
Williams speaks of their conversational powers, and adduces

MBAU AND VITI-LEVU. 171

the evidence of a witness on whom lie can rely, who says,
' That in the course of much experience, the Fijians were
the only " savage people " he had ever met with who could
give reasons, and with whom it was possible to hold a con-
nected conversation.' ^

It may be as well to note that in this missionary's in-
teresting and minute account of the Fijians, we find speci-
mens of the same inconsistent statements and criticisms,
which are so conspicuous in the writings of persons who
describe the manners and customs of uncivdlised people.
Thus, at p. 132, we find him dwelling upon tlie cowardice
of the Fijians, and giving instances of it, which show that
it is childish and effeminate to an excess, and yet five pages
afterwards he says, ' Violent quarrels are not frequent ; nor
need they be, if those I have seen were specimens, ending,
as they did, with the axe and club, wounded heads or
broken arms,' certainly no decided proofs of poltroonery.
In the same stjde, the label of gross falsehood is attached
to them, and, immediately afterwards, he tells us that 'on
matters most hed about by civilised people, the native is
the readiest to speak the truth. Thus, when convicted of
some offence, he rarely attempts to deny it, but will gene-
rally confess all to any one he esteems.' Tlien he gives an
illustration to prove that, ' lying, per se, is condemned and
considered disreputable. A white man, notorious for false-
hood, had displeased a powerful chief, and wrote asking

' The person alluded to is Mr. Hadley of Wenham, cited by Dr.
Pickering in his ' Races of Man,' p. 173.

172 THE OBVISE OF THE 'CUBAQOA.'

me to intercede for him. I did so ; when the chief dis-
missed the case briefly, saying, ' Tell him that no one liates
a foreigner ; but tell him tliat every one hates a liar ! ' It
is certainly not easy to understand that, where lying is con-
demned and considered disreputable, it can also be con-
sidered permissible, venial, or reputable to lie. With re-
spect to aU or most of these charges, if our verdict cannot
be ' Not guilty,' it must in fairness be ' Not proven.' I wiU
just add that the observation of the chief cited above, ' Tell
him that no one hates a foreigner,' indicates a fact of con-
siderable interest in connection with these islanders, and that
is, that they have been always ready to welcome foreigners.
The strangers' house in Mbau is a curious sight. It is the
largest building in the group, lofty, with many doors, and
divided inside into a great number of mess places, each with
its own lire .'-toves, for the accommodation of the many other
tribes who are continually visiting Mbau, either as tribute-
bearers, or allies for a war party.

In connection with tribute-bearing, nothing is more
cui'ious than the extremely servile position of the Somo-Somo
chiefs in their relations with Mbau, though otherwise persons
of importance. When they come to pay their annual tribute
to that city, they are not allowed to enter Mbau Bay imtil
they have asked permission to do so ; they are then obliged
to wait three days before they can approach, and, in doing
so, are not permitted either to use their sails, or stand up to
.scuU, to evade which last prohibition they engage Tono-ans
to work the sculls. On their arrival another humiliation

MBAU AND riTI-LEVU. 173

awaits tliem ; for three days they are not allowed to sleep in
a house, or wear clothing, and, in going about the town, they
must assume a crouching postiu'e, stop when they meet
anyone, be he who he may, holding their hands clasped
between their knees, and ciying out, 'Dwa, wa, wa.'^ They
are, at the expiration of this ceremony, allowed to go into
the ' strangers' house,' a large building, where they are well
fed, each f;\mily being assessed in some particular way for
the supply of their wants, whether in pigs, yams, firewood,
&c. Thus, a part of the last-mentioned contribution was
being brought by no less a person than his majesty Tha-
kumbau, who, loaded with a bundle of firewood, and smoking
a cigar, was the bearer of his family's assessment. The
explanation of this was that, while his father old Tanoa lived
Thakumbau was not one of the chiefs of Mbau to whom the
tribute was due. The oi'igin of this tribute, and the humi-
liating ceremonies connected with it, are traced to an old
tradition that their principal spirit, a rat, having been
wrecked in his canoe, and asked assistance in vain from
some Somo-Somo men, was picked up by some Mbau people
who took him to their town, where after three days' suffering
he recovered. In consequence of this he made Somo-Somo
tributary to Mbau, and prescribed the humiliations we have
mentioned.''^

' The wail of the Sandwich Islanders is much the same — 'Auwe,
auwe, auwe.'

^ The above facts are taken from Lieut. Pollard's ' Journal ' of his
visit to the Fiji Islands in H.M.S. 'Bramble' in 1850; Erskine,
p. 294. Lieut. Pollard witnessed the curious ceremony of reception.

174 TEE OBUISU OF THE 'OURAQOA:

This ceremomal huiuiliatioii of Somo-Somo is the more
curious because its chiefs were persons of importance. Thus
Golea, the younger brother of the King, who had retired to
Wariki, and left the sovereignty of Sorao-Somo to him, was
married to Eleanor (she had become a Christian), Thakum-
bau's niece, who was of superior rank to her uncle. Dr.
Seemann, who saw her in 1800, speaks of her as being a fine
woman, of dignified deportment, and manifestly intelligent
as well. A party of gentlemen having made arrangements
to ascend to the summit of Somo-Somo, the queen expressed
her intention of joining it, which she did with a large suite.
Girdled with a fold of white calico, her head wreathed with
fern leaves, the purple blossom of the Chinese rose pendent
from her ear, and a necklace made of shells, such was the
total of her toilette. ' No other garment,' says the fascinated
doctor, ' graced her stately person, and yet she looked truly
majestic' The ladies of lier court, unencumbered with the
girdle, and borrowing no superfluous covering from portion?
of banana and cocoa- nut leaves freshly cut, were sent forward
as pioneers to make a track, and shake off the moisture from
the over-lying brandies. Alert, as light-footed as light-
clothed, they soon distanced the heavy-dressed, and found
their way to the top, where, en attendant, they amused them-
selves with opening cocoa-nuts, and smoking cigarettes made
of dry banana leaves instead of paper. The view from the
summit commanding the straits of Somo-Somo was veiy
line, but there was close at liaiid another charming tableau

MBAU AND VITLLEVU. 175

which is worth describing. On reaching the top, the agile
nymphs liad kindled a fire, and made every thing ready for
a picnic.

' 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 effects of their ornamental
leaves and flowers, the easy grace of their movements, made
them look like so many nymphs that one reads of in classic
story, but never seems to meet with nowadays.' ^ One
would be apt to suppose that the writer had v/ai-med him-
self into a pardonable exaggeration, if the polish, engaging
gracefulness, and dignity of carriage, which mark the highest
classes of the natives of these islands was not attested by
every competent observer who has recorded his impressions.
It is to be regretted that her majesty's arguments in defence
of polygamy, as seeu from her point of view, have not been
reported, as it would have been interesting to have com-
pared them with those of the ingenious lady in support of
the same cause whom I met at Deseret city, the well-known
capital of the Mormons.^

1 Seemann, pp. 26, 27.

^ ' A Journey to Great Salt Lake City, by Jules Remy and Julius
Breneliley, M.A., with a Sketch of the History, Religion, and Customs
of the Mormons, and an Introduction on the Religious Movement of
the United States; by Jules Remy, 18G1,' vol. ii. pp. 97-109. This
work is a translation of the French edition published in Paris in 1860.

170 THE CRUISE OF TEE 'CUBAgOA.'

CHAPTER IX.

KANDAVU—FUI f?7?0C^P— continued.

(AtrousT 3.)

Levuka Bay and Village — Peculiar Form of the Island — Mountain Cliff of
Buke-I,evu — Village of Yawe — Visit of H.M.S. ' Esk ' — Letter of Canoe-men
to lier Commauder — Notes on the Fiji Group — Chiefs — Languages — Their
Mythology — Deification promised to a Missionary — ' I am a God ' — Character
of their Gods and its Results — Impediments to Civilisation — Climate and
Soil — European Population — Native Notions respecting Property and Land
— Difficulties throvrn in the way of its Acquisition — Improved Prospects for
Settlers — Exports — Commerce — Future PesQurces.

Steamed out of IVIbau ou August 2 at eleven a.m. ; and
directing our course towards the island of Kandavu, at
half-past nine P.M. on the following day we dropt anchor in
Levuka Bay. This is an open bay on the northern coast of
the island, and has its southern point bounded by a moun-
tain 3,800 feet high, being a precipitous chff ou its seaward
side. Pleasantly situated on the bay is the village from
which it takes its name, one of the neatest we have met
with ; and it is lierc that tlie Protestant mission is located,
the resident missionaries being Messrs. White and Nettle-
ton. Stretching from east to west the island is said to
be about twenty-four miles long, and, at mid distance,
narrows so minh as to form an isthmus, over which canoes

KANDAVU. 177

are dragged for the purpose of effecting a direct passage
between north and south, thus avoiding much circuitous
coasting. The use to which it is put is denoted by its name,
Yarabah, Uterally ' haul across.' The island has a population
of between 10,000 and 11,000, the whole of which has
been Christianized. Its surface is very hilly, but it is re-
ported to be well cultivated. The great mountain cliff of
Buke-Levu was ascended by Mr. Pritchard and Dr. Seemann
in 1860 (the first white men who had ever visited it), who
found patches of cultivation as high as 1,500 feet. Between
Levuka and Buke-Levu is the village of Yawe, the place most
famous in Fiji for its pottery.*

At the end of the year 1866, more than a year after the
Cura9oa's being there, II.M.S. ' Esk ' went to make a longer
stay in Kandavu than we did. Captain Luce, who com-
manded the corvette, and the Hon. Mr. Meade, who ac-
companied him as gunnery lieutenant, visited the mission-
houses, with which they were highly satisfied, and of which
they gave me a pleasing account. I may here insert, in
reference to this visit, a translation of a letter which some
native canoe-men addressed to the captain, thanking him
for some small presents he had sent them as an acknow-
ledgment of a slight service they had rendered him.
This letter has struck me as noteworthy, if only as
evidence of the present disposition of a people once so
barbarous : —

' Seemann, pp. 138, 215.

178 THE CBUISE OF THE ' GUBAgOA.'

' Bicliinoncl, Kandavu, Fiji,

' November 24, 1866.

' Sir, — I write to inform you that the things which you
kindly sent for us, the boatmen of Mr. Nettleton, arrived safely,
and we have each received our share, for which we greatly
thank you. We rejoice greatly that you thought of us
kindly, and sent us things that will be very useful. We
rejoiced much on the day that we pulled the missionary to
Galoa, to see the man-of-war and its captain ; when we got
to the side of the ship, we saw the great land guns and
admired them ; when we looked about we saw the officer
standing at the gangway, and we said : " Oli ! that one
would speak for us, that we might be allowed to look over
the vessel ! " Tlieu I spoke to him, and he nodded his head,
so we then got on board, and looked over the hold, and saw
the men who were in great number, and very industrious at
their work ; we beheld them and respected them greatly.
Then we looked around us and saw the very great guns and
the swords in great number. We saw the chiefs of the ship
and reverenced them greatly. Then we went again on deck
and talked among ourselves and said : ' We young men of
this generation were born in blessed times to see such a ship
as this ; our fathers saw no such sight, we are living in
better times, and we are very thankful for it.

' My letter is finished.

' We send our love to you, sir, all of us, tlie boatmen.

' I am
' Thomas Natiiemba, your friend. '

' To tlie chief of the man-of-war steamer, " Esk." '

KANBAVU. 179

Before taking a last farewell of the Fiji Islands, we will
add some notices we were able to obtain in a hurried way
from the Whites, with respect to this interesting group.

These islands are situate nearly half way between
Australia and Tahiti. A sailing vessel takes about twenty
days to go from Sydney to Levuka, their chief commercial
port ; the return voyage on an average does not occupy
more than fourteen days, owing to the favourable winds
which usually quicken their speed. The island of Vanua-
Levu, or Nortli Fijian island, contains about 3000 square
miles. The superficies of Viti-Levu, or South Fijian island,
is about 3,750 square miles. The interior of tliis great island
is entirely unknown ; no one, either native or European, was
able to say anything respecting the central districts, it not
being even known whether or not they are inhabited. The
surfaces of the other islands of the group range from ten to
400 square miles. The entire population of all the islands is
estimated diversely at from 100,000 to 300,000 souls; but the
former number is presumably nearest the truth. The island
of Kandavu, the population of which exceeds 10,000 souls,
is the most peopled in proportion to its surface, which is
only 150,000 square miles ; there are numerous villages,
containing generally 200 souls, but rarely as many as 500.
There is no central or regular government ; on the other
hand, a very large number of small chiefs, wliose influence
varies respectively according to the power which each
possesses. Sometimes one of them has been known to make
himself so formidable to his neighbours, as to feed himself

N 2

180 THE CRUISE OF TEE ' GUBAQOA.'

and his whole retinue at their expense. But it is beheved
no attempt has ever been made to estabhsh a single king-
dom throughout the islands. Some thirty years before the
visit of the ' Curagoa,' an Mbau chief, assisted by some run-
away sailors armed with muskets, succeeded in bringing a
considerable number of chiefs under liis dominion ; but he
soon saw this ephemeral ascendancy pass away, of which
now-a-day remains but a sort of purely nominal presidency,
which is acknowledged by the other chiefs.

The number of dialects in the island is so great, and the
difference between them so marked, as to give rise to an
impression at first that tliey were distinct languages. This
diversity is probably due to the murderous wars continually
waged between the petty chiefs, and wliich rendered any
communication dangerous between one district and another,
and even one village and another. Each tribe could only
consider itself safe from its enemies wliile keeping witliin
its own natural frontiers.

The mythology of the Fijians abounds in divinities. The
special functions of some of them being, if correctly repre-
sented, somewhat singular. Thus one has the title of ' The
God just returned from slaughter ; ' another, a professed
miracle-worker, has the significant name of ' Spit-wonders ; '
one with eiglit eyes is the ' God of wisdom ; ' another is the
'God fond of turtles ;' and another the 'God fond of human
brains.' But the most curious feature of their religion is the
preservation of that practice of deification which is to be
found ill the earlier stages of all religions. Mr. Hazlewood

K AND AW. 181

has furnished interesting evidence of tlie fact in a speech nt

a missionary meeting in Hobart Town. After observing

that any man wlio can distinguish himself by murdering his

fellow-men (the missionary mode of describing ivar among

savages, but among savages only) may be sure of deification,

and that friends are sometimes deified and invoked, he says,

' Tuikilakila, the chief of Somo-Somo, offered Mr. Hunt a

preferment of this sort, " If you die first," said he, " I shall

make you my god." In fact, there seems to be no certain

line of demarcation between departed spirits and gods, nor

between gods and living men, for many of the priests and

old chiefs are considered as sacred person:^, and not a few of

them will also claim for themselves the right of divinity.

" I am a god," Tuikilakila woidd sometimes say, and he

believed it too. They were not merely the tvords of his lips ;

he believed he was something above a mere man.'^

Nothing of course is inconceivable in this impression

when in the common opinion of people the gods have like

passions with themselves ; when they love and hate, are

proud and revengeful, make war and kill and eat each

other, and are in fact savages like themselves. Philo,^ as has

been already observed, conceived analogous ideas in the Old

Testament to be a false colouring to meet the requirements

of barbarous and uninstructed men. The mischief has been

that such conceptions, the fruit of extreme ignorance, and

the rudest possible appreciation of supernatural power, which

' Seemann, p. 247.

' Extracts from the writings of this eminent Jew in reference to this
subject will be found in Appendix D.

182 THE CBUISE OF THE ' GUBAQOA.'

would have passed away with increase of intelligence, have
been artificially prolonged in all countries for tlie purposes
of state-craft and priest-craft to the demoralisation and great
injury of society. Hence religion is first moulded by bar-
barism, and is afterwards employed in perpetuating it. Such
a result is well indicated by Erskine, where, after the passage
fi-om Hazlewood just cited, he says of the Fijians, ' With
their deep religious convictions, therefore, it is not surprising
that all indulgence of the gentler feelings of the heart, in
which the Fijian nature is not deficient, is condemned as a
weakness, and great pains are taken to instil into the
youthful mind a contempt for passionate impulse, and an
admiration for relentless cruelty.'^ A striking illustration of
the wrong which supernaturahsm often does to nature.

The progress made by the islandei's in the waj' of civil-
isation is by no means so great as has been generally
represented.^ In endeavouring to lead them on the path of
progress, the chief difficulty is to find some motive to induce
them to advance. It is not an easy matter to prove to them
that it is to their advantage to adopt the civihsation of the
Whites. The love of ease or indolence is the ruling passion,
and anything discordant with it wiU find no favour in their
eyes. One great cause of tlie poverty of the natives is the
habit that prevails throughout the South Seas of begging
from each other whatever they may require, or sti'ikes their

1 Pickering, ' Races of Man,' p. 247.

2 The matter contained in this and the following pages of this chap-
ter is slightly varied from Llr. Consul Jones's i-eport to the Foreign
Ofi&ce, 'On the Present Condition of the Fiji and Tonga Islands. 1865.'

KANDAVU. 183

fancy. There is no limit to tliese demands : a house, a boat,
a new dress, even the food that a man has prepared for his
family, is liable to be taken from him by any one his equal
or superior ; for it is considered disgraceful to refuse a request
made in this manner, and for tlie lower classes who have so
many superiors it is useless, it is said, to attempt to acquire
anything.

If they require anything from the white traders, as for in-
stance a waist-cloth, a knife, or a musket, they make cocoa-
nut oil for the price asked. Notwithstanding the natural fer-
tility of their lands, the people suffer severely from scarcity
of food whenever the hurricanes injure their breadfruit trees.
Pigs and foAvls are by no means plentiful, and the lower
orders seldom eat any animal food ; the general custom is to
collect together for a periodical feast all the surplus provisions
in the district, when one-half is eaten and the other utterly
wasted. Whenever usual food fails them, the natives support
themselves on wild yams, wild beans, arrowroot, Tahiti
chestnut, and the fruit of the mangrove.

The climate is healthy. The thermometer ranges during
the year fi'om 63° to 100° Fahr., the hottest months being
January and February, the coldest June and July. Dysen-
tery is the only prevalent disease. Notwithstanding the good
climate, the population has not increased of late ; if it has
decreased, it is in an imperceptible degree. Various reasons
are assigned for the depopulation of the South Sea Islands,
which appears to liave been simultaneous with the arrival
of the Whites ; but it is doubtful whether it should be attri-

184 THE OBUISE OF THE ' OUBAgOA.'

buted to the introduction of spirituous liquors, the use of
woollen clothing, and the spread of syphilitic diseases ; for
in many islands, where none of these exist, the inhabitants
are still diminishing in numbers.

The soil is fertile and capable of pi'oducing everything that
requires a tropical climate, together with many of the plants
of the temperate zones. At present Fiji produces cotton,
coffee, and tobacco, of the best quality ; the nutmeg, india-
rubber and gutta-percha trees are found in the forests, and
excellent shipbuilding timber and valuable furniture woods
abound throughout the islands of the group. ^

The European population of the group may be calculated
at about 300. Civihsation has been but lately introduced
into Fiji, and it is uncertain how far it may suit the temper
of the natives ; as they are ruder and more savage than their
neighbours, they less readily adopt foreign customs. Tlie
class of settlers that has hitherto come to Fiji is dependent
on manual labour for its livelihood; but the fertility of the
soil and the salubrity of the climate will no doubt continue
to attract others from the neighbouring colonies. The
islander, nevertheless, gains little from his contact with
Europeans. His hut, built of reeds, is well suited to the
climate, and sufficiently commodious in his eyes. When he
has exchanged his stone hatchet for an iron one, his club for

' ' The rapidity of tlie vegetation as described by the Missionaries is
remarkable. Turnips, radish, and mustard seed show themselves
above ground in twenty-four hours. Melons, cucumbers, and pump-
kins in three days ; beans and peas in four ; radish and lettuce fit for
use in four weeks, marrow-fat peas in five.' — Erskine, p. 208.

KANDAVU. 185

a musket, and his paper-cloth for calico, civilisation can offer
him nothing farther which would compensate him [for the
labour required as an equivalent. The fancy or caprice of
the head chiefs may give a spasmodic extension to trade,^ as
the purchase of a small vessel, or a hundred muskets, requires
a large quantity of oil in payment ; but wherever the authority
or influence of the chief has dechned, the trade of that district
has likewise fallen away. In many places the natives, after
having adopted some of the habits of civilisation, have volun-
tarily abandoned them, and returned to their national customs.
Befoie the arrival of Eui'opean speculators, the natives
never considered unoccupied land woi th claiming. Wherever
a man planted his yams, tobacco, or taro, that land was his
so long as it was occupied by his crops; but, as soon as these
were dug up, it was free for any one to make use of it for the
same purpose. About the time ^ that the sovereignty of these
islands was first proffered to Great Britain, many speculators
from the Australian colonies purchased land in Fiji, seldom
caring to enquire into the nature of the titles they obtained.
A common practice was to draw up the deeds in English, to
have them translated to the native chief by some one pro-
fessing to understand the Fijian language, but generally as
ignorant of it as the principal who employed him, and the

' But, according to Captain Erskine, ' the Fijians have a decided turn
for commerce, a constant internal trade being carried on in their own
canoes, which we constantly saw either arriving or sailing, heavily-
laden with bales of cloth, rolls of cordage and quantities of earthen
pots.' Seemann, p. 269. This is confirmed by what I myself saw on
the Rewa river.

« In 1862.

18G THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

transaction was complete when it received the chief's mark,
who was induced to sign it by threats or cajolery, but
frequently by making him drunk beforehand. As the
boundaries of these estates are generally very vaguely laid
down, and as the class most interested in these lands have
been seldom consulted in these sales, it is probable that
many of the purchasers will find great opposition whenever
they come to take possession of their property.

As each tribe for security confined itself to a certain tract
of country, the Wliite settlers have chosen now to recognise
every such tract as the property of the tribe. This idea
facilitated the purchase of land, and the natives were pleased
to find that they possessed something to which the White
traders attached a value. When payment came to be made
for tlie purchased land, every one considered that he had a
right to be separately dealt with, if he had ever been con-
nected with any part of the land in question ; so the head
chiefs, the minor chiefs, and each owner of a yam patch, or
cocoa-nut tree, required compensation and a share of the
purchase money. When unsuccessful, they endeavoured to
throw every obstacle in the way of those who proposed to
enjoy the purchased land.

The value of exports has shown an upward tendency
lately, having increased from £13,000 in 1863 to £20,000
in 1864. This remarkable increase has occurred principally
in cotton, cocoa-nut oil, and fibre ; other exports are tortoise
shell, Beche-de-Mer, and wool.

The cultivation of cotton has now become the principal

KANDAVU. 187

concern of both natives and settlers. Various kinds have
been experimented upon. The variety known as ' Kidney-
seed ' is the most common, though very far from being the
most profitable ; but as, until now, from the want of ma-
chinery, cotton is exported with the seed in it, and in this
condition has always found buyers at eight cents a pound,
the planters have come to the conclusion that the increase
of weight caused by the seed was a compensation for other
drawbacks. The most intelligent of the growers show the
greatest preference for the variety known by the name of
' Sea-island ' cotton, which flourishes luxuriantly, bears a far
greater quantity of pure fibre, in proportion to the age of
the plant, than any other variety, and compared with the
kidney cotton its value in that respect is as five to one. The
cotton plant here is a perennial, and after the first outlay of
clearing and planting, the subsequent expense is trifling.
The island of Kandavu and the banks of the Eewa river, in
the island of Viti-Levu, are the positions most in favour with
European planters. The facihties that both these places
offer for transport and communication have caused this
selection. The Eewa river, so disproportionate to the size
of the island in which it rises, is navigable for boats of twenty
tons for more than forty miles from its mouth, and for seventy
miles of its course rafts and flat-bottomed boats could be
used to transport the cotton from the upper country without
meeting any obstacle in the shape of rocks, cascades, &c.
The fertility of the soil, the salubrity of the cHmate, and the
supply of cheap labour that can be obtained, will enable

188 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA:

the cotton-grower of Fiji to compete successfully witli any
other in the market of Europe, as the quaUty of libre that
can be produced here is considered by competent judges to
be equal to any that can be supplied by the Southern States
of America. The high charges for freight to Sydney are
the most serious drawback that the island traffic suffers for
cotton. In the badly-pressed state in which it leaves Fiji,
the freight is £9 per ton. Until the quantity of cotton ex-
ported shall be sufficiently great to allow of a direct trade with
Europe, there is no probability of any reduction in the charges.
The supply of cocoa-nut oil will continue to increase for
some years to come, if the demand is as brisk as heretofore.
A thousand tons could be furnished by this group alone.
To the natives it can hardly prove a 2^1'ofitable article, as
their process of manufacture is tedious and laborious.
Machinery has been employed to extract the oil, but the
result was not so j^rofitable as was generally expected by
the introducers, who fi-equently found their labours brought
to a standstill by the refusal of the natives to supply them
Avith nuts in sufficient quantity, as they looked with jealousy
on an undertaking that threatened to deprive them of tlie
means of purchasing cloth, knives, &c., from the traders, in-
asmuch as the oil that each could personally make was the
only article of barter he possessed. Whenever the cultiva-
tion of cotton shall give them a better return for their
labour than oil-making, they will of course have no further
objection to supplying the oil-mill with any quantity of
nuts they may require.

KANDAVU. 189

Cocoa-nut fibre can be supplied in any quantity.

The disputes which took place latterly between the fisher-
men on the coast of Illacuata have diminished the yield of
Beche-de-Mer ; nevertheless, the price is good, being 1,200
dollars per picul of 140 pounds, and for inferior 1,000 dollars.

As to the sugar-cane, though it is to be found in all these
islands, and is used as food by the natives, no attempt has
yet been made to cultivate it on a large scale.

The coffee tree has been introduced from Tonga, and
there are now more than 20,000 trees doing well. It was
calculated in 1865 that two-thirds of these trees would
fruit the year following. The berries hitherto produced
have been used as seed, it being found that trees from seed
produced on the spot yielded more abundantly than those
grown from imported seed.

Arrowroot and tapioca are found as troublesome weeds
throughout the South Sea Islands, but the tedious operations
necessaiy to prepare these articles for European markets
prevent the traders from exporting them. In all the islands
the supply far exceeds the demand, and the price they
fetch in the colonial markets seldom exceeds 2^d. per
pound.

Tobacco grows well, the leaves are large and fine ; but
the European settlers are content to use it prepared in the
native manner.

Throughout the year, but especially in the months of
May, June, and July, large numbers of whales are found
around the coasts of Fiji. Sperm and Kutnpbark whales

190 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

especially abound. Before the civil war broke out in the
United States, Fiji was a favourite station for American
whalers, as many as nine calling here in one season.

As yet no other minerals than some specimens of mala-
chite and graphite, both of fine quality, have been found.

The articles most in demand in the Fiji trade are the
following : cotton prints (those known as navy blues being
preferred to all others), blue dungaree, turkey reds, un-
bleached calicoes, blue and red blankets, red serge shirts,
red worsted, cotton thread, wedge axes, bench axes,
hatchets, twelve and fifteen inches butchers' knives, razors,
scissors, muskets, flints, powder, lead, fishhooks, needles,
vermilion, beads, small white Venetian.

At the time just alhided to, when there was a chance of
these islands being recognised as a British possession, the
horde of immigrants attracted by it having no requisites
for success returned penniless. Their misfortune procured
for Fiji an evil reputation, from which it is now freeing
itself Nevertheless there are few countries where one
can live with less personal exertion than in Fiji, which
recommendation caused it to be selected by the number
of nmaway seamen who composed the European population
about eiglit years before. The natives growing impatient
of their incessant demands forced them at length to
labour for their own support, and at present few of this
class are to be found in the group. Tlie present settlers do
not lack eitlier industry or enterprise. The rapid progress
that cotton cultivation has made in these islands during the

KANBAVU. 191

year 1864 is due, in a great measure, to the individual efforts
of the settlers, for the most part men without any capital,
who, having obtained some land from the natives, cultivate
it by their own personal labour.

In former times, before European intercourse had reduced
the natives of these islands to order, the sanguinary jealousy
that made every village distrustful of its neighbours com-
pelled the inhabitants to fortify themselves on the most
inaccessible heights, and prevented them from cultivating
any land beyond the few feet around each man's dwelling.
If more was required, the cultivator, afraid to descend into
the plain, discovered some spot in the recesses of the moun-
tains, where he might plant his yams secure from molesta-
tion. This system of scanty cultivation has been so long
followed by them, tliat it is still difficult to persuade a
native to plant on an extensive scale. He still endeavours
to procure all that he may require in the small patch of
soil around his habitation, and in this manner they have
hitlierto planted cotton so close that tlie trees have no room
for development, and the produce is proportionally checked.

Land is easily purchased in tlie group, and labour, up to
the present time, has not been found wanting. Tlie general
salubrity of the climate is well attested, and a European can
work in the open air throughout the year without incon-
venience. Life and property are secure ; a result due, in a
great degree, to the labours and influence of the Mission-
aries. In the generality of cases where disputes arise
between the natives and settlers, the latter will be found to
be the aggressors.

192 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' OUBAQOA.'

On the northern shores of tlie Fiji Islands are extensive
tracts free from timber, and admirably adapted for pasture
lands. Large tracts have been already purchased for the
purpose of sheep farming, and the prospects of success are
encouraging. In many cases, however, the sheep, on arri-
ving from Australia, have suffered severely from the effects
of the long voyage. When acclimatised they do well. Dr.
Brewer, the U.S. consul, after an experience of four years'
sheep farming in Fiji, finds no sign of the wool degenerating
into hair. The average weight of the fleece is — merino,
three pounds ; Leicester, four pounds ; and it sells on the
ground at eightpence per pound unwashed. There are
in Fiji about 3,500 sheep and 70 head of horned cattle;
the latter succeed remarkably well. The flocks increase
rapidly, and good pasture land can be purchased at an
average rate of £2 per acre. In addition, the abundant
supply of water, and the fertility that everywhere charac-
terises the soil, offer advantages to the settlers in Fiji not
always to be found in the Australian colonies.^

* As this is passing through the press I find in a brief paper pnbhshed
in the November number of Fraser's Magazine for 18/1 (the writer of
which states that he has recently yisited Fiji), that the settlers on the
banks of the Rewa have come to the conclusion, that the sugar-cane
could be cultivated there to much greater advantage than cotton, and
are prepared to substitute the former as soon as they can obtain a
suiBciency of sugar-plants for that purpose ; the incessant rain that
falls being, it appears, as beneficial to the sugar-cane as it is unfavour-
able to the cotton plant.

ANATOM. 193

CHAPTER X.

ANATOM— NEW HEBBTDES.

(August G to 10.)

Striking Appearance of the Island — A Vessel belonging to the Presbyte-
rian Missions- Climate — Caufes of decreased Population — Character of the
Natives — Progi'esa ascribed to Christianity — Chiefs — Productions.

Os August 3 at four p.m. we left Kandavu for the island
of Anatom, the most southern of the New Hebrides. This
run of 470 miles was not marked by any particular incident,
and was in every respect agreeable.

On August 6 we reached Anatom, and came to anchor
between the bay and Whale Island. The harbour is spacious
and sheltered from all winds except the west, to which it
opens. It is easy of ingress and egress, the entrance being
wide and ft"ee from obstruction. Anatom is a beautiful
island, well wooded and watered ; its general character is
mountainous ; hill and valley, mountains of every shape and
size, intersected by deep ravines, cultivated spots, and
barren tracts, coveied with shrub or entirely without
vegetation, diversify the scene, and give it a lively and
picturesque appearance. Large quantities of Kauri pine
were found of excellent quality, and a great variety of other
wood, which might be turned to valuable account.

194 TEE CBUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA.'

Lying in the harbour was H.M. ship ' Esk,' with our mails.
On board lier was the master of a sandal-wood vessel as a
prisoner, who liad shot his mate witli a revolver ; his ex-
planation of the act was that he had done it in self-defence,
the latter, after mutinous disobedience of orders, having
threatened to cut him down with an adze ; but, in the opinion
of a naval court held on board the 'Esk," this statement was
considered, after due inquiry, so doubtful, that he was sent
to Sydney for trial o\\ the charge of manslaughter.

Here we found the Presbyterian mission brig, 'Day spring,'
with several missionaries on board, and among them Messrs.
Paton and Gordon. Both these gentlemen were bent on
dangerous enterprises, in which they hoped to succeed by
favour of Her Majesty's guns, that were soon to be em-
ployed in punishing and terrifying the natives of Tanna and
Eramanga for their misdeeds. Eelying on the jii-esumed
results of the intended discipline, Mr. Paton was about to
retimi to Tanna, though he had suffered frightfully fi'om the
effects of the climate during three years' residence there, and
had been driven from it some ten months since, after having
had his house pillaged, and being indebted for the preserva-
tion of his life to a friendly chief, who secreted him imtil he
liad the opportunity of getting on board a vessel which
called at the island. In addition to his other sufferings
while tliere was the death of his wife, by whose grave, he
says, he was obliged to watch .several nights, gun in hand,
to prevent the body from being stolen for cannibal pur-
poses. It is surprising that, wliile thus employed, he was

AN ATOM. 195

not destroyed by such ill-di.sposcd natives, and that they
should have obhgingly left him unmolested dui'ing the day.

Mr. Gordon was on his way to Eramanga to resume the
work which had been interrupted by the murder of his
brother, Mr. Gordon, who with liis wife had been slaughtered
recently by the natives of that island.

An attempt has been made to establish a whale fishery on
the little adjacent island, called Whale Island, which, I
believe, has been so far successful. Erskine, when off
Anatom in the ' Havannah,' was siu-prised at the number of
whales he saw spouting about, — the man at the mast-head
had counted twenty in a few minutes, — and thought, if this
occiuTence were not an exceptional one, that it would be
well worth considering whether, when, during the winter
months in high latitudes, wlialing cannot be pursued, tliis
island might not be turned to good account in the interim.

It is fourteen miles long, and eight wide. Its highest
mountain is about 2,800 feet above the level of the sea.

The climate is somewhat humid, in general agreeable, and,
to those who are careful, not unhealtliy. The thermometer
had never ftillen below 58°, and seldom below 62° ; it has
never risen above 94°, and seldom exceeds 89° in the shatle.
The island is well watered ; droughts are unknown, and
more or less rain falls every month throughout the year.
Thnnder-storms are of unfrequent occurrence, violent
hurricanes, on the contrary, often occur.

The population of the island is about 2,200. The in-
habitants do not live collected in villages, but separately in

o 2

196 TEE CRUISE OF THE 'CUBAQOA.'

the midst of their cultivated patches ; but tlie island is,
nevertheless, divided into districts or settlements about sixty
in number. Three fearful epidemics have visited the island
within the last forty years. About the year 1836, an
epidemic like cholera carried off above one-third of the
population ; about 1842 a similar one took off another
third ; and in 1861 a third epidemic of measles, followed by
dysentery, scourged what was left.

The debilitating effect of these diseases was very preju-
dicial to the constitution of the natives, and since that time
the decrease in the population has been about 300. When
we were there in August, 1865, the births and deaths as yet
had been about equal. Before the third epidemic made its
appearance, the mortality was about three per cent, per
annum ; since that time it has avera^fed six per cent, per
annum. A large proportion of childi'en die under two
years of age. Previous to the first of the ei)idemics I have
mentioned, the population, it is said, could nut have been
le.ss than 12,000. In 1859 it amounted to 3,500.

The language is peculiar to the island, though allied to
some extent in words, and much more closely in gram-
matical structure, to the other dialects spoken in tlie New
Hebrides.

The natives are docile and eager for knowledse, and
evince a considerable aptitude for general improvement.
They are naturally timid, but kind, warm-hearted, and
confiding.

The morals of the people are upon the whole very cor-

ANATOM. 197

rect. There is no drunkenness, or crime. There has not
been a case of murder for the last thirteen years. There
have been, however, a few cases of manslaughter, which have
been severely punished. Theft is of very rare occurrence.

The entire population has been professedly Christian for
the last seven or eight years. The whole of the New
Testament has been in their hands for two years, with
detached portions of the Old Testament, as well as various
elementary books. Every person above five years of age
attends school, and can read more or less. Two-thirds of
the entire population are reading in the New Testament, and
one-fourth are members of the church. There are fifty-
three schools in tlie island, conducted by native teachers.
There is not a native living on the island more than fifteen
minutes walk from a school. A considerable number can
write, and a few can do a little arithmetic.

According to the eulogistic testimony of Missionaries, war,
murder, and infanticide, as well as their peculiar customs
of cannibalism and sti'angulation of widows have been
abolished. At the time of our arrival, the last case of
cannibalism had occuri-ed in 1852. Life and property
being everywhere secure, the people are all living in peace,
and beginning to develop the resources of the island.

Teachers from the eastern islands were placed on Anatom
in 1841. Two missionaries, Messrs. Gordon and Powell,
were located here in 1848. Considerable difficulties were
encountered in the first years of the mission, the natives
being as degraded and as savage as on any island of the

198 THE CEUISE OF THE ' CURAgOA:

group. Since 1852, tlie progress of Christianity and civil-
isation has been steady and continuous, and the prospects of
the island are highly encouraging. This change however,
it is argued, is so recent, that the natives have not attained
the amount of knowledge and strength of principle and
character to enable them to resist temptation, or make much
advance, witliout the constant superintendence and instruc-
tion of Missionaries.

Besides the two mission famiUes living on tlie island,
tliere was a family of Whites at eacli of tlie two sandal-
wood stations, and also a few others, perhaps about twenty
people in all, in addition to those connected with the four
or five vessels sailhig out of the harbour.

The island is governed by chiefs. There are three prin-
cipal cliiefs, each having several petty chiefs under him.
Their jiower is not well defined, and in many cases they
have little inlkicuce. In some cases, however, their word
is of great weight.

The island is of volcanic origin, but surrounded in many
places by coral reefs. No minei-als have as yet been found.
The roads were originally more tracks, and are still so to a
great extent ; but, since the ai'rivMl of the Missionaries, a
number of these native paths have been greatly improved,
and the island can be traversed on foot in all directions.
Carriage roads tliere are none, and of lu)rse tracks only a
few.

The principal indigenous fruits and vegetables are the
breadfruit, the banana, the cocoanut, a large edible sort of

ANATOM. 199

horse cliesnut, the sago-pahn, another species of palm tree
bearing small nuts, called in the country Nakoai, the sugar
cane, the taro, whicli is the staple article of food, another
plant resembling taro, but much coarser than it, yams in
small quantities, sweet potatoes and arrowroot, both abun-
dant, the latter of excellent quality, and more than a
hundred species of ferns. The kinds introduced are the
orange, the lime, the lemon, the citron, the pine-apple,
custard-apple, papau-apple, all of which, as well as melons
and pumpkins, have succeeded. The cultivation of the
cotton plant has also begun, and as much as 1,900 pounds of
cotton had already been exported in 1864. In the same
year wei-e exported 2,^00 pounds of arrowroot, and 6000
pounds of French beans, which grow admirably well, and
lind a ready market at Sydney.

A small dun-coloured rat is the only indigenous quad-
ruped. Pigs abounded when the island was discovered.
Whales are plentiful in the season : upwards of £2,000
worth of whale oil has been obtained from whales caught
round the island in one year. Horses, cows, goats, sheep,
dogs, and cats have been introduced, and, with the excep-
tion of sheep, thrive well. The English rat is common.
There are three or four varieties of the cat.

Birds are not numerous : four species of pigeons, two of
hawks, one owl, one species of swallow, which is like the
sand-martin, and builds its nest in caves and rocks ; one
species of wild duck. Tlie common fowl, but small in size,
was plentiful when the island was discovered. Geese,

200 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAgOA.'

ducks, turkeys, and guinea fowls have been introduced, and
thrive, but not so well as the common barndoor fowl.

There are no venomous reptiles in the island. There is
a large serpent, about four feet long, the back dun-coloured,
the belly a dirty yellow. One other snake is found on the
shore, about four feet long, with alternate bands of black
and white across the body. There are three or four species
of small lizards, and two kinds of turtle.

More tlian a hundred species of fish are found at Anatom.
They are nearlj' all different fi'om tliose found in the
northern hemisphere, and not at all equal to them as food,
being, with few exceptions, hard and dry. Sharks are
numerous, and shell-fish too.

Butterfiies abound, some very beautiful. Beetles of
different kinds, both large and small. Locusts, grasshop-
pers, flies, mosquitoes, spiders, ants, lice, and fleas. Fleas
are said to have been brought by Europeans.

The common articles of barter anions; the natives are
fishing baskets, nets, sleeping mats, hand baskets, pigs,
fowls, taro, and cocoa-nuts. With foreigners, pigs, fowls,
taro, bananas, cocoa-nuts, sugar cane, &c. are given for
articles of European clothing, hatchets, knives, fish-hooks,
&c. The natives use spears, clubs, bows and arrows ; their
spears, like most I procured in this group, are very crooked,
and more rudely made than those I met with in ai;y other
island.

TANNA. 201

CHAPTEE XI.

TANNA— NEW EEBBIBES.

(August 10 to 13.)

Uea Harbour — Useless Negotiations with offending Chiefs — Bombardment —
Men landed and Property destroyed — Incidents of the Attack — Effect
produced on the Enemy — Description of the Island— Climate and Diseases
— Disposition of the People — Morality — Usages — Creeds — Government —
Marum or Council House — Fruitless Efforts of the Missionaries — Languages
— Volcano of Asur and its Environs — Productions and Exports.

On August 10, at daybreak, the ' Cura^oa ' stood out from
Anatom on her way to Port Eesolution Bay, in the isle of
Tanna, about forty-five miles distant, where we anchored
the same day at a quarter past one p.m. The mission brig
' Dayspring ' was in company with us. In our course we
passed, first, the island of Fotuna, or Erronan, flat and
square-shaped, and the low island of Niua (the native name),
or Imraer, which, according to Captain Erskine,^ is placed
in all tlie charts closer to Tanna than it really is. The
passage into tlie harbour is narrow, and on the west side
towers an active volcano, constantly sending forth its jets of
fire, smoke, and lava, being, as it were, the avant garde of
lofty hills ranging over the island, and bright with verdure.
Next morning early the ship was in busy preparation for
inflicting capital or other punishment on the refractory

' Page 303.

202 THE CRUISE OF THE ' GURAgOA:

natives who had taken tlie hberty of ejecting the Mis-
sionary fi'ora their island. Very soon our big guns loaded
with shell began to carry very unpleasant messages to the
culprits, while our cutter further enhghteued them by dis-
charging rockets among a great crowd of natives that clus-
tered about the harbour. Tliis overture continued for
some hours, when the more serious business of the day
began by the landing of some 170 men, who were to pene-
trate into the island, and commit such devastation as was in
their power. The task, however, was not an easy one. The
natives of course, incapable of resistance, fled from the coast,
and concealed themselves in the bush, which presented an
almost insurmountable barrier to an invading force. No
guide had been found, and the advance had to be made as
best it might. Taking advantage of a most unpromising
patli that led upwards from the beach. Commander Dent
led up his men in the direction of an open space on the
hill to]), whicli the Missionary had pointed out from the
ship as being the dancing ground, and which was to be the
place of rendezvous. This spot, after a prodigious expendi-
ture of creeping, crushing, and other fatiguing exertion in
forcing a way through the intricate tangle of the bush, was
at length reached. But no sooner was this effected, than a
volley from the rear showed that the natives had been fol-
lowing on their track. A da.-:h was made at them, and they
immediately vanished. Their fire had been harmless, but,
in their flight, they came across one of the men who was
stooping in the act of cutting down sugar canes, whom they

TANNA. 203

fired at and mortally wounded. At this moment Midship-
man Heathcote having come up, attempted to fire at the
assailants with his ^revolver, which had missed fire four
times, when a native rushed forward to club him with his
musket, whom in the act of doing so lie cut down with a
single blow. Tliere was reason to believe that this native
was one of the leading chiefs of the island, and that his
death had caused great consternation. The man Holland,
supposed to have fallen by his hand, was an excellent sea-
man, and a V.C. man, and had served unhurt in the Indian
Mutiny, the Crimean War, and in New Zealand. Such was
the obscure termination of a gallant career. He was carried
on board, where he died in less than an hour, and his body
which, on account of certain propensities of the Tannese,
could not be interred on shore, was committed to the deep.
It was fortunate there was no greater loss, for I was
assured by the officers that, had the natives known how to
make use of their opportunity, the p<isition of the little force
would have been critical. Fortunately Commander Dent,
finding his men helplessly exposed, and satisfied with having
destroyed several villages — some of tlioni, however, not con-
taining more than four houses - and wasting some provision
grounds, gave orders to I'eturii to the beach, which was
luckily effected without further op|)osition. While this
was going on ashore, another party in the boats, under the
command of Mr. Scudamore the master, was engaged in
destroying all the canoes they could find along the coast.
A tolerable amount of retribution, no doubt ; what its effect

204 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

had been may be gathered from the following document,
said to be the declaration of the offending chiefs, whom
Mr. Paton met immediately after the attack at a friendly
visit, where he landed, and to wUch he has given expres-
sion in the following form : —

' Formerly we had been guilty of so many murders that
we feared men-of-war woidd come and pimish us ; we all
thought and said they durst not try, and so we delighted in
our bad conduct. Then we had no idea of the multitude of
fighting men in a man-of-war, and of her awful power to
destroy us and our lands ; but now we have seen it, and
our hearts have failed us. We are all weak and crying for
fear. The great inland chief, Quatangan, who came to help
us to fight the man-of-war, was cut down by one of his
chiefs (officers), and many more are hurt, and we know not
how many are shot and dead. Om* canoes, our houses, and
our lands are laid waste by his fighting men. We never
saw any thing like this before. Now we are all weeping
for our evil conduct. Go and plead with the chief of the
man-of-war not to punish us any more, but to go and leave
us, and truly we will obey his word. Tell him to inform
your good Queen Victoria that we will kill no more of her
people, but in future be good, and learn to obey the word
of Jehovah.'

The alarm created by our operations seems to have been
general throughout the island, and promises of amendment
for the future came in from different quarters.

As it was impossible for me to make uny visit to land

TANNA. 205

while off" the island, the Cura9oa leaving at daybreak of
the morning after the attack, I will here state what I have
been able to learn respecting these islanders from the Mission-
aries on board.

In the language of the country the word Tanna signifies
land, as in the Malay language ; and the natives give their
island the name Aipere or Aepari, while their neighbours of
Anatom call it by another name, that of Aipegerouma.

Tanna is about twenty-five miles in length, twelve miles
wide, and about sixty-five miles round. The population is
estimated at from 15,000 to 20,000. The inhabitants live
in villages scattered over the island, but occasionally
clustered in some districts. The thirty villages which are
found round Port Eesolution are included in six districts,
which bear respectively the names of Jukahe, Easeau,
Fituapo, Samoa or Ilupuroup, Irurye, Jukaruk. The people
or tribe inhabiting each district has a special name, as for
instance Nasebine, Naraimine. The occupiers of the villages
frequently change their locality during war, which appears
to be the only and almost continuous occupation of the
men, while on the women devolve all the labours uncon-
nected with war. Their mode of warfare consists, for the
most part, of skirmishes, I'arely of regular battles, or per-
sonal encounters.

The average annual temperature is 86°, thunder is
frequent, and there are often heavy downfalls of rain which
are soon over. The climate for four months of the year is
damp, giving rise to fever and ague ; but it is agreeable

206

THE GBUISE OF TEE ' CUBAQOA:

during the other eight mouths, wliich are not unhealthy,
provided some precautious be taken. Since European
weapons and diseases have been introduced, there has been
a sensible decrease of the population. Tlie infant mortality
is considerable ; deatlis, too. occur fi-om sunstrokes, and

NATIVES OF TAXNA.

poisouings attrilnited to the flesli of certain fish. But the
greater part of the adults are slain in war, or massacred by
the killing stone. Small pox has visited the island, and
carried off a considerable number of the inhabitants. In
1861 measles destroyed about one-third of them. The sick
are well cared for; local bleeding is made use of in almost

TANNA. 207

all illnesses, and is eflected, not by opening a vein, but
simply by making incisions with a split bamboo. In grave
cases, or such as are considered dangerous, they have re-
course to a heroic method, that of cauterising the sole of
the foot. They incase their dead in layers taken from the
stem of the banana tree, and Iniry them the day after their
death in the following manner : they first dig a hole about
four or five feet deep, and then scoop out from one of its
sides a hoi-izontal niche in which they deposit the corpse.

Tannese people are under the middle stature, with few
exceptions. Their colour is darker than that of any other
islanders I had met with. They dye their bodies and faces
red or black. Eed is the favourite colour, and it is obtained
from a red earth they get principally from Anatom. Black
is the sign of mourning ; they make it with oil and pounded
charcoal. Their hair is frizzled, and often of a light brown
colour, rather tlian black. The women wear it short, but
have it all laid out in a forest of little erect curls, about an
mch and a half long. The men sometimes do up their
hair in long pendent tails. They pierce the septum of
the nose to insert a small piece of wood or reed, and wear
ear-rings of tortoise shell half an inch wide, and from two
to four inches in diameter, sometimes half a dozen of various
sizes in one enr, which enlarges tiie aperture so fearfully,
that a child's hand might pass through some of tlieni. Tliey
do not tattoo. The women are covered with girdles hang-
ing down below the knees, made from the rolled and dried
fibres of the banana stem. The clothing of the men is as

208 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA:

sparse and locally limited as exhibited in the woodcut. All
wear some ornament round tlie neck, beads, locks of hair,
and whale's teeth. They wear from one to six armlets
made of the cocoanut shell above the elbow, and to them
they suspend their spear-thrower and sling.

The morality of this people is in some respects of a very
low character. The natives assert that tlie present exces-
sive licentiousness was introduced by the Whites, who
foi'merly resided on the island. It is a question. The
chiefs have a sort of pride in getting drunk on Kava eveiy
night ; intoxication indeed appears to be their greatest
delight. It is an accepted maxim among these islanders,
that it is quite permissible for any one to ^teal whatever he
likes, provided he be not detected, or fail in his purpose ;
otherwise it is a disgrace, as it was in Sparta. Murder is
frequent ; sometimes children and old people are got rid of
in order to save the cost of supporting them. They strangle
the wives on the death of their husbands, and, however little
attached these may be to the defunct, they submit to this
barbarous custom without hesitation, and even with eager-
ness, thus showing they have a firm behef in a future state.
All imaginable crimes are committed, and to the great
satisfaction, apparently, of the islanders. Polygamy exists,
but does not appear to be common. Adultery is restrained
by the fear of the revenge of the injured person. Though
they sometimes kill their children, it is but just to say that
they generally treat them with affection, spoil them even,
girls as well as boys. Circumcision is a general practice

TANNA. 209

about the age of seven. Cannibalism exists to a very large
extent ; they eat their eneinies either slain or captives ;
occasionally they eat their own dead ; or sometimes ex-
change them for the dead of another tribe when they happen
to have a particular regard for the deceased. During Mr.
Paton's residence in the island, there were two festivals, at
one of which seven prisoners, at another ten, were slaugh-
tered. It is a common thing for two or three individuals
to be slam at these banquets, which are but too frequent.
They find human flesh preferable to that of pork, and the
connoisseurs in this line prefer the flesh of a native to
that of a White, the latter having, they say, a salt taste.

The religion of the?e islanders is not much known. They
do not build temples, but perform their religious rites under
the shade of banyan trees, which are thus esteemed sacred
by them. They have no idols, and it seems that the spirits
of their ancestors are their gods. They address prayers,
and make offerings of food to the soids of the dead they
have deified. Here and there in the woods are certain
stones for Avhich they have a species of veneration. The
veritable gods of Taima, those which are certainly the
most formidable, are certain sorcerers, who pretend to have
the power, by means of certain antics, of summoning at
pleasure rain, thunder, sickness, nuisquitoes, and all sorts of
pests ; and they are all the more feared and reverenced on
account of the popular belief in their supernatural power.

There is no head chief at Tanna ; each village has its chief,
who ranks after the principal chief of the district. The

210 THE GBUISE OF THE ' CUEAQOA:

power of the chiefs is nominal, except when there is (ques-
tion of war ; and there is scarcely a dispute which is settled
otherwise than by a fight. The title of chief is hereditary,
but might makes right, and the strong puts down the weak.
The men never go out unarmed ; their weapons were killing
stones, clubs, spears, bows and arrows, and kawas (stones
about the length of an ordinary counting-house ruler, only
twice as thick), which they throw with deadly precision
when their victim is within twenty yards of them. All
these weapons are now laid aside for firearms and toma-
hawks.

Every village has a clear circular space under the shade
of a large banyan tree for their maru»i, or place of public
meeting. Tliere all the men of the settlement assemble
about sundown for a cup of Kava, and their evening meal.
The women and girls have their meals apart from the men,
and totally abstain from Kava drinking. Public feasts,
night dances, and poUtical meetings are held in the marum.
In public discussions there are special orators, one or more
in every village, who chant their speeches, and walk about
in peripatetic fashion from the circumference into the centre
of the marum.

There was not a single White man in the island at the
time we were there. Formerly there had been Missionaries
and some settlers engaged in the sandal-wood trade. In
1862, wlien the Protestant mission was driven away, it was
computed that there were 500 natives who had embraced
Christianity, and renounced war, cannibalism, infanticide,

TANNA. 211

the destruction of old meu, &c., and who observed Sunday
as a day of rest and prayer. Two chiefs, Nowar and
Manuraai, together with their people continue to live in
peace, and to adhere to Christianity ; but most of the other
Christians have been slain by their unconverted fellow
islanders since that period. The mission had succeeded in
teaching a considerable number of them to read and write,
when it was compelled to fly.

There are in Tanna at least two languages peculiar to the
country, each of which contains various dialects, some of
them materially differing from others. The natives living
on one coast cannot understand those who live on the other.
Their mode of counting by fives is by reckoning on their
fingers and toes ; but the names of the numerals differ very
much in one place from those in another ; for instance five
is called grirum in one spot, katiluin in another, kulkulup in
a third. The dialects appear to be copious and harmonious,
and it is said that their pronouns have not only a dual but
also a trial number.

The active volcano of Asur is situate four miles from
Port Resolution ; its eruptions, which, as I have already
remarked, occur every six or eight minutes, are more
violent in tlie months of January, February, and March
than in any other montlis of the year ; they are always
accompanied by a roar audible at a great distance, and
resembling the discharge of a battery of artillery. Besides
lava, the volcano throws up, to the height of 200 or 300
feet, blocks of stone, which generally fall into the crater ;

p 2

212 THE CRUISE OF TEE 'CUBAQOA.'

clouds of ashes are also cast up, which are carried by the
wind far and wide to tlie great annoyance of the eyes. The
slopes of tlic mountain, on which are several villages, are
covered with vegetation ; and in certain spots it seems as if
one were Avalking on a hot iron plate. The summit is
denuded, and split here and there into fissures, whence,
from time to time, rise jets of smoke and sulphurous
vapours. At its base, on the western side of the port, are
to be found in the midst of rocks close on the sea hot springs,
well known to the islanders, and used by tliem as remedies
in certain maladies, and especially in the cure of sores and
ulcers. Several of these springs have a temperature of 190°
(Fahrenheit), and there are others in which it nearly reaches
the boiling point. Women are to be seen daily dressing
their yams and other vegetables in them. Neither is it at
all unusual to see fishermen standin i- on tlie rocks harpoon-
ing fish in the sea, and casting them into the water behind
them, where they are cooked without farther trouble. But
what is not less striking is, that by the side of these hot
springs are to be seen issuing from fissures in the rock other
waters which are quite cold . Shocks are common and often
very sharp. Sulphur of firstrate quality exists in abundance
in these volcanic districts ; but it can be obtiiined fi-oni the
natives in only the smallest possible quantities, in barter for
powder and fire-arms. Obsidian is also to be found there,
and a stone which has all tlie appearance of the Nephrite of
New Zealand, and of which the natives sometimes make
bracelets.

TANNA. 213

The natunil products of the island are tlie cocoa-nut
tree and other palms ; a great variety of ferns, the banana,
and breadfruit tree, tlie rose apple, taro, arrow-root, sweet
potato, a sort of fig-leafed cabbage, and sugar-cane. The
yam is very extensively and carefully cultivated. The
Missionaries had some four feet long, and weighing forty
and even up to fifty pounds. The plants introduced are,
the orange, lemon, citron, the pine-apple, the papau, the
coffee plant, and pepper tree. I have already observed
that the ava (Piper Mephysticum) is plentiful.

Eats and different kinds of bats are the only indigenous
mammals. Pigs, cats, and dogs have been introduced. The
attention of the islanders is principally directed towards
raising pigs. Whales abound on the coast.

Barndoor fowls thrive well. Parrots, parroquets and
pigeons are seen in great numbers, and of beautiful plumage.
Swallows are plentiful, and varieties of small birds are seen
in twos and threes. In the vicinity of the volcano is found
a large bird that lays its eggs on a mound of earth, which
it has made for the purpose ; it does not fly, but runs so
swiftly that it is seldom caught.

As to serpents it is questionable whether any exist.
There are four kinds of hzards, and, moreover, a large black
species of which the natives are much afraid ; they say its
bite is deadly, and connected with it they have a tradition
of the fall. Two species of turtles are often speared in the
bays round the island.

Many species of beautiful fish are taken, l)ut they are dry

'214 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' CURAgOA.'

and inferior as an article of food. Sharks are numerous.
Natives frequently die from eating fish which are poisonous
at one season of the year, and good at another. Some fish
are poisonous all the year round, and when eaten there is
no remedy.

There is a variety of shellfish ; one, when touched, ejects
a fluid which is poisonous, and generally proves fatal in a
short time.

There are large numbers of beautiful butterflies, and
beetles of all sizes, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, locusts. Fleas,
lice, and flies are very numerous ; there are large wasps
and venomous spiders also.

Native barter consists of sleeping mats, baskets, female
dresses, native cloth, fishing lines, and implements of war.
With foreigners, pigs, fowls, and yams are given in exchange
for fire-arms, powder, ball, axes, fishhooks, beads, &c. As
many as 5,000 pigs have been taken from the island in one
year by two traders.

VATE.

215

CHAPTER XII.

VATE, OB SANDWICH ISLAND— NEW HEBRIDES.

(August 10 to 18.)

A Day at Eramanga — Stop at the Port of Vila — Anchor in Havaunah
Harbour — The Dayspring again — Costumes of the Natives — Excursion in
the Island — Dwellings — Fisherwomen — Cannibalism — Decrease of Popula-
tion — Language — Government — Customs — Artistic Skill — Creeds — Teachers
and their extravagant Tales — Products.

On August 13 the ' Cura^oa ' stood off from Tanna, bending
its course towards Eramanga, which it reached the same
day before nightfall. We passed the 14th off this island,
celebrated for its massacres of missionaries and settlers,
to which we shall take another opportunity of referring.

NATIVE HOUSES, VATE.

On the 15th we left Eramanga for the island of Vate,
where we came to anchor, on the 16th, at Malapoa Point, in
the port of Vila.

21(5 TUE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA:

The next day, at lialf-past seven a.m., ^\•e were off again
for Havannali Harbour, situated some thirty miles to the
nortliward. As soon as we had got sufliciently clear of
the coast, we took advantage of a favourable breeze to hoist
sail ; the Missionaries' brigantine, ' Dayspring,' being in
company with us. The island of Vate, high above the
sea and of an irregular surface, was distinguished by some
fine bold features. We could see high mountains whose
summits seemed chid with verdure, while the thick woods

HAT IriLA.ND, ENIIUVNCK TO HAVANSAII IIAHBOUR.

towards their base formed, as it were, a girdle which spread
downwards as far as the beach. We were soon obliged to
get up our steam again in older to round Hat Island, so
called from its rough resemblance to the article from which
it borrows its name. At midday, having reached the
entrance into the poit, we passed between Protection and
Deception Islets, and afterwards before a small island
covered with verdure and looking like an ancient crater.
At half-past one P.M. we dropped anchoi' in twenty-two
fathoms, in Havaiuiah Haibour, wliich is extensive and deep,
stretching for a considerable distance inland, thus affording

VATJ<;. 217

u most safe anchorage, and being at the same time a most
picturesque spot ; the finest harbour, in a word, of this
cliarming ishmd, which has many excellent ones.

The ' Dayspring,' which had not tlie advantage of steam
to help her on against the north-easter, did not arrive until
four o'clock. She is a good sailer, and a smart little craft,
painted all white, of 150 tons, built at Halifax, Nova Scotia,
with accommodation for eighteen passengers. Her crew
was composed of natives of the South Seas, belonging
principally to the island of Vate. She is the property
of the Presbyterian society of Halifax missions, wliich
supplies n)issit)naries to tlie New Hebrides.

The ' Cura9oa ' was soon surrounded by several small
canoes, ill made, having outriggers dipping at their ends,
and fastened by three wooden cross pieces. The men on
board these frail craft were remarkable for their ugliness.
Their whole attire consisted of a maro, attached to a wide
yellow belt made of bark or grass matting, with white and
black patterns in it. Their hair was tied in a lump behind
their head, and formed, as it were, a bundle of wool, sur-
mounted, in some of them, by a wooden stick or ornament, in
others by the long points of crabs' claws hanging from either
side of the head. For earrings they had small sticks or
shells, according to each man's fancy. Many of them had
the cartilage of their noses transfixed for the purpose of
inserting ornaments, which consisted, for the most part, of
small round pieces of wood. Many had a large, round, flat
piece of shell suspended from tlieu- necks, the upper side

218 TEE CRUISE OF TEE ' GUBAQOA.'

resembling mother-of-pearl. Several of them presented the
remarkable peculiarity of having breasts, which appeared as
large and full as those of many women. The majority of
the women whom I saw afterwards wore pretty nearly the
same ornaments as the men.

There came, subsequently, in a raised whale-boat schooner-
rigged, with a crew of native boatmen, a German, who
was trading in sandal wood on account of Mr. Underwood,
of Wliale Island, near Anatom. This person spoke as to
the good disposition of the natives, and assured us we might
land without apprehending the least molestation from them.
But, in spite of this, we thought it more prudent to wait
until the next day before attempting to explore the island.

At dawn I went on board the ' Dayspring,' where the
Eev. Mr. Morrison, the Eramanga missionary, was so
obliging as to put at my disposal two native guides who
spoke a little English. I left, accompanied by Messrs.
Veitch and Brazier. The Commodore, who had some mis-
givings as to the appetite of the cannibals, would not permit
Wall's and Brazier's boys to go with me, on the ground
that this young Hesh was too tempting. They were not
indeed without anxiety on board the ' Dayspring,' so much
so that the Missionaries would retam as hostage the chief
of the district which I proposed to visit. We landed at
about a mile below the spot pointed out to us as the sandal
wood station. Scarcely were we on our way before eight
natives were on our track ; luckily they gave signs of
fi'iendly feehng, besides which their number was, of their

VATE. 219

own accord, soon lessened by one-half. The paths leading
into the interior were very narrow. That which we took
was partially barred by a split cocoa-nut leaf, fixed across
two sticks stuck in the ground, which we were given to
understand was a public notice that the cocoa-nut trees
were tabu. We passed over ground covered witli high
reed grass and wild sugar-canes some ten feet high. We
had soon to cross a river that flowed on with its clear
waters, and which, seen from the bank, appeared of great
depth, though in reality not more than one foot deep. We
perceived a great luimber of huts as well as plantations of
banana trees. But few birds were to be seen, and these
so timid that they would not suffer us to approach within
gun shot. One, however, I did shoot which was perching
on a large tree ; it was a honey-sucking jjarrot, with a
long tongue, short, red, and yellow beak, and plumage of
blue, red, black, yellow, and green mixed. I also saw some
swifts and swallows. Cocoa-nut trees abound in great
numbers around the huts, and we were Uberally presented
with their fruit for our refreshment. There were also
papaus and two kinds of bananas, one with small fruit and
another witli larger. I constantly came upon a plant which
first appeared to be the ava, but which, on close inspection,
I found to be something quite different. Ferns were few,
and I saw but a single species which was arborescent,
and this had at its base pulu or coarse down. There
were several beautiful crotons with their vai'iegated foliage,
bright with green, yellow, and red.

220 THE CRUISE OF THE ' VUBAQOA.'

Ifhe paths appeared to be constantly retiiiiiing njion them-
selves, and we were alwaj^s finding ourselves nearly at the
same spot ; so much so, that I began to think that it would
be extremely difficult for us to retrace our steps, liad we
not the sun and mountains for our guiding points. We
found large lianyau trees with their adventitious roots
hanging down to the earth, and on wliich weie hung
quantities of yams, for the purpose, I conjecture, of saving
them from the ravages of tlie pigs which were rimning about
everywhere in considerable numbers. Tliere must also be
some of these animals in a wild state, if I may so judge
from some sixty lower jaws witli long tusks, wliich I saw
arranged upon a fence along with six jaws of porpoises,
and two skulls upon two points of the fence, which were no
doubt the rehcs of a cannibal feast. In one place I observed
some twenty posts, from ten to twelve feet high and about
fourteen inches in diameter, placed in a circle a foot distant
from each other. In the centre there was one larger than
the others, on which was rudely sculptured a man's face.
These posts were hollowed out from eigliteen inches to two
feet in length, so as to be sonorous when they were struck ;
and this is the use they are put to by the natives, who
come and dance around them, of which the worn-out ap-
pearance of the turf about them was proof '

' At Vate, Erskine was received in a building 100 feet by 28, in which
the interior of the roof was concealed by the bunches of bones hanging
from the rafters: 'they were of all descriptions — vertebras of pigs,
or points of their tails, clusters of merry-bones of fowls, bones of every

VATE. 221

The ground was covered witli a great deal of dust, and
had ahnost everywhere a slaty tint ; the soil seemed to me
of good depth and rich. No rocks or stones were to be
seen anywhere except in tlie bed of the river ; about the
huts the ground was carefully swept, and not a particle of
herbage of any kind was to be seen within a certain distance
of them. We passed near two of the chiefs' houses, one of
them liaving an arched roof, in which he kept his pigs.
Wherever we came upon huts we found numbers of people,
attracted by curiosity for the most part, with whom I had
some barter, and from whom I obtained for a few beads
some fine round-shaped shells coming from the watercourses.
The huts in genei'al are open all round, but as the roof
has such a very low pitch, in order to get in beneath it I
was obliged to crawl on my hands and knees ; occasionally
we met with some standing in the midst of little inclosures
prettily shut in by a fence of wild sugar-cane. Around
the fields under cultivation the fences are sometimes nine
or ten feet high. We everywhere saw an endless amount
of dogs, and regular curs they were. From a small nest
tliat I found in tlie sliape of a full- blown rose, I liad proof
of tlie existence of a species of hoi'net in this ishuid.

We came upon a group of a dozen men armed with
spears, clubs, hatchets or tomahawks with long handles,

variety of birds and fishes, intermingled with water-shells and .sharks-
fins. No human bones were recognised. The origin of this curious
custom could not be ascertained ; but that it is still in full vigour is
evident fi-om the fact that a traffic in these bones is carried on, not
onl}' within the island but with the adjacent ones.'

222 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUKAQUA.'

and bows with arrows sliglitly made, and with poisoned
points.

Besides being tattooed, and ha\dng their noses and ears
pierced to admit shell ornaments, they wore round their
arms above the elbow very pretty armlets made of discs
of shell ground into the shapes required, black and white
disposed alternately. They were often so tight upon the
arm that neitlier I nor the wearers could remove them.
' Garters of a green leaf were often tied tight round the
leg under the knee ; and in one or two instances the crisp
hair, which was in general of a moderate length, was
gathered up into a large topknot coloured yellow by lime,
and a neat plume of cock's feathei's attached to the scratch-
ing pin inserted in it.' ' Their bows and arrows ' were of
beautifid designs, the heads being either carved with barbs
resembling the finest Gothic work, or composed of several
prongs (which they told us were poisoned), and kept
wrapped up in banana leaves, inserted in sockets prettily
ornamented witli I'ed and white plaited cord, and decorated
witli a bunch of cock's feathers.' '■' It is evident that in
artistic skill and taste tliev are not deficient. They con-
sented to part with some of their arms for a trifle ; their
bows were not strongly made, aiul the strings were thick
but not strong ; the bottom of the arrow is made without

' Erskine, p. 325. Murray cites this and other of Erskine's descrip-
tions, which he says are exact, in his ' Missions to Western Polynesia,"
p. 226.

2 Ibid.

Frontispiece.

WEAPONS, SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.

VATE. 223

a notch ; and they are therefore in the habit of resting
them upon a knot in the string. It appears that the district
from which these men came is but ill furnished with fire-
arms, but towards the point of the bay weapons of foreign
manufacture are less rare.

Under engagement to take back my guides to the
' Dayspring,' which was to sail at midday, I was obliged, to
my great regret, to put an end to my excursion. On re-
turning to the beach we found it crowded with women just
returned from fishing, and bearing baskets full of moUusks
and crabs. These women appeared as civil, good-humoured,
and as well disposed as the men ; they were for the most
part sitting on their haunches on the sand, with their knees
up, and their legs wide apart. A fine-grown plump young
woman, not so dark as the others, seemed to have some
sense of modesty ; she turned her side towards me, and
covered her breast with her hands. Excepting this one,
they were all very ugly, with short curly hair, pendent
bx'easts, and thin spare legs. They had nothing wherewith
to cover their nakedness save a narrow strip of maro ; some
of them had merely their thighs wrap]3ed up in a piece of
stuff or tapa, which was tinted yellow by a sort of ochre.^

I retm-ned with my two guides to the ' Dayspring.' The
Eev. Mr. Paton, whom I met there, made me a present of

' In addition to this, tliey sometimes have depending from the belt
a broad strip of worked grass matting, expanding at the end into a
fringe a foot and a half long, and reaching to the calf of the leg, look-
ing very much like a tail. — Erskine, p. 332, where there is a woodcut re-
presenting thisappendage. I have some specimens of it in my collection.

224 THE CRUISE OF THE ' GUBAgOA.'

tlie skull of a native who had been killed and eaten some
few years ago here after the following fashion. Four men
of Vila Island, New Hebrides, of the Fal tribe, came over to
Vate or Sandwich Island by invitation. The next morning
one of the Vate men (the coast men or fishermen) called out
to his unsuspecting guests from the beach, who had never
seen a ship, ' Ship oh ! ' or ' Sail oh ! ' in their language, when
they in their eagerness to see the ship, and little suspecting
the treachery of their hosts, rushed out without their arms,
and were immediately attacked and clubbed, with the ex-
ception of one who succeeded in getting off. A. new
banquet was now got up, the three victims of this piece of
treachery supplying the material, and it is the skull of one
of these that is now in my possession, showing distinct traces
of two blows from a club.

The chief, who was detained as hostage dvu'ing my little
tour, paid a visit to the ' CuraQoa ' in company with several
other chiefs, one of wliom had been on board the ' Day-
spring ' wliile we were bombarding Port llesolution ; and
he gave such a highly-excited account of it, that they had
all of them the ap])earance of being thoroughly intimidated.
When he had concluded, they bound themselves by oath
for ever henceforth to respect the life and property of
British subjects. They said with great simplicity that they
had seen many ships of war before, but they w(;re veiy far
from conceiving that any one of tliem could contain so many
men, shoAv itself so formidable, and cause such teriible
ravage.

VATE. 225

In conformity with the desire expressed by the chiefs,
the Missionaries of tlie ' Dayspring ' left two native teachers
in tlie isle of Vate whom they had trained in their schools.

This island was named by Captain Cook, who discovered
it in 1774, Sandwich Island ; the natives call it Vate, or
Fate, or sometimes Eflit. It is fiom thii'ty to thirty-five
miles long, and about lialf that in width : it is subject to
frequent shocks of earthquake, which are sometimes
tolerably violent ; in the year 1864 there were as many as
six sharp ones. The soil is of remarkable fertility.

Nothing positive is known respecting the amount of
population, wliich is variously computed at from ten to
twenty thousand inhabitants, distributed in some sixty
villages, more tl:an half of wliich are on the coast. The
climate, without being precisely unliealthy, is t(jlerably damp;
])ut there is no assignable cause for the decrease of popula-
tion reported by the only missicinaiy and white man who
has hitherto lived in the island. According to his calculation,
in 1864, it winild appear that a tenth of the {jopulation had
died in the village wliere he lived, !)ut this amount exceeds
the average ; it seems, however, certain tlint the deaths are
always in excess of the births. Inlhienza constantly occurs ;
in 1861 the island was severely scourged by an epidemic
attack of measK's accoiu])anied with dysentery.

The lanyuaoe has a sireat affinity to those of the neish-
bouring islands. It is snid there are three di>tinct dialects,
one of them spoken in the i.sles of File, Mele, and the
adjacent islets, another all round the coast, and a third in

226 THE CEUISE OF THE 'CURAQOA:

tlio interioi' ; tlie coast dialect is the best known, and is
simpler in constiuction than the languages of the southern
isles of the group; as in Englisli the subject comes first,
then the verb, and then the object.

The government is more in the hands of elected than
hereditary chiefs, the right of governing being by common
consent assigned to the most influential of the tribe. In
general, each village is independent in itself, and possesses
a council of petty chiefs, whose principal business it is to
accept or modify more or less the decisions of the head
chief.

The people of Vate pass for being eminently cruel and
savage. Then- taste for human flesh is perhaps more decided
than it is auywhere else, since it leads them to violate the
graves of their enemies, in order to carry off" dead bodies,
after being some days buried, in order to bake and eat
them. When one of two fighting parties feels it has had
enough of it, and wants peace, it puts to death one of its
own people and offers him to the enemy, who accepts or
rejects the offer, accordingly as the corpse is in a more or
less tempting condition. Polygamy exists ; in general, the
woman will not consent to rear more than two or three
children ; beyond this number the newborn infant is
instantly thrown into a hole dug for the purpose. This
execrable practice is more the act of the woman than the
man, for there arc cases where husbands oppose it, and
require that their wives should either suckle theit intended
victims, or transfer them to persons (lisi)osed to adopt them.

VATE. 227

Such is the account I received on the spot, which liowever,
there is great reason, as is usual in these dark portraits of
uncivihsed people, to believe is greatly exaggerated.

In the 'Samoan Eeporter' for September 1845, the Eev.
Mr. Turner, of the London Mission, says of the people of
Vate, ' They are upon the whole the most inviting heathens
we have seen, though polygamy abounded, and the burden
of manual labour devolving on the woman, she never
rears more than two or three cliildren, burying them alive
as soon as they are born.' He also describes the wars be-
tween the tribes as anything but sanguinary. But, in the
year 1849, Mr. Hardie, who was there in order to remove
the teachers, gave on their authority an unfavourable
account of them, and described them as cruel and gluttonous
cannibals. Erskine,^ however, who notices these somewhat
opposite statements, expresses his regret at not iDcing able
to make a longer stay among them, as the little oppor-
tunity he had of judging impressed him in their favour.
It may be observed in support of tliis view, that the
missionary Murray^ gives us an extract from a report by
himself and Hardie, purporting to be a story told by the
teachers (natives of other islands) of their miraculous
deliverance on a certain evening, which is by no means of a
nature to make us place any reliance on the statements on
which Mr. Hardie founds his opinion.

It is an account of a visit paid them by a number of

' Ersldne, p. 334.

' ' Mission in Western Polynesia,' p. 244.

* Q 2

2-28 THE GEUISE OF THE ' CUBAnOA.'

' armed men ' from a neighbouring village on tlie coast, who
came with the design of miirdering and robbing them.
They reach tlie mission house at night, rouse up the
teachers, and. though they are thirty in nimiber, make the
singular request that the teachers would come out and help
them to pull the canoe out of the water, meaning, as soon
as they got them outside the house, to despatch them ; a
singular intention, seeing that if the village were aroused
they would certainly be captured and destroyed, and that
the best chance of effecting their murder woiild be within
the house. Providentially (for this is the gist of the narra-
tive) the teachers dechned to compl}- with the request, but
for a rather mysterious reason, nameh% that it was ' not
agreeable to their notions of propriety.' So, apparently
forgetting their boat, they all went to sleep quietly under
the teachers' roof, and breakfasted with them the next morn-
ing. This over, the day, it seems, was spent by the guests
iu waiting for an opportunity to take their hosts luiawares ;
the teachers however, for some reason or other, refused to
be lured out ; why is not explained, but it could hardly be
from any suspicion, otherwise they would have alarmed the
village, and thus got rid of their visitors by vulgar human
means.

At length the day closed in, and these ' savase men ' all
went in to the teachers' house with their hatchets, and, it
being the hour of prayer, they all sat down with the family
to worship. One of them, however, keeping his hatchet
over his shoidder, placed himself opposite the teacher con-

VATE. 229

ducting the service, and declined, on being requested, to
lower it. The teacliers now began to be alarmed, and kept
a sharp look-out ; presently the savages rose, and lifted up
their hatchets ; ' l)ut theii- luuids trembled, and their hearts
failed them ' — they felt the teachers were looking at them.
The service went on, and agam the savages made a move as
before, but ' again their hands trembled, and their hearts
failed them.' Now came the teachers' turn to bully. Clos-
ing the pi-ayer abruptly they peremptorily 'ordered the
savages out of the house; the latter asked to remain, but on
the teachers ri.sing from their knees, and insisting on their
going, ' they then all rushed out of the door, and shutting it
after them, made for their canoes, and were seen no more.'
Such is the galimatias, which is called by Mr. Murray and
his friend ' a remarkable deliverance,' ' a miraculous deliver-
ance,' ' a merciful interposition of the Lord.' But there is a
sort of appendix to the story which must not be omitted.
It seems that on these fellows going back to their villages,
and reporting with nuich disappointment their failure, the
people of an adjoining district laughed at them, and deter-
mined to succeed in the same venture ; with this purpose
they set off in tliree canoes, and with sixty men, but on
their way were overtaken by a tempest, which dashed their
canoes to pieces, and compelled them to trudge back by
land, though they had got two-thirds on their way. The
opinion of Messrs. Murray and Hardie is, that the teachers
referred their deliverance to the right cause, when they said,
' God alone saved us.' It is clearly not to such men we

230 THE CBUISE OF THE ' GURAQOA.'

must ajiply, if we would know the real facts respecting
these native populations, whose character no doubt fre-
quently suffers from that sort of misrepresentation, which is
one of the forms of a species of deception well known to
history by the name of ' pious fraud.'

There is scarcely anything ascertained respecting the reli-
gion of these islanders, save that they believe in another life ;
that they adore two divinities, Mauitikitiki and Tamakaia,
whom they regard as the creators of all things ; that they
have no idols, and invoke the spirits of the dead ; that they
place the other world in the west, and give it the name of
Lakinatoto Like the natives of the other islands, belonging
to the New Hebrides, they attribute diseases and death to
the occult power of sorcerers, who are, probably, in point of
fact, no other than their priests. No sooner is a man taken
somewhat seriously ill than the hrst thing he does is to try
to ascertain who can be the cause of his indisposition, and
as soon as he has discovered this, he endeavours to appease
him by presents, in the hope that he will conjure away the
evil he has laid upon him ; and as there are always plenty
of people ready to turn this credidity to account, then
never is much difficidty in finding some one who will make
himself responsible for the cliarm.

It was about the end of the year 1845 that some natives
of the Samoan group came and tried to sow the first seeds
of Christianity among these Vate savages. Uj) to nearly the
time of our visit these teachers had maintained their ground
in the face of all sorts of difficidties, and it was but recently

VATE. 231

that a white missionary had come to their assistance.
A village named Erukor has become entirely Christian, and
another village is spoken of which seems inclined to do so ;
but with these two exceptions, the whole island is under the
yoke of its religion. The unconverted majority are (it is
of course asserted) very depraved, giving themselves up
to all sorts of immoralities, besides the barbarous customs
we have already mentioned, such as cannibalism and the
making away with old men and children. In the Christian
village these abominable practices and vices have, for the
most part, disappeared, and the Missionary affirms tliat his
property is fully respected.^

There are to be found at present in the island, pigs,
goats, dogs, cats, rats, bats, flying-foxes, and tortoises.
There are three species of lizards and a harmless snake
about two feet long, of a brownish colour, and very heavy
in his movements. There are two kinds of pigeons, hawks,
owls, and a considerable variety of small singing birds.
Turkeys and barndoor fowls have been introduced. Among
the fish of every sort of shape which are caught at Vate
some are venomous, but the greater pait are fit for food.
There are also sea-crabs and land-crab.s, the common pearl
oyster, and other kinds of this mollusk. Of insects there
is a large variety.

Two species of the cocoa-nut tree, the sago palm, and
bread-fruit tree, the papau, a large horse chesnut, the
coSee plant, and various nut trees, supply the uatives with
' As usual — black yesterday, white to-day.

232 THE CRUISE OF THE • GUBAQOA.'

food ; as also the yam, the common taro, water melons,
pumpkins, cabbage, bananas, and plantains. There is a tree,
the leaf of which is used as a vegetable ; and a large species
of taro, to which the natives have recourse whenever there
happens to be a scarcity of other food. There, is, it is said,
a great variety of ferns, some of which are of unusual beauty.
The articles offered or obtained in barter are, on the
one hand, mats, baskets, yams, taro, pigs, dogs, native arras ;
on the other, clothes, pipes, tobacco, muskets powder, lead,
beads, knives, &c.

VANUA.LAVA. 233

CHAPTER XIII.

VANUA-LAVA— BANES' ISLANDS.

(August 21 to 23.)

Through the Northernmost Islauds of the New Hebrides — Uncertaiu Naviga-^
tion — Port Pattesou — The ' Southern Cross ' and Bishop Patteson — Appear-
ance of the Natives — Trip in the Island — Vegetation — Dwellings and Club
House — River of Hot Water — Jets of Vapour — Eggs of Megapodius —
Customs — Climate.

On August 18, about four p.m., we stefimed out of Havannah
Harbour, laying our course for Banks' Islands, while the
' Dayspring ' took an opposite course on her return with
some Missionaries to the Port of Vila. The ' Cura9oa's '
direction enabled us to see on oiu- starboard side Hinchin-
brook Island in the distance, and further on still Api
Island. She then entered the channel, having on its east
side Paum and Ambrym Islauds, and on its west the great
Island of Malicolo, which we next morning neared more
than was necessary, because the Commodore, having given
up the intention of stopping there, wished to give us a sight
of it. Passing by Port Sandwich, near its south-eastern
extremity, with a fair and rather fresh breeze we reached
Espiritu-Santo, the largest and most northern of the New
Hebrides, and whose moimtains were wrapped in mist. We
had thus passed through the whole length of the New Heb-

234 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA:

rides, the islands of which are all elevated, and which present,
so it struck me, landscapes much prettier and more striking
than those of all the other islands we had seen, without ex-
cepting even those of Fiji. The want of good charts for
these seas, combined with the impossibility of taking any-
observation, on account of the mistiness of the atmosphere,
caused us to mistake the island of Vanua-Lava for another
island, and so to pass it, by which we lost nearly a day.

The islands, composing Banks' group, in the midst of
which Ave were then sailing, appeared to me to be high
and mountainous, like- those of the lai'ger groups we had

>l-UAiii,LL^ LiLV.M'.

just quitted. We approached BUgh Island near enough to
get a distinct view of it. We saw Sugar-loaf Island, the fine
cone of which resting on a table-land presented a spectacle
as curious as striking. On August 21, towards halt-past
three p.m., after having turned Low Island, we dropjied
anchor in eleven fathoms in the port of Vanua-Lava,
called Port Patteson in honour of the judge of that name,
the father of the missionary bishop. The ' Southern Cross,'
the same schooner we had met with at the begiuiung of our
cruise, and whic;h the Commodore had appointed to meet

VANUA.LAVA. 235

him on August 20, anticipated our arrival by a whole week.
The bishop, who was on board of her, immediately paid a
visit to tlie ' Cura9oa,' accompanied by Commander Tilley,
E.N., who had obtained four years' leave to occupy himself
with the hydrography of these and other islands of these
seas. A tliick fog so obscured the Hght as to prevent our
having a distinct view of tlie mountains by which this fine
port is environed. After our arrival we met with an acci-
dent which we regarded as a positive disaster for our
stomachs, and all the moi'e so, as proceeding north we were
every day getting nearer the focus of heat, — the ice-
machine which had made us so happy came to grief
in the steward's hands, thus putting an end to the cool
beverages to which we had been so much accustomed.

Several canoes filled with men only came paddling around
the ship. They were completely naked, without a maro,
without even the slightest rag of covering, so that we
could very distinctly perceive that they did not practise
circumcision. They were entirely unarmed, and appeared
quiet and inoffensive. They made the sailors understand
that they were verj^ desirous to have empty bottles, which
they seemed to prize beyond anything. Their canoes are
short and heavy, wide and deep, larger than those of the
New Hebrides, and like the latter fitted with an outrigger.

The day after our arrival, early in the morning, I went,
accompanied by Mr. Veitch and Brazier on board the
' Southern Cross,' to take up Bishop Patteson, who, with his
usual kindness, liad been good enough to offer to pilot us

230 TUB GE.mSE OF THE ' GUUAQOA:

into tlie interior of the island. Tliis model of missionary
bishops had apprised me I should iind the natives not only
inoffensive but kindly disposed, and I feel a sincere pleasure
in at once declaring that his anticipations were fully sustained
by the facts. At his request three natives served us both as
guides and an escort. We had hardly advanced a few-
steps before we were obliged to cross a small stream, into
whose sandy bottom I sank up to my middle. I picked
out of the sand a pretty little mussel of a deep green, and
a curious thing with back and legs of a crustaceous cha-
racter and with a long back terminating in a point, and
which might probably be some of the parasites peculiar to
fish ; then on the banks of the stream I gathered some
insects, two lizards, two centipedes, some land shells, and
a small species of fre.sh water mussel. We then walked
along the beach for a mile and a lialf upon a sandy soil,
without the sign of a stone, wiiicli extended to a neighbour-
ing forest, into whicli we plunged under high pandanus
trees laden with their golden globe-shaped fruit. The soil
was liere and there thickly covered with a square fruit
rising to a point, resembling a priest's cap. We trod, as
we walked, upon ferns quite new to me, one species of
which had a rounded frond with a fruiting spike in the
centre. We saw a tree which bore very nice egg-shaped
fruit of a deep purple when ripe, containing a hard stone
surrounded by a ])ulp, and enclosing a kernel three or
four times larger than our ordinary almonds, and as plea-
sant to the taste as a young filbert. There was a green

VANUA-LAVA. 23?

fruit of the shape of the date, with a round soft kernel,
very crisp, and witli a sHglit acidity exceedingly agreeable.
We saw on our way large banyan trees, several pretty
varieties of crotons all new to nie, several sorts of fine
bushy trees but of low growth, wild banana trees, an
aroid with leaves veined with green, white, and yellow,
a bush with wide leaves, and flowers of a fine red massed
upon a stalk from twelve to eighteen inches long. There
was also a beautiful species of palm with a trunk not
more than two inches in diameter having fan-shaped
leaves bent down at their outer edge, and bunches of fruit
of a fine green, about the size of an oidinary cherry. We
passed a group of natives going towards the port, carrying
cocoa-nut milk in bamboos of more than an inch in dia-
meter, about fimr feet long, and ornamented at iriegular
intervals with narrow and wide green stripes. They had
likewise crabs and eels, which I procured from them in
exchange for a few trifles.

The rain soon began to fall so heavily that we were in a
few minutes wet to the skin. The forest with its drip
resembled an immense shower bath, and the soil, of a choco-
late coloiu- tending to red, was thoroughly soaked. The
path, naturally slippery, was threaded over with roots which
made it still more so, while huge creepers and pendent
branches of trees scarce three feet from the ground barred
the way. Of course our progress was horribly impeded by
tliese obstacles, and nothing could be less pleasant. It was
therefore a lucky chance to be able to kill a flying fox

238 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUKAgOA.'

upon a tree, and two or three little birds, one of which was
very pretty witli a light yellow breast. We got sight of
swallows which looked like those of the Xew Hebrides.
I heard occasionally the notes of small singing birds, but
without being able to see them. I picked up a handsome
grasshopper, with claws so formidable as to wound my
finger through my glove.

Having reached the middle of the wood, we came upon a
village in which the greater part of the huts were shut up,
the occupants being out on their business. These huts, low
and of a mean appearance, are thatched with Avild sugar-
cane and banana leaves, and have extremely small entrances.
There was but a slight amount of cultivation round about
tlie village, and neither cocoa-nut nor banana trees exist
in any quantity. The bishop pointed out to me a large
building which he called by the name of ' Club house,'
seventy-three feet in length by ten feet in Avidth, divided
into seven compartments, fieely communicating with each
other, very cleanly kept, though having no other floor than
the soil, while in the centre of each of them was a circular
fireplace or oven, from eight to ten inches deep, and
eighteen in diameter. Near these ovens were heaps of
cocoa-nut husks with which to light theu' fires by the usual
method of rubbing two sticks together, the one being harder
tlian tlie other. This building, the bishop said, built at the
public expense, was intended to receive those who, at
certain times, came from all parts of the district on public
business ; a fact which he thought rather tended to prove

VANUA-LAVA. 239

the correctness of what is asserted, that tliey do not acknow-
ledge sucli an institution as a government by autocratic chiefs.
I was also informed that tliis club hou.se was the smallest
of several others that are to be found in the island.

At this spot I procured by barter bows and poisoned
arrows, some rather pretty fresh-water dead shells, and
other curiosities besides. I observed iu a luit a number of
pieces of wood made in the shape of cutlasses, whicli tliese
people make use of for cutting up the yams and other
roots used in their cookery. Inside several of tliese huts I
saw old women with skinny pendent breasts, who, when they
perceived I was observing them, seemed to shf)w a feeling
of shame, and lowered their liands to covei- tlieir nakedness,
which was very inefTectually concealed by a girdle of only
an inch wide. I observed, however, a v/ell-made young
woman who ha<l not even tliis thread around her, but who,
as she stood, supported Avithout the least embarrassment
our gaze.

On returning to the beacli, the rain still at times pouring
down in torrents, we had to cross another river about
thirty yards Avide, the Avater of Avhicli Avas limpid and
impregnated Avith sulijhur, and which as I forded it reached
my chin. I did not remark, though others had been struck
with it, that the water of this river was Avarm ; but that
some of these streams are hot was confirmed by what
Brazier told me Avlioni I had sent up the mountain, and
who, as he Avent along, fell in Avith a river at a point
where it Avas rolling on Avitli great swiftness, and so very

24U

THE CRUISE OF THE 'CUIIAQOA.'

hot he could not kcej) liis liund in it. Another opportunity
gave us, what we thought, conchisive proof of the existence
of hot springs in this iocahty. The next morning, the
sky being beautifully i^lear and bi'ight, we perceived an
enormous quantity of vapour escaping from a large liole
or ])erhaps crater, situated in a gorge of the mountain. It

NA-rrv!-:.^ OF K.vxKS islaxd.s.

rnik'd upwai'tis in great clouds, and so rapidly ;^s to imply
llie ])resence of a vast reservoir of hot water. Beyond this
jet of vapour, and higher up in the niountain, we saw
iiuother whit'h was very like it.

The natives brought me three large eggs of a bird which

VANUA.LAVA. 241

lives in the vicinity of these hot waters, that Wall was of
opinion belonged to the genus Megapodius. These eggs,
of much greater length than width, and pretty nearly the
same size at either end, were of a pinkish tint ; they re-
minded me that when at the island of Vate, at the Christian
village where Mr. Morrison lived, a native offered me two
eggs exactly similar, which I declined from fear of breaking
them. I have heard that a large bird is to be found also in
the neighbourhood of the volcano of Tanna.

The natives of Vanua-Lava are better featured, not so
ugly, so dark, nor so savage-looking, as those of some of
the New Hebrides. Their hair gives you tlie impression
of a bundle of wool on the top of their heads. They
were very friendly, and seemed to be living on very
good terms with each other ; but it is stated that a
good deal of fighting goes on among them, on which occa-
sions they still make use of their hereditary weapons, ours
being unknown to them. They liave neither chiefs nor
government of any sort, so it is said ; it is the natural chief,
the father of the family, who cares for and directs his house-
hold as seems good to him. The natives are polygamists,
and appear jealous of their wives ; it is positively asserted
they are not cannibals.

Bishop Patteson is of opinion that the population does
not exceed 800 souls in this comparatively large island,
while in Sugar-loaf Island he supposes there are 10,000.
The climate of Vanua-Lava, owing doubtless to the marshes
which extend from the sea to the foot of the mountains, is

242 THE CEUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

unwholesome. Intermittent fever, or fever and ague, is
prevalent, at which I am not at all surprised after seeing the
natives, who accompanied us, shivering in the rain. The
soil is everywhere of a marvellous fertility, and the vegeta-
tion most luxuriant.

It was in this island that Bishop Patteson had a year
before interred the two young men who died of the wounds
received in the island of Santa Cruz, to whom I have referred
in the chapter on Norfolk Island

SANTA OnUZ ISLANDS. 243

CHAPTER XIV.

SANTA GRUZ ISLANDS.

(AuousT 25.)

V.iDikoro Island — Port Graciosa in Santa Cruz — Volcano of Tinakoro —
A Swarm of CanofS— B,irter.

On August 23, a little after midday, the ' Cura^oa ' left the
island of Vanua-Lava, taking in tow the ' Southern Cross,"
which was to accompany her. On om* leaving port, Sugar-
loaf Island seemed to us of a form perfectly different from
that which it had when we entered it, as often happens
when we look at an object from a new })oint of view. We
bent our course towards the island of Vanikoro, made
famous in geographical annals by the fate of Laperouse's
expedition. This mountainous island, remarkable for its
picturesque beauties, is almost completely surrounded by a
reef, the western part of which goes by the name of the
Astrolabe and its unfortunate commander. On the morn-
ing of August 24 we touched for a moment at the port of
Ocili in the island of Vanikoro, in order to pay a species of
homage to the memory of the celebrated navigator, and
immediately after left this large, deep, well sheltered, and ex-
cellent harbour. In veering round, the Commodore ordered

2-44 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA:

those guns, which liad remained shotted since the affair at
Tanna, to be fired off.

Towards evening of the same day we sighted the island
of Santa Cruz, otherwise called Nitendi. In the middle of
the night the wind began to blow very hard, and, for three
hours, the rain fell in such quantities that the ship was as
it were swamped, and for my part I had my bed and things
completely drenched. At daybreak on August 25 we kept
along the east coast of Santa Cruz, then doubled its northern
point in order to lay our course to the west, and towards
midday found ourselves abreast of Port Graciosa, where

we hove to at a distance of three or four miles from the
coast. We were not very far from Tinakoro or Volcano
Island, a cone emerging from the sea, the top of which ap-
peared to us to be continuously covered with clouds or smoke,
and at times with both at once. We got sight in the dis-
tance of some large villages on the coast of Santa Cruz. As
we were not to put foot on land, we were apprehensive for
a moment that we had come thus for, and yet should not

SANTA CBUZ ISLANDS, 245

get sight of a single inhabitant, but hickily it did not turn
out so.

More than a himdred canoes, with a couple of men in
each, swarmed round the ' Cura^oa,' bringing all sorts of
articles for barter with our crew ; there were bows, arrows,
four-sided clubs, painted, fringed, and running up to a point
curved up at the end, pretty mats of fine texture, little
neat and well ornamented bags, containing small gourds
filled with chinam ; also poultry, yams, bananas, and cocoa-
nuts. The swell was so great, tliat several of the canoes
capsized alongside, as it were for our amusement, such
accidents being of no consequence to these fellows, who
swim like fish. I saw one of them dive down and recover
a string of blue beads, very nnich the colour of the sea.

Their canoes are well made, and with outriggers which
differ in their fixings from any thing we had yet seen.
There was a kind of wicker platform, which went across
the canoe in the centre between the poles of the outriggers.
The opening on the top of the canoes was so very narrow,
they could barely get a leg into the opening, and therefore
sat on the top, one leg before the other.

These savages seem muscular and well made, and have
short woolly hair, which they dye yellow with chinam.
Their mouths are large, and their teeth are all black from
the effect of betel nut, which they chew incessantly ; for
clothing they have only a maro made probably of bark or
tapa, and a girdle very tight roimd their waist, sometimes of
tortoise-shell in narrow bands. All had attached to their

246

THE UBUISE OF THE 'GUBAQOA:

noses a thick piece of tortoise-shell, which hung down over
their lower lips, making them look liideous, especially when
they opened their mouths to speak. From their ears were
suspended from six to twelve rings, made of large shells,
half an inch thick. Their arms above the elbow were
decorated with armlets of black and wliite shells. On

EAn OnXAMEXTS.

their necks they wore necklaces made of small black and
white rings, to whicli were attached little pieces of mother
of pearl. Others had a round shell, black and white cord
necklace, and a great many of them tlie large round
mother of peail shell ; sonic of tluMii wore an eardroj)
made of sharks' teeth. Thuy rattled on, talking all at
once. I did nut dhsci-vc llint tiicv wciv in the least

SANTA GBUZ ISLANDS.

247

tattooed. Iron and lieads tliey seemed to care for more
than anything else. Iron hoop cut up into pieces, about
seven or eight inches long, was a most marketable article
with them. It was amusing to see some of our officers and
midshipmen hoisting up things by a rope, and letting down
their pieces of iron.

eau-drop made of .sharks' tectii

These natives seemed most excitable people, up in a
moment. The men of two canoes alongside had a row
together, because they were pushing each other out of their
places. One hit the bow of the other's canoe with a club,
the latter took up his bow and arrow, and, I think, if the
other had pushed his canoe again, he would have shot

nun.

248 THE GBUISE OF THE 'GUBAQOA.'

CHAPTER XV.

ULAKUA— SOLOMON GROUP.

(August 27 to 29.)

Singular Fact — Island of Santa Anna — Arrive in sight of the Island of Ulakua
— Natives and their Canoes — Ornaments and Dress — Trip on Land — Huts —
Women — Parrots,

Our stay ou the coast of Santa Cruz was very short ; reach-
ing it at mid-day, we hoisted sail at 2.20 p.m. and made for
the Solomon Islands. Before nightfall, between four and
five o'clock, we felt strong vibrations throughout the whole
ship, accompanied, as some said, by a rumbling noise. These
shakes appeared to follow each other in quick succession ;
they only lasted a few seconds, but probably tliey were
severe elsewhere. We ascribed them to an action on the
bed of the sea, proceeding from the volcano of Tinakoro,
from which we were not far distant. Before sunset we had
lost sight of the high lauds of Santa Cruz. The next day
about noon we sighted the little ishind of Santa Anna,
situated at the southern extremity of the Solomon group.
Then steering N.N.W. we sailed along the large island of
San Christoval.

On August 27, about noon, we arrived near the island of
Ulakua, called also Ulana and Contrarietes Island, where

ULAKUA. 249

we had the intention of making a short stay. We found
ourselves in more than 100 fathoms with a rocky bottom.
In the afternoon, the Commodore sent the master in the
life-boat to sound the bay and find an anchorage ; he re-
turned before nightfall, reporting he had found twenty-eight
fathoms close to land. The Commodore determined to
stand off and on the west coast until morning.

On August 28, without letting go anchor, the long boat
was lowered, into which many of the officers got, with the
intention of landing, taking the ' Southern Cross ' in their
way, which was at some distance from the ' Cura^oa.' The
schooner was surrounded by numbers of canoes, so many
indeed that 1 could count ninety, with my own eyes. They
were entirely different from anything I had before seen ;
their two ends were alike, they were without outriggers, and
generally carried two, rarely three men ; their paddles were
short, narrow, witli a pointed blade. At each extremity
the canoes were ornamented with tassels, made of strips of
pandanus leaf dyed red at intervals, and also with mother-
of-pearl let in in different patterns. Their crews made a
great clatter iu conducting their barter ; thick iron hoop for
tomahawks, together with hatchets and fishhooks, seemed
the great desiderata ; they would scarcely look at my beads,
knives, &c. They were, if possible, more loaded with
ornaments and knick-knacks than the natives of Santa
Cruz. They have bead-bracelets and armlets, some much
wider at the top than bottom, like a gauntlet, and of a
great variety of patterns. Armlets of thick solid white shell

250

THE GBUISE OF TEE 'CUEAQOA.'

are worn above tlie elbow, and also tliick, massive, white
rino-s one on each arm, varying from half an inch to three
and a half inches in width, and so very nicely polished as
to imply a good deal of labour in making them. Their
nose ornaments, as here figured, include tortoise-shell rings.

XftSF, ORNAMENTS.

perforating the cartilage ot the nostrils, into which are
inserted externally pins prettily made with bead handles,^
crabs' claws, &c. ; another variety is figured farther on."
They had also bands of a good sized white shell worn round
the head, just al)ove the eyes which they shade ; another

' The ornameiit in the first figured nostril is a bead-handled pin
with a porpoise tooth strung upon it. The one figured below it has a
species of Dentaliuni inserted on cither side.

■^ Infi-i), p. 2^A:

IILAKUA. -'<i

sort of sliiule was ukuIo of a I'uk' maltiui:; on the rorolu-ad,
hold in its place by littin<i; li^jjiilly louiul tlu' iioail. A
great mimher of tlieni wear also necklaces of ilogs" lei'lli
and lunnan teetli stcnni;' on strini;-. 1 could never get tlieni
to i)art witii one of them fiU' any of my wares. Tlie Connno-
dore od'ered two muskets for one hut could not ii'et: it ; fortu-
nately the nishop got him a very fnu' one and two small
ones. These people seem to have more ino-ennily llian 1
have seen elsewhere in these islands. It is uott'worlhy what
a variety of materials, wdial a diversity of designs exhil)itinif
a ren\arkable combination of taste and skill, chara<'terisi>
the workmanship of their personal and other ornaments,
t^hells ol" various descriptions, cowrie shells, clam shells,
miti'c shells, a kind of land sliell, tlu^ ilclix tricolor, the
Hulimus, molluM' of pearl shells, seeds, liandxxi and woods
of did'erent, kinds, birds' bones, boars" tusks, sharks' t,eetli,
])orpoise teeth, human teeth, and dogs' teeth ; plaited cocoa-
nut libre or sinnet, banana and pandamis lea\'es, grasses,
fc'athi'i's of birds, as of cot'katoos and pairots. All these;
materials, ingeniously wi'ought into dillereul patterns, enter
more or less into their necklaces, arndt'ts, eai' and nose
ornaments, knee; ornaments, waist belts, bracelets, iVc. The
nec'klaces are most vai'ied in their designs, sonu' of thein
being composcMl of boai's' tusks burnt- into s(;veral pieces,
with tortoise-shell ligiu'cs in the centre repi'esent/mg birds;
others of beautifully made liugs of black an<l while shell
work, occasionally ol' black rings made of a kind of seed
nii.xed with red and white shell woik, or shell work of
diU'd'cnl colours, with hmn'u: tcdh as p'^ndants ; sonn' of

252

THE CRUISE OF TEE ' GURAQOA:

them of open shell-rings fastened to a bamboo rib, and others
of small mitre shells attached to a cocoa-nut fibre braid ;
some again of porpoise teeth strung in lumps, with a few

SPECIMENS or XECKIJICES.

beads at the bottom, or others composed of a piece of shell
nicely rounded, from one inch to one and a half in width,

SPECIMENS OF NECEUCE9.

and very white, arranged in patterns sometimes very simple
and pretty. Occasionally they have an especial value ; such,
for instance, as those made of black, red, and white shell

ULAKUA. 253

rings, ten yards of which will in Florida Island purchase
a wife ; or those that are made of the incisor teeth of dogs,
in which form they are so much valued by the natives
that it is extremely difficult to procure them, they being
handed down from father to son as heir-looms. Sometimes
they are made of small disks of shell and human teeth,
perforated and strung together upon a thin strip of bamboo,
the teeth being placed about an inch apart.

Great attention is paid to the composition of their head
ornaments, which exhibit great variety of patterns, forms,
and materials. Some of them are made of a piece of thin
rounded clam shell, faced with a very thin circle of tortoise-
shell beautifully carved, in which form they are worn at
the side of the head and cover the ear. They also take the
form of frontlets, made of the teeth of porpoises and dogs ;
of rosettes, made of the red and yellow feathers of the
cockatoo and parrot, relieved with ornamental shell work ;
sometimes they are made of a kind of red dyed grass affixed
to the head by a large comb. Their knee ornaments have
a pretty effect, being made of neatly braided dyed grass, of
red, black, and white shell work, or of the shells of a kind
of nut, which are intended to make a rattling noise in their
dances. Their waistbands, armlets, &c., exhibit the same
general character of ornament. Of their ear ornaments,
specimens of some vai'ieties of them have been given. But
the most remarkable are those made of light or heavy wood
of a circular form, and worn in the lobe of the ear. A slit
is made in it to which a weight is attached, or pieces of

254

THE GliUISE OF THE 'CURAQOA:

wood gradually increasing in size, are inserted in it, until this
part of the ear is stretched to so ])reposterous a size as to
admit a disk of 3-| inches diameter, and \ to ^ of an inch in

thickness.'

Their nose ornaments
are made sometimes of
mother of pearl, and
take the forms of tliese
represented in this wood-
cut.

After some barter with
them we went aslioi'e in
the long boat, the Bishop
taking tlie lead in his
whale boat. Our boat
could not get into the
narrow channel through
which the Bishop easily
passed, but by turning
a little to tlie right as
advised, we finally found
a place in which we
could conveniently land.
There the Bishop ex-
pressed some apprehen-
sions respecting the disposition of the people near us, of

' I had oue of this kind taken i'roni the ear of Sasara, a native of
Guadalcanal-, one of this group ; also one of pale-coloured wood

MOTUliK OF PKAltL NOSE ORNAMENTS.

ULAKUA. 265

whom he had had ouly bad reports, and begged us not
to go shooting roiuid about this viUage, but to make for an-
other where he was known. After having lost nearly half
an houi' in conferring, we returned to onv boat, and went
and landed on a nice coral beach near a village situated to
the left and facing the first village, where we went ashore.
The island of Ulakua is low and uniformly flat, not the
least eminence being visible. The shore, as far as I could
see, is very rough, with coral rock in most places. There
is a clifi" along the shore some 15 or 20 feet high, fiom
which huge blocks of coral have been detached in many
places. The island seems to be more of coral formation
than any I have seen, excej^t Savage Island. It has evidently
been upheaved, and probably rather roughly too. I picked
up on the beach a great many pieces of flint scattei-ed about
among the broken up coral ; one wonders how it got there.-
I could find no lava or other kinds of rock, and there does
not appear to be any great depth of soil. The cocoa-nut
trees, however, iwv in great profusion, grow very high, and
yield large quantities of fruit, of which we had our sliare,
the natives giving us on our way as much of it as we coidd
possibly desire. On that part of the beacli where we landed
we found a great number of fish-stakes put up in a curious

covered with a black varnish, one end of whicli was engraved with a
flower of nine petals enclosed in a Vandyke border, the incised parts
being filled with wliite paint. Both are now in the Christy Col-
lection, together with a larger and more ornanjented one which Mr.
Franks, of the British Museum, was fortunate enough to meet with
at Hamburg, and which no doubt belongs to this group.

256 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAgOA.'

way, tlirougli which we passed by an opening between
them. The natives were tolerably numerous on the shore,
and appeared to be more peacefully disposed than those of
the first village we saw, though each of them was armed
with two or three spears, very thin and light compared with
those of the Fiji people. Not a woman was to be seen
among them. The Bishop explained tliat we had merely
come to kill a few birds ; no objection was made, and we
pushed on inland. Only three of us had guns, I was one of
them, but the boy who had charge of my ammunition bag
had stupidly left it on board the schooner, so that my gun
was useless, and I was done out of my shooting. We saw
some parrots, and a species of new fern for my collection.
We reached a village consisting of a dozen of tolerably lai'ge
huts, several of which seemed to me to be sunk a foot in the
ground, which so darkened them that I could with difficulty
discern anything inside ; and moreover I did not ventiu'e to
be too prying, because the women appeared to me so timid
and shy, that I did not choose to run the risk of annoying
them. The huts were roofed with wild sugar cane leaves,
and had but one opening for a doorway.

The natives are a small puny race, and have about their
moutlis an offensive appearance from chewing betel-nut,
whicli grows here, as well as another palm with a very
pretty foliage. The men seemed fi-iendly enough, and when
Brazier shot a parrot they were dehglited to see the bird
fall, and laughed a good deal. All these people seemed
very excitable, and as if, on the least thing happening, they
would be like madmen in a minute. The women were

ULAKUA. 257

naked, or partially covered with a narrow fringe but little
better than no covering at all, not above ' four inches wide,
and called lavalava. The men were also either naked, or
with a band round their loins, to which was attached a fan-
tastic appendage that according to their views is modest.^
They have thick, bushy, woolly hair stained yellow with
lime, and are not so ugly as the Tanna or Eramanga people.

On returning to the beach we came upon a stream which
might almost be called a river, where we were glad to
quench our thirst. Besides some ferns and a handsome
black lizard, I brought back from this trip three species of
parrots, of which one was so remarkable, by the brilliancy
and variety of its colours, that I must devote a word or two
to it. The top of the head was black, the beak red ; on
each side of the neck a spot of black coming down to a
beautiful yellow ring ou the breast ; the back of a deep red ;
a bright red from the throat to the tail ; Avin^s of a beautiful
green with pale red on the inside, and on tlie point of the
pinion a patch of a very pretty light blue ; tail feathers green ;
feet black ; feathers on the legs also green ; eyes pale orange
in both male and female. On opening the stomach of this
bird, I found in it small red seeds and caterpillars.

About half-past five we returned to our boats, on oiu' way
to the ' Cura^'oa,' stopping, as we went, alongside the
' Southern Cross,'- where the Bishop obligingly refreshed us
with wine and biscuits.

' It will be found figured at p. 33'2 of Erskine, as worn by the men
of Vate.

258 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA:

CHAPTEE XVI

UJI— SOLOMON GROUP.

(AuftUST 29 AND 30.)

Alarm on board — Pigeon Shooting in the Trees — Natural History.

On August 29, about two a.m., we left Ulakua and made
for the island of Uji, which has likewise the names of
Guelph and Gulf Island. At daybreak we saw land before
us, and soon passed by three little i.slands called the Three
Sisters, lying to the south of Ulakua. About three o'clock
p. ii. we anchored in twenty-four fathoms on the coast of
Uji, with tlie ' Southern Cross ' made fast to our stern.

In the evening, just as we were sitting down to our
dinner, we were alarmed by an explosion in tlie .ship's
stern. The fire bell rang, every man was instantly at his
post, but fortunately it turned out to be of little or no
consequence. One of the steward's boys, drawing some
brandy from a cask that was almost empty, put his candle
too close to it and set fire to the spirit, thus causing
an explosion which burst the barrel without doing any
material damage.

The next day at an early hour I went ashore with Doctor
Picken. It had rained during the night, and the ground

iiir jir

VJI.

259

was saturated. Some natives followed and assisted us in
finding the pigeons concealed in the breadfruit and other
much taller trees. I killed several superb parrots, a small
kingfisher, a fine eagle with white head, neck and breast of
a bright brown, as were also the wings ; some pretty green
doves with orange breasts, and heads of a slate colour on

NATIVE GIRLS, UJI.

the top. Large heavy pigeons, of a light brown, abounded,
but it was difficult to distinguish them when pointed out to
us, and it was impleasant to have to throw the head back as
far as it could go to see the birds, and then to have to point
your gun straight up in tlie air to fire at them. You cannot
often see them from more than one spot; there is no sport

B 2

•200 THE CRUISE OF TEE ^CUBAQOA.'

in it. I remarked tliat tliese pigeons fed on a three-
cornered nut with a dark purple flesh over it, a thick hard
shell, and a kernel sweet and agreeable to the taste. These
birds must have a large swallow and a good digestion to eat
these hard nuts. All those I have seen had one or more of
them in the stomach. I did not gather any new ferns,
owing perhaps to my attention being fixed on the birds. I
found some fine land shells, looking beautifully green, but
when the animal was taken from them it was evident that it
was this which imparted its colour to the shell. One other
small shell I foiuid had a curious animal in it ; the shell
was covered with a fine membrane, except on the top ; the
animal was red, and when touched or pulled about on paper
deposited a red stain on it, throwing its tail about, which
was very long, and resembled an eel's. The shell did not go
near the groimd, and was very delicate.

The most interesting object we met with in Uji, and
procured through the kindness of Bishop Patteson, was an
ornamental tie-beam from the roof of a public hall or
council house. On one side the ornaments are in relief,
consisting of seven birds supposed to represent frigate birds
[Tachypetes aquila), and eight fish, the two centre ones of
which are sharks and the six others bonitos. The birds are
placed with their heads downward, six of the fish horizon-
tally beneath them. On either side of the centre bird is a
bonito placed vertically, the head of each meeting a shark.
The birds are alternately liglit and dark, and the fish all of
the same brown colour; tlie ground exhibits a singularly

UJI. 261

"well executed zig-zag pattern tinted red, white, and black,
as well as other ornamentation, the whole evincing a re-
markable appreciation of symmetrical arrangement and
capacity for executing it. Tlie reverse side, on which there
is nothing in relief, represents four highly ornamented
canoes manned, one of them bottom upwards and part of
the crew upon it struggling to keep off the sharks, several
of which are busily engaged in devouring such of their less
fortunate companions as have been luiable to regain the
canoe. The groundwork is black, and the canoes, fish, men,
&c. are engraved upon it, and painted white, relieved here
and tliere with red and black. Among tlic fish regaling
themselves on tlic remains of the bodies which they have
partially devoured, are to be found more than one species.
The long central fish is the Sphyrcena, popularly known as
the Barracuda ; of the others, the larger are sharks, the
smaller Ballistes.* The groundwork is divided into two com-
partments, ornamentally separated from one another, each
containing two canoes. In one of the canoes of either group
is to be seen a raised platform, the one in the right group
bearing a bowl, the other in the left group being without
one. It has been surmised that there is here a reference to
a custom among some of these islanders of propitiating the
sliarks by an offering in the shape of a libation, and that
the canoe not upset or attacked has performed the cere-
mony. The two canoes in the right compartment may be

' I am indebted to Dr. Giinther, of the British Museum, for the
names of the fish.

262 THE CRUISE OF THE 'VURAgOA.'

supposed to be moving on with the protecting bowl. Bnt all
this, of course, is mere conjecture. Most of the men in the
canoes are represented as wearing high combs projecting from
their heads, and one, singularly enough, is decorated with
the by no means delectable hat, which, I suppose, I may be
permitted to call the hat of civilisation. The whole subject
of this side of the beam is contained in ornamental borders,
and the extremities are curved downwards w^ith a circular-
shaped opening by which tliey are attached to the two
purlins, one on each side of the roof, as will be seen by a
reference to the illustration copied from Mr. Codrington's
interesting sketch of part of one of these buildings.'

The sketch in question represents an interior with a
raised platform at one end ; the w^alls are low, and suj)port
a sloping roof At a certain height on either side is a mas-
sive beam or purlin resting on a kind of stoiy-post going
down to tlie lioor, the upper portion of which is cai'ved to
represent a lunuan figure resting on a column. To ti.e
l)urliii is attached an ornamental tie-beam, evidently of the
same character as that just described. Slung fi-om the roof,
or resting on the platform, are some very large wooden ka\a
bowls, two of which only are represented here, partially
inlaid with pieces of cone shells. The rafters and purlms
are decorated with different designs in various colours, the

' The length of this tie-beam, now in the Maidstone Museum, is
fifteen feet two inches, the width one foot three inches, not inchiding
the extremities of the birds' tail.s, which extend nine inches b33-ond
the beam.

-MinternBroa. Chpomo-Mi .

A , ',E HALL UJI SOLOMON ISLATSIDS

ianoon. Xiongmar.

UJI. 268

wliole indicating a place of much parade and pretension/
It would be greatly to be regretted should not this rude
artistic skill be developed by instruction into something of a
superior kind. But if it turn out otherwise, as most likely
it will, these works will remain, and are worthy of remain-
ing, as evidence of a degree of intelligence and of capabilities
certainly remarkable in what we call a savage race.

As the ' Cura^oa ' was to weigh anchor at an early hour we
were obliged to retrace our steps very soon, and hence we
had no opportunity of learning anything respecting these
islanders, who seemed to be friendly enough. It was nine
o'clock when we got to the beach and seated ourselves in
our l)oat to return to the shin.

' I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Franks of the British Mu-
seum, for obtaining for nie the obliging permission of the Rev. Mr.
Codrington's brother to copy and insert this interesting sketch.

264 TEE CEUISE OF THE 'CUEAQOA.'

CHAPTER XYII.

SAN CBBISTOYAL— SOLOMON GROUP.

(Attgtjst 30 TO September 4.)

Anchor at Wanga — Arrival of Canoes — Barter — A Walk in the Island —
Opossum — A glutinous Fruit — Village — Women entirely naked — Human
Skulls — Curious Group of Natives — Constant State of Warfare — Fishing in
a River — Anchor at Hada — A self-styled King — A Nigger who treats the
Natives as Niggers — The Bishop and the lyiurderer of one of his Teachers
— Appearance of the Natives.

On August 30, about one p.m., we weighed anclior, and
sailed foi" San Christoval, tlie largest of the Solomon Islands,
Avhich is only twelve miles from our anchorage at Uji. On
leaving we had taken in tow a large canoe manned by
natives, but the speed at which we moved soon compelled it
to let go, and trust to its own exertions. The ' Southern
Cross ' had weighed some minutes before the ' Cura^oa,' and
kept company with her. Aboiit three o'clock we anchored
in twenty-one fathoms at Wanga, on the north-east coast of
San Christoval. The place seemed densely wooded, and we
could see a high range of hills, which ran not very far from
the shore. We had scarcely dropped anchor, when our sliip
was surrounded by more than one hundred canoes, for the
most part without outriggers, the crews of which had the
same peculiar arrangement about their middle already

SAN GEBISTOVAL. 2(;i.5

alluded to as adopted in other islands. We had all sorts of
barter, which so occupied us that no one but the Bishop
went on shore that day.

Early the next morning I went on shore. The beach
appeared to me to be entirely composed of coi'al, and was
completely covered with cocoa-nut trees. Having met two
natives who spoke a little English, I immediately engaged
tliem to serve me as guides. These men, who are passion-
ately fond of smoking, had eyes like lynxes, and could
discover from a great distance, thougli the day was any-
thing but clear, the pigeons wliich were in tlie trees hidden
by the leaves. They were capital climbers, too. Whenever
I expressed a Avisli to drink they whisked deftly up the
cocoa-nut trees, and threw down as much fruit as I wislied
for. The lieat was very great, of which I was especially
sensible Avhen going up and down a hill near the coast.
Among other large trees, I remarked many betel-nut palms,
and another prettier species of palm tree, which was
vmknown to me. I gathered several species of ferns,
unlike any I liad before met with. I noticed the same sort
of eagle, with white and brown plumage, that I liad seen
at Uji. My gun had served me tolerably well ; I l)rouglit
back a dozen pigeons, of whicli, liy the way, the flesli was
not very well flavoured, two pretty parrots, a cm'ious species
of kingfisher, and a pretty little black and wliite bird.

I met in the wood a group of three men and a Avoman,
whom the ship's arrival had attracted towards the shore.
The men, armed with spears, were carrying a dead opossum

2G6 TEE CRUISE OF THE 'CUBAQOA.'

intended, I imagine, for food. This marsupial lias no tail
beyond a sort of stump ; it is of a light brown, and diffuses a
stench like that of the American skunk, but not quite so
strong, and differs from the Australian opossum in having
shorter and wider feet, in being smaller, and of a colour
much less deep, &c. The same species is found at Uji, as
I learnt from some live specimens which the natives of
that island had brought on board tlie ' Cura^oa.' Besides
the dead opossum, the natives were also carrying a fruit
they called Imri, and with which they cement the planks
of their canoes together ; it seemed a soapy sort of fruit
inside, and did not appear to me very adhesive, but yet
it must be so, though when I pressed some of it between
my lingers they did not stick together ; but this sometimes
happens witli other glutinous substances. This fruit is oval,
rather flattened on the sides, brown outside, speckled with
a darker brown, about 3 or 3.\ inches long, 2 or 2^ inclies
in thickness, and 2 to 2.\ in widtli.

I crossed a village, situated not fur from the sea, where
some forty huts were so arranged as to form narrow streets.
Several of them were of a good size, and had a species of
verandah in front ; the woodwork or sticks of which the
fronts of the houses were made being crossed like basket-
work, was sometimes painted witli curious devices. A
figured piece of wood in the centre of the roof, going
up from the front to where the two sides of the roof
met at tlie to.p, was carved and painted with some
strange figures, surmounted by a man with a hat on

SAN CmaSTOVAL.

267

his head, like a quaint style of European hat. Some of the
houses were raised two or three feet from the a:round.
There were a great many women about, some not bad
looking, some perfectly naked,
others with a lavalava which
imperfectly covered their naked-
ness. They did not appear to
have any shyness, or mind being
looked at. The men seemed
here and elsewhere never to go
about without clubs or spears.

There was a large canoe liouse supported by wooden
pillars, on which strange figures were sculptured of men and
sharks, many of the latter in the act of swallowing men.
Just under the roof, in front, there were about twenty-five
skulls hanging up of inifoi'tunate bushnien who had been
ea.ten by these people, and all I saw showed the effects of
the club or tomahawk ; and at the side under the roof were
a number of the under jaws of boars' heads, mostly with the
tusks taken out, and witli tliein luunan jaws without teeth,
which probably belonged to the skidls of tlie bushmen ;
from these jaws, too, leg and arm bones were suspended. In
contrast with this strange exhibition, implying a very rude
state of society, was tlie villnge I'c^ad, wliich seemed as care-
fully swept and attended to as in the most civilised village.
On my way back I again passed througli the same village,
and a little way farther on came to another tolerably large
one, where I saw the same sort of shed oniamented with

268 THE GBUTSE OF THE 'CUBAQOA:

bones of divers sorts. The ' Curo^oa's ' boat was waiting
for me, and I found several of our officers bartering with
natives of both sexes, about 150 of wliom were gatliered
under a tree. What a curious picture was tliis crowd of
savages, armed with spears and tomahawks, picturesquely
grouped in the most cliarming confusion, busy in exchanging
their weapons, ornaments, and produce, for the gewgaws of
Europe ! Tlie things most in request b}^ tlie natives were
tobacco, pipes, and fish-hooks. I myself procured several
cm'ious things — among otliers, a skull taken from the canoe
shed, where it was hung up, and which as usual wanted its
teeth and lower jaw. It was the skull of a bu.shman ; it is
thus they style the dwellers inland to distinguish them from
those of the coast, who are called fishermen. Tlie fishermen
and the bushmen are continually at war wit li each otiier ;
one party commits an aggression on the other, and tlien
retaliation follows. It was in one of these fights that the
legitimate and first pi'oprietor of my skull came to grief.
This skull has not a piece knocked out, as in my New
Hebrides skull, but it lias a crack in it. The coup de grace
is given with a club or tomahawk, 1)ut it is a spear wound
in general that is the act precedent which leads the way
to it.

On September 1, at daybreak, the boat again took us
ashore, Mi-. Millman, the paymaster, and my.self, also
Brazier, the shell collector, whom the sailors jocularly nick-
named Jack Shells. Two natives followed us, quite of their
own accord, and rendered us some services. We went.up

SAN CHBISTOYAL. 269

the banks of a river, through woods for a mile and a half.
After crossing and recrossiog the river several times, I
stopped at wliat seemed a suitable spot, and went to work
with a good will in seuich of fresh-water shells. The
appearance of the country round was pleasing ; a line of
hills commanded the liver, while about us were lofty trees,
and some of them with branches hanging in festoons.
There were several varieties of pigeons living in these trees,
one especially handsome, which had a red lump or comb on
his head by the upper mandible, and a blue and greenish
tint in tlie back feathers. I have reason to think this
kind pervades the Solomon Islands. At times I heard a
loud buzzing about my head, which avus that of thousands
of hornets busy in building themselves a nest. Desiring to
be respected by these formidable insects, I showed tliem, on
my part, a most profound respect, and took care not to
disturb their laboins. The water, at first clear, was soon
made muddy by my movements, so that I was obliged to
trust entirely to my touch, and grope about with head and
arm, a great part of the time under water. I obtained
several kinds of shells — small and average-sized cones, a
large bivalve, almost round, of a yellowish red, and with a
large and prominent hinge muscle. I also picked up a sort
of fresh-water periwinkle and other shells, one of which had
sharp points or spikelets on a part of its circumference.
The water, which was pleasant at first, began after a couple
of hours to feel rather cold, and so I was not sorry to warm
myself by going to my provision bag and finding wherewith

270 THE CIWISE OF THE ' GUEAQOA.'

to breakfast. In a part of the bed of the river wliich was
dried up I found a handsome dead shell, an Auricula.
From all I saw of this river, I am inclined to think that it
must during great floods discharge into the sea a very
considerable quantity of water, in spite of its little width.

■ About eleven o'clock I returned on board the ' Cura^oa '
with my basket half filled with shells. Almost immediately
the Commodore gave orders to weigh, with the intention of
going to Hada or Eecherche Bay, where, after five hours,
we anchored in fourteen fathoms, alongside the ' Southern
Cross,' which had left before us, but wliich we came up
with on our way, and took in tow. The bay, though very
small, is snug and safe ; the high cliff on either side is
picturesque, and deuselj' covered with wood, and at the
l)ottom of it there is a flat, well-wooded beacli backed by
lofty hills. A native, calling himself the king, an oldish
looking fellow, came on board, and showed the Commodore
some certificates which did by no means tend to recommend
him to his notice. One certificate said ' he was a bore,'
another that he was ' an old knave, and the less you have
to do with him the better ; ' so, in spite of the dubious
character of these certificates, I owe it to truth to say, that
this self-styled king, whatever may have been his virtues or
his vices, sent the Commodore a pig and some other presents.
Another' native came also who .spoke English. A nigger,
too, came onboard, and said that ' there was only one other
white man living on shore besides himself, an American ! '
Both had been wrecked, the latter on Indispensable Eeefs

SAN GHBISTOVAL. 271

with nineteen others in a whale ship. A few natives came
off in their canoes, holding generally three or four persons,
being larger than at Wanga, where they rarely take more
tliaii two men each. These natives seemed shy of us,
because it was here, a little way in the bush, that tliey
killed, a short time ago, one of tlie Bishop's boys, which
grieved his lordship very mucli. The antecedents of that
boy were those of the bush, and he was foolish enough to
talk of his former bush life, and hence his death, and he
was eaten afterwards, of course. One of the natives who
went on board the schooner, and knew the Bishop, asked
his lordship ' if he was to be afraid of him this time.' The
Bishop told him ' lie thouglit he had very good reason to be
so, and others also, for having killed his poor boy.' This
did not prevent tlie Bishop from going on shore the same
evening, and he had the gratification of ascertaining that
there was no necessity for visiting the whole people of the
village with punisliment for the crime that had been com-
mitted, seeing that but two individuals were engaged in it.

The next day I went on shore in a canoe which let in
water on all sides, and got thoroughly wet. I landed on
the banks of a small river at the end of the bay, on the
right, by the side of a large rock which, in all probability,
had broken away from the clilf on the other side of the
river. The river seems to wind round between the hills ;
the water was very thick, and the stream full fi-om the
rains. There I found many of our men doing a little barter
with a great crowd of natives, men and women, who

272 THE CRUISE OF THE 'GUBAfJOA.'

appeared to me to be neither so well looking nor so well
disposed as the Wauga people. It was a very close, damp,
disagreeable day, and very unhealthy ; one felt almost as if
in a vapour Ijatli. Eain fell heavily, tlie natives looked as
if they meant mischief, so I could not, or at least I did not,
venture to go as fixr as tlie village, one or two miles distant
at the pt)int of the hixy. To protect ourselves fiom the
rain, we sat down as well as we coukl under the protection
of a rock. Almost immediately on landing an elderly native,
using coarse Hawaian gibberish, no doubt derived from
traders, made me a proposal touching the other sex which I
declined, an abstinence on my part which seemed evidently
to surprise him. The articles which were offered for sale
were principally thek spears and models of canoes ; what
they most of all desired to get in exchange was tobacco.
They looked a wretched, poor, and emaciated people. Many
of the women had the appearance of perfect hags ; they
wore the lavalava ; the very young girls had nothing at all.
Tlie men had the same appendage as at Wauga, and, like
the people of the latter place, their woolly hair looked
yellow. Some of the women had their hair partly shaved
off, or cut close, so as to leave a roadway across the head.
Many of them had a scaly appearance all over their bodies,
as though their skin were peeling off, leaving a sort of
whitish look, and, in some instances, there were actual
sores. I mention as an illustration of savage life, that I
saw a young girl in a certain periodical condition, who sat
down a minute in the water to perform an ablution, and

,S'-1A^ CHBISTOVAL. 273

then came out among us again, evidently unconscious of
doing anything either immodest, or dangerous, as we tliink it.
The next day l^eing Sunday we could do nothing on land,
and we remained on board, where the Bishop) came to say
prayei's and to give us an excellent sermon.

274 THE CBUISE Ot TEE 'CUBArjOA.'

CHAPTEK XVIII.

G UADALCANAB ^SOLOMON Gli UP.

(September 4 to 5.^

Maraii Sound — Curaf-a Harbour — Visit Ashore — Marshes — Dwellings — Men
and Womea — The Island of Malata in the Distance.

Oi\ September 4, about six p. m., jusl before the ' Soutlifni
Cross' weiglicd, the 'Curayo;i' left the pretty Httle bay
(Eecherciie Bay) and steered a north-east eourse. As we
were on tlie point of leaving, we w(jre surrounded by a
great number of eanoes, and tliere was a request for more
barter, whieli the ComniodoiL- did not think proper to
gratify. We came out of the bay, leaxing on the left,
towiirds the point, a reef and a roek. As soon as we had
got from imder the land we were aided by a fresli breeze
from the soutli-east, and it was not long before we sighted
on our larboard bow the highlands of Guadalcanar, which,
on a clear da}', can be easily seen from Stui Christoval. We
saw several small islus at the entrance of Marau Sound,
wliich presented to us a fine sheet of water as calm as a
lake. Though the atmosphere was hazy, we could never-
theless get a glimpse of the mountains of Guadalcanar, the
highest of which, IMoiint Lannnas, has, according to the
Adnni-alty charts, an absohile altitude of 8,000 feet.

GUADALCANAll. 275

About one o'clock p.m. wc came to anchor on the coast
of Guadalcauar, at a point wliich we named Cura^oa Har-
bour, ill honour of our ship, wliich probably was the fii'st
man-of-war that ever entered Marau Sound, The ' Southern
Cross * anchored at the same time. The boat in which we
hastened to land not being able to get near enough to the
beach, we were obliged to make use of the shoulders of the
sailors. The only [tersoii I saw on landing was a native, quite
willing to acciiiii])aiiy me, but who refused to carry my
game-bag, which I had to take care of myself. A small river
ran thrdugh a swamp, along which I tranijied, in the midst
of great pandanns trees, which cannot l)e called screw-pines,
inasmuch as the leaves are not arranged in spirals on the
branches, but have at the end of each brunch a tuft of loii"'
leaves. There were in the marsh, and on the highlands,
various .species of large trees, but I was astonished neither
to see nor hear a single bird. The ^roimd was full of holes
sunk by the hermit-crab, whose big claw was of a very pale
jnirple with a pink hue. On the cocoa-nut trees I saw
something which I took at first for a globe-shaped bulb, Init
which turned out afterwards to be a nest of small harmless
ants. A curious form of red inusliroom was growing about.
I also saw a pretty orchid with white iiowers, sweetly
perfumed. Of land-shells I suav Init two species. On such a
soil it was next to impossible to go far, and so I retraced my
steps without having got over imicli ground ; and crossed
tlie river on a tree which was thrown over it at a spot
">vhcre it might l)e one foot deep. At the entrance to a

T -2

27(;; THE CRUISE OF THE 'CVRAQOA:

little village I had the opportunity of seeing and killing one
of those superb parrots with a gold and yellow ring lound
the breast. Dr. Picken and st>nie ollicers were already at
this village, the huts of which were low, small, oblong iu
shape, with low gables tcj the rotif, the low sides made with
thin strips of wood and crossed; each had a door in front
facing the sea. There were some women in these huts, but
being ahirined at us, they had closed their doors, and .so
baulked our curiosity. One, liowever, I did see Avho was
entirely naked, and exquisitely foi'med she was. The men
wei'e all armed with spears, and though they did not seem
much to like our being there, they made no dilficulty in
giving us cocoa-nut milk to quench oiu' thirst. This
district seems thinly peopled ; the greater [)art of the men
had yellow heads of different shades, some reddish, and
seemed about the same in a[)[)eiuance as those we had .seen
before, but less ornamented. I foinid some large Hat round
fresh-water mother-of-pearl .shells, and some sea shells,
red inside, both of which were lying in a hi'up under a
tree in the water, and looked as if they had nt)t been
long taken. Brazier shot fifteen parrots of a dark red
colour, and of a species of which I have never seen a
live specimen. Iji'forc six in the evening I got back to the
' Curac;oa.'

After sunset I could nuike out very distinctly the outline
of the Isle of Malata se])arated from Guadalcanarby Indis-
pensable Strait. It lies high, and according to the chart it
must be pretty nearly of the same extent as Guadalcanar.

FLOlilDA.

'2.77

CHAPTEli XIX.
FLORIDA— SOLOMON GEOUP.

(SEPTEMnEK 5 TO 7.)

Aspect of the Island — Gulf of Mboli and Aiir-liorage in Port Wiseman — Native
Canoes — Ornaments — IJartor — Judicious Advice not to land — Fishing on
the Reef — Unea'^iness caused by the Prolonged Absence of our Hydro-
oraphic t)lllcer.

On September 5, at daybreak, we left CuraQoa Harbour,
preceded by tlie ' Southern Cross,' wliicli was still to keep
company witli us. For some time we coasted along the
island of Guadalcanar, and passed in sight of the small
islands of Nura and Rua-Sura, all to the north of us. This

■»5J

■]-WO-'nii:l! ISLAND.

part of the northern coast of Guadalcanar looked veiy
pretty. About two o'clock in the afternoon, we saw on our
starboard side the island of Malanta or Malata ; and soon
afterwards a singular boat-shaped island, known as ' Two-

278

THE CRUISE OF THE ' CORAQOA.'

tree Island.' We tlien passed some rocks, called the ' Ass's
Ears,' lying at the eastern end of the island of Florida,
which we weie soon coasting' along. This island, with its
belt of trees on the northern coast, is ver}' striking. We
observed no mountains that a])peared to exceed 2,000 feet ;
it somewhat reminded me of Norfolk Island, with its undu-
lations and scattered clumps of trees intermingled with a
good deal of grass land. The grass, according to Bishop
Patteson, is long and coarse. I could see plantations of

ASS S E.\. S, FLORIDA ISIAND.

bananas on the hill-sides, as well as cultivated grounds and
houses on their to[)s and slopes. Several of the hills had
one or more conspicuous trees upon them, and there were
mail}' round pit-like looking places, resembhng punch-bowls,
which appeared as if they had been craters. Numbers ot
canoes came out after us, some very large ones full of
people. I saw two la i-ge canoe-sheds on shoi-e before we
came to the ])<)int, and a great many natives sitting on their
haunches looking at us, a position in which, like animals,
they sit and gaze for hours. We parsed the point which
forms the gulf mx one side. There is a reef lying out a

FLORIDA. 279

long way farther on round tlie point wliicli we 1 ad to clear
before tlie ship's liead eould be brought round so as to get
to the anchorage. In the middle of this reef there is a
dome-shaped rock HO or 70 feet above the water, covered
with trees, which had a very pretty effect. Some of the
highest hills have a good deal of wood upon them.

Before six P M. we had entered the Gulf of Ml)()li in
Florida Island, and drojjpcd anchor in Port Wiseman ; so
Mboli Harbour was named at the liishop's suggestion, in
compliment to our gallant Commodore. There is a good
deal of shallow water in the gulf, and patches of reef. The
' Southern Cross,' which had shown us the entrance into the
port, remained outside, intending to l)eat about all night, in
order to be i-eady next morning early to touch at several
villages on the coast we had observed in [)assing. We could
very well see the farther end of tlie gulf, wliich was not
much more than a mile from our anchorage. The gulf,
measuring it on the side of the point wliich we passed, is
not, I think, more than five or six miles in dejjth. Scarce
had we anchored when we were suri'ounded by a great
number of canoes, among whicli I observed two large ones,
the one carrying twenty-two men and ihe other eighteen ;
the object of course was barter. These canoes, instead of
being alike, or nearly so, at both ends, as tnose we had seen,
elsewhere, had oidy one of tlieii- ends tei'minating in a high
point. I saw two canoes in each of whi<'h the bow was
about ten feet high. I luive never seen a sail to a canoe in
the New Hebrides, or the Solomon Islands. These canoes,

280 TEE GBUISE OF THE 'CURAQOA:

even the large ones, are weak ; the planks, generally six in
a canoe, are thin for the size of it, but then they are lighter
and sail faster than those made of one piece of wood.

The natives seemed very timid, and looked upon the big
ship with wonder and awe. They had curiously cirved
spears, tipped with human bone. They appeared a much
finer race than at Marau Sound. Their hair was yellow,
short, and curly. They wore the peculiar covering we have
before mentioned. No women came off, but with the glass
we could see they wore the lavalava. The men wliom we
saw did not seem to chew betel-nut so freely as in other
places, and they are bettei'-looking also. They had large
niund white shell ornaments, some of them six inches
across, quite flat, and about an eightli of an inch Uiick, over
which was a very thin circle of open carved tortoise-shell,
resembling Chinese work. This tortoise-shell circle was
nearly as big as tlic other, and was loosely attached to it by
a string passing through the centre of both, and secured by
a knot ; it was worn bj^ the men at the side of the head.
Very few had rings in their ears, as at Marau Sound and
other places ; some of them wore circular pieces of wood
in them three inches across ; when these pieces are taken
out the end of the ear hangs down, and there is a long
gaping slit which looks very ugly. This was a great place
for cheap and good curiosities. They use shields liere,
light but strong; Sir Willinm got one, afterwaids in my
possession,' beautifully made, (covered on one side with work

' Since pre.sented to the Christy Museum. It is figured in the
woodcut.

FLORIDA

281

presenting a variety of patterns consisting of small thin flat
circles made from sliells ruljhed down and tied on. There
was only one more shield of the kind, and tlie native bolted
when he found that Sir William's coxswain wanted it. The

CIIIKPS SlIIKr.D AND ■I'WO-H.XNIIKI) CI.L'B.S.

spears were long and thin ; some had very nicely worked
white bone tops, with long prongs neatlj' made and carved.
The handles of their clubs were [)rcttily worked with grass
dyed yellow and other colours.

282 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUItACOA.'

There were a gn'nt many white cockatoos, Init much
smaller than those of New Sonth Wales, and with a top-
knot for interior in beauty and colour. On both sides of
the gangways tliere were a luimber of anxious curiosity-
hunters bartering away, and busy pulling up liy cords the
curiosities bought, after the bottle, or piece of iron hoop, or
anything else as puichase-nioney, had been passed down.
Thei'c nuist have been seventy or eighty canoes round us,
which remained till sundown, when of course they had to
be olT. No women came off with them, but they could he
seen on shore in tlu'ir lavala\as.

The natives were evidently startled \\hen the two muskets
were fired at sundown. But it is clear they nuist have
trembled with fright when they heard the nine o'clock gun,
for, on the following moining, when, after daybreak, the
canoes came off, they stopped as tluy ueared the sliip, then
approached very slowly and cautiously, as if thej- thought
the vessel was a sleeping giant that might awake at any
moment and devour them. The 'Southern Cross' made
her appearance the same morning, and was made fast to our
stern. We were impatiently awaiting the Bishop to know
whetlier it would be prudent to take a little ramble in the
island which I had projected. lie told us he avouUI advise
no person to try it, having that very morning learnt that a
tiadmg vessel had killed two natives on account of some
trifling theft, and everything induced him to think that the
islanders would avenge themselves for these tw(j deaths on
the first white man who vi'utured within their clutches. This

FLORIDA. 283

was the second time the Bishop liad visited tliese seas. On
tlie first occasion he liad talcL-n away with him some young
people whom he now bi-ou!iiit buck, and witli wli^m lie had
landed early that morning in order to visit some villages
on the slopes of the coast. lie had met witli excellent
plantations of bananas and yams, lai'ge and handsome
dwellings, enclosures surrounded with well-made palisades,
and natives who liad shown themselves well-disposed and
even civil.

Not veniurins; to land, I took advantao-e of low tide
to examine the Madrepore Re(;f at a little distance from the
ships, in tlie ciimpaii}' of Messrs. Veitcli and Brazier. This
reef seems to be a sort of coral beacli, made of broken-up
coral sprigs, to some depth ; tlie A\att'r runs through as well
as over it. I sank in up to my hips in this soft coral. I got
on this reef a few seaweeds and shells; one of tlie latter,
three or foui' inches long, was like a much-twisted mussel
shell. There were very small iisli of a beautiful deej) blue
swimming about, but I could not catch them. I caught a
shrimp with one claw, and found a tridacna about one foot
across. This large shell was imbedded in the liroken coral,
with the lips about six or eiglit iiiclie.-i apart, tilled with a
leathery sort of membrane covered with an endless number
of very bright green spots in straight lines — these spots
were holes or valves of some kind, I have no doubt; in the
centre of tlie open space, and about the middle of the two
lips, taking them lengthwise, there was a somewhat raised
aperture, from which, when I touched the membrane, issued

284 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' CURAgOA.'

a rather loud tiouiul, like the escape of liigh -pressure steam.
It tlu'ii closed lip, and the lips of the shell were within an
inch of each other. I think it is able to close itself quite
up when it pleases; it would, therefore, be an unpleasant
thing to tread upon, for it might catcli hold of you, and
if it did it would be a hard matter to extricate your foot.
I found another tridacna about six inches across, and also
alive. When the tide rose we were obliged to return to
the ship.

Florida is a beautiful island, one, I think, of the prettiest
we have seen. It has a volcanic red soil. Close to our
anchorage, on the slope of the hill-side near the shore, there
were three holes, the first of them round and apparently
very deep, in Avhich large trees Avere now growing, pro-
bably three extinct craters. I think these islands of the
Pacific are much older formations than they are usually
supposed to be. There seemed to be on the hills of Florida
many decent-looking villages, with better houses apparently
than we have lately seen, witli long lines of fencing, which
appeared both high and strong.

The Commodore, at daybreak, had dispatched several
officers ashore to make soundings and hydrographical ob-
servations. When evening came on, and there was no
appearance of them, he, as we idl did, began to feel very
uneasy. At nine o'clock, unable to endure longer suspense,
he sent off the life-boat, in charge of Lieutenant Meade, in
(juest of the hydrographical party under the command of
Mr. Scudamore ; tlie liisliop at the same time setting off in

FLORIDA. , 285

his own boat. Both boats were provided witli long blue
lights, &c,, to burn if necessary as signals to the absent
party. They went up the harbour as far as the creek.
A rocket was fired from the ' Cura9oa,' and a long light.
The moon was bright. They had not been gone more than
half-an-hour when the three boats were seen leturning ; and
they reached the ' Curayoa ' at 9.40 P.M. Mr. Scudamore
explained to Sir William how it was he returned so late ;
he had been surveying and sounding, and having come to the
creek, he had followed it up, and discovered that the ba}'
was connected with the sea on the southern side of the
island by a channel that opened out into a splendid sheet of
water, in which tlieie was not less tlian live fathoms any-
where he had sounded, affording a better harbour and
anchorage than Avhere we were lying. He would liave
taken advantage of this outlet, and would have returned by
the sea, had he not thought the Connnodore would be
uneasy about him. This surve*' of his proved that instead
of there being one island, as everyone imagined, there were,
in fact, two isl-uids divided by a creek.

28G . THE CRUISE OF THE ' CURACOA.'

CHAPfER XX.
YSAB EL— SOLOMON GROUP.

(SePIEMHKR 7 TO 10.)

At AiK-li'ir in St. Gfoige".s Bay — Cocliatoo Island — Baiter — Ebon}' Trees — Trip
inland — Difficult Walk — .\ C'outov of Women — Hon.«es perched in Trees —
Pigeon Island.

On Septenil)er 7, in the iiioriiiiig', soiul- minutes after the
Bishop's schooner, we weiglied nnd ]>roceecled on our court^e
to Ystibel Island. We ran for some time along the coast of
the line island of Florida, then passed before the island of
l^uena Vista, and soon sighted on om' sttirboaid bow the
outline of Ysabel Island, which appeared prettier and more
and more picturo:-qiie the nearer we got to it. At two P.M.
we anchored under Cockatoo or Ivistern Islet, in St. George's
13ay ; this island did not appear tu laive an\ grass land nor
open ground, but it ccrtainlj^ was covered, as far as I ct)uld
see, with ;i dense forest. The fine expanse of water at this
spot might have been taken for a large lake surrounded by
mountains, with ishinds in it of dillerent sizes and foinis
beautifully wuoded. There is a reef which runs off the
JN.W. point of Cockatoo IsUuid, to wliich we had to give a
wide berth, lioinid St. George's Bay there are no moun-
tains that, as 1 could judge, exceed 2,000 feet.

YSABEL. 287

Cockataij Islaiil i« very .sin;ill, iK^t liulf a mile Imig, flat
and very little aJj;)ve the sea. Th ■ vegetatimi is luxuriant,
and there are large trees.

As soon as we anehored, the canoes came as usual, in
form the same as those of Floiida Island, l)ut smaller in
general. The natives in them had yellow-coloured hair
dyed with lime, short and woolly. They are as strong and
well-grown as at Florida Islan;], and they seemed cheer-
ful and friendly. Here also they dislignre their ears with
W(joden rings inserted in large slits. They all wore a maro,
made of a kind of leaf ke])t up by a band round the waist.
They at once took to bartering with considerable pleasure,
speaking with astonishing rapidity, and chattering incessantly.
They brouglit a great many white cockatoos, different kinds
of parrots, some with the golden yellow I'ing on the breast;
others with a red head and red and blue body ; also a
handsome bird, bul a heavy and anything but a lively one ;
some black birds, with yelk)w under the tail, yellow flaps
round the eyes, yellow beak, lai'ge strong feet and claws,
which seemed very wild. There were no toucans, though
they have them in this island. They brought shells, spears,
a few light and nearly sharp-edged clubs ; some fine
yellowish-white orchids ; some very curious star-fish of a
retldish and yellowish colour, covered on one side with
short thick rounil-pointed dark brown knobs ; and some
things about two inches in thickness, with a haixl sort of
plate or shield at the top or bottom, which wei'e laid on
deck, and got unfortunately smashed there. The surface of

288 THE CRUISE UF THE ' CUHACOA:

the plate was divided, as far as I can recollect, into (quarters
by two lilies crossing each other. Tliere were also a great
many shields of a sort of wicker- work, and some ornaments
made of shell-beads.

We went ashore several times during oiir stay, either to
cut ebony-wood, to shoot, or to examine the country. In
our search for ebony we had to row a good way before we
came to the place which the natives selected tor' us, because
there was a big tree near the water. We could not get the
boats Avithin a hundred yards of the shore, as tliere is a long
straight line of reef running out below at some distance,
through whicli, l)y the cok)ur of the water, we could see
there was no opening ; and where we were it was all coral
and no passage, so we had to jump out; the water was
.sometimes up to my middle, and eveiy now and then, wlien
the coral, &c., gave way imder my feet, I sank up to my
watch-pocket, gun in hand, which was rather inconvenient.
The boy that carried my bag fell, and got it wet. There
was a great variety of zoophytes, corals, starfish, actiniae, sea
eggs, corallines; also the Ilolothuria, a species which seems
very similar to tliat called the ' Nigger ' or ' Cotton spinner '
by the Cornish llsheiinen, from its throwing out what they
call cotton ; it was of a dark colour, and ejected a quantity
of very white-looking thread-like cotton, which was very
tenacious and strong. I had some difFiculty in pulling it off
my trousers, (jver Avhich, by tlie agitation of the water, it
had spread into numerous long threads. There were also
many Kadiata. When we reached the shore we went about

■ Y8ABEL. 289-

lialf a mile up tlirougli tlie bush, following a stream, and
then up a steep little hill till we came to the ebony trees.
There were a good many of them, but only one large one,
about eighteen inches diameter, and forty feet long in the
stem, on a steep bank. The sawdust was not black, and the
wood seemed very hard. The other trees measured six to
ten inches through. There Avas a lignum vita3 tree, which
was also cut down.

We then started in order to look at a village on the hill,
where the Bishop had once been, and where there were
houses in the trees, in Avhich the people lived, or^rather
slept at night, for protection. We bolted oif through the
bush. The first part of the way was swampy with man-
groves close to the sea. I had my gun which I found
dreadfully in my way when going fast. The Bishop, a
good many officers, and two natives were of the party.
We came to a stream with a good deal of water in it, and
the bed at places partly dry. The sun was very bright,
and of course hot. We had to ascend the stream often
up to our knees in water, then into the bush back to the
stream, up it, back again to the bush, often along the stems
of large dead trees which were lying on the ground. I
had to wait every now and then for the boy and got
behind the others. I had no one to show me the way,
which was not very easy to find, especially by one in
a hurry, so I overshot the track, and had to make a
cut across the bush on the flat, at the end of which the
ascent commences, before I could regain it. A second

290 TEE CEUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA:

time I lost it by going up the stream too far ; then tried
back some distance and found it again. A native with his
spear suddenly coming upon me in the bush, I asked him by
si<ms to show me the way, and that he did by bolting on. I
called to him to stop, but I saw nothing of him till some
time after. He had a little boy with him, who, when he
found he was alone, cried out as long and lustily as he
could. About the same time missing my boy, I shouted
for him and at last he appeared. When I saw the native
again h i had l:)een back and picked up liis squalling ofT-
spring^ who seemed to be horribly afraid of me. On my way
I remarked some palms new to me, with fine broad leaves.
Many of the stones in the river seemed very green, and
there was a good deal of hard whitish stone, which looked
like a hard limestone or marble.

At length I came to the ascent, which was up the water-
fall over slippery stones ; then up Httle falls, but always in
the water. I found it not very easy climbing up some of
these places with my giui in my hand, and it seemed to me
that with bare hard feet one could get over them much
easier than with thick boots with round nails in them.
Some three or four other natives came up ; I gave them
some tobacco, and we went on again together. I kept on
rising and rising, and went a considerable way up the
stream, which, never easy to ascend, must be nearly im-
passable in the rains. I came at last to a nice spot on the
stream under a large tree, and thei'e I found some of our
officers. The stream was rushing down over the rocks, and

YSABEL. 291

a spur of the same range as tlie hill we were bound for was
opposite to us. We had understood that this point was only
a fourth of the way, and consequently, thinking it impossible
that we could go to the top and be back in time for the boat,
Ave did not feel disposed to proceed under the circumstances,
and therefore went gently down again. We saw natives
chewing betel nut, but not to the extent they do in other
places ; and some ten or eleven women coming up in a line,
carrying large bundles or packages on their backs. They
all wore a tapa of l>luish tint lound their loins, which came
down within six inches of their knees, and had short yellow
woolly hair like the men. Tliey seemed very shy, and
went on without stopping, apparently as if they did not see
us ; at all events they did not seem to look at us at all,
though perhaps there might be a peep or two out of the
corners of their eyes.

I did not observe any birds but killed a snake. We
could discern the top of the hill at places, but could see no
houses in the trees. We met a native who had been to
Auckland with the Bishop and could speak English.

On reaching the spot whei'e we had landed, tluuider was
rolling, and a heavy rain falling upon us : while we were
waiting for our companions, we were drenched from head to
foot. The Bishop regretted he had been misunderstood ;
what he had said was, that the point at which I turned
back was a quarter of the ascent, not, as I had understood,
a quarter of the whole distance from our landing-place to
the spot I was in search of. We were, it seems, not far from

292

THE CRUISE OF THE 'CUBAQOA.'

it, and should have had time to go up and remain an liour
among the tree houses. The Bishop informed me that he
had found the place very much changed ; the houses in the
trees had fallen down or dropped to pieces, the people
having been away fighting ; many houses on the ground
>vere deserted, and the cultivated grounds had gone to Avaste.

TIIEK FOUT, Yt-AUEL ISLAND.

Tlie natives remaining seemed to have lost most of their
ornaments, and were in a very diflerent plight from what
they were when he last saw them. He said he was three
quarters of an hour coming down. A drawing, represented
by the woodcut, was made by Mr. Foljambe, of a house
perched in a large tree. It was al)i:>iit fifty feet from the

YSABEL. 293

ground, and readied by a ladder wliicli could be drawn up
at night. In the event of their enemies attacking them for
the purpose of pillaging or destroying their houses beneath,
tliey could then fire down upon them with safety to them-
selves.

Another day I went with some officers to examine the
isle called Pigeon Island, which we could see from our deck
at about five miles distance, and to the south-west of
Cockatoo Island. We rowed by turns, and in an hour and
a half got to land, where we made fast oiu- boat to a tree.
We at once went to work shooting the bird that has given
its name to the island, and which is like one of the kinds
I shot at Wangu. The place seemed alive with pigeons,
which were in numbers on every tree, but not so easy to
shoot in the bushy large-leaved lofty trees, as on the hw
casuarinas. We killed, however, more than a hundred in
the space of two hours, and what was remarkable was, that
our frequent discharges did not seem to deter the birds from
cooing. We found no water in the island, which, like
Cockatoo, is very little above the sea. On our return we
hoisted, after a good deal of preparation, the jib, and had to
rig up an oar for a sprit to the other sail. The wind was
almost dead ahead, and we could only get over by breaking
off. We went on till we were almost becalmed under
Cockatoo, and then we rowed to the ship.

Barter had been carried on largely every day by our men
on board the ' Cura^oa.' I got for my share many things,
among them a large quantity of good land and sea shells.

294 THE CRUISE OF THE 'GURACOA:

CHAPTER XXI.

EBAMANGA—NEW HEBRIDES.

(SEriEMBBR 25 TO 2C.)

View of a fortified Village and a Tree-house— Man overboard — Tedious
Navigation— A Gale— Calms— At anchor in Dillon's Bay — News from
Land— Trade in Sandalwood — Mr. Henry — Lime from Coral — A Bomb-
shell in the Hands of Savages — The Rev. Mr. Gordon — Hostile State oi
Things — Two ill-disposed Chiefs— The Master of the 'Curagoa' attacked by
Natives — The Village of Sifu bombarded by the 'Curafoa' — A Mi.-i.sionary
who never laughed— Notes on the Island — Epidemics — Missionary Labours
— Government — Planners and Customs — Religious Creeds — Trade in Wood
and Women — Productions — Industry.

On September 10, early in tlie niorniiig, we left Ysabel
Island, liaving the ' Southern Cross ' in tow, which we
subsequently bore away from after mutual adieus, and bent
o"jr course towards Eramanga distant 900 miles. The day
being clear it was possible, with the aid of a glass, to see the
village which the Bishop liad visited. It seemed a very
compact, closely-built place. The Coiumodore could dis-
tinguish with his glass that the village was regularly fortified
all round. To me all the houses looked, from the effect of
the hght upon them, as if they were l)uilt of stone ; some of
tlunu appeared of good size. A little way from the village,
and perhaps not more than a mile and a half off, was a tall

EBAMANGA.

295

tree, and perched up high in it was a house, which seemed
very large ; an interesting sight, especially to me, as I had
not had the chance to see, when on shore, one of these
aerial houses.

On the 10th and 11th the winds varied from south to
south-west, and sent us on at a good rate. On the 13th we
were disturbed by an awkward accident. A man fell over-
board from the main chains when we were going at a brisk

SOlTBEnS CROSS.

rate. A life-buoy was thrown over to him, and it was a
great comfort to see the imfortiuiate fellow contrive to get
hold of it. A boat was lowered ; he was soon brought on
deck safe and soimd. This was the second accident of the
kind that had happened to the ' Curayoa ' since she had
been in commission.

For some days the officers had been without fresh pro-
visions, and had to fall back on 'salt horse.' This no doubt
tended to make them extremely anxious for the end of the

296 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

voyage. They all seemed to be in a desperate hurry to get
back to Sydney. During this passage from Ysabel to
Eramanga, which Avas prolonged much beyond what we
wished or calculated, there was nothing to vary our daily
monotony, unless, on my part, I am to reckon as exceptions
the trouble and wori'y I had in taking care of my collec-
tions, of which I nearly lost a considerable portion by the
ship's heehng and rolling in rough weather, which em-
barrassed me wliile busy drying my plants, and also by my
dog's mania for lying down on my ferns after scratching
and tearing the paper in which they were placed to make
himself a comfortable bed. The poor little Megapodius on
board was found dead one morning, and my little turtle
died too. One of our middies had the misfortune to lose,
by a trifling accident, a [)retty little opossum, of which he
was very fond, and wliich he had been in the habit of
carrying in one of the breast pockets of his jacket. It was
said that the loss of his little fiivourite brought tears into his
eyes ; very likely, on board ship these trifling companion-
ships are much })rized.

One evening a sailor caught a good sized sea bird in the
jib-boom where he had perched with two others. It was a
white and l)rown web-footed bird, with a long jjointed
beak, and a neck thick in proportion to the size of its
body ; the eyes were large with a yellow rhig round the
iris of each ; its upper mandible was hooked a little at the
point. Another day a ' man-of-war bird ' of good size was
caught, having fallen into the bowsprit netting. It was, I

EBAMANGA. 297

believe, tlio Tachypetes Aquila of the South Pacific, and
was killed on board the 'Curagoa' in lat. S. I'd^ 15' and in
long. E. 161° 40'.

On Sejitember 20, soon after we sat down to dinner, the
wind then blowing N.E. by N., shifted all at once to south ;
the sliip was taken aback by the lee in a heavy squall with
rain, and we went astern sometime. The officer of the watch
turned up the other watch on deck. One would have
noticed nothing in the cabin to indicate what had happened
had it not been for the noise made ])y the men on deck.
Part of the mast had gone overboard ; it broke in three
pieces, two or three feet above the cap and also farther u[).
The men got very ^vet, as well as the main deck and
hammocks, and must have passed an impleasant night.
The next day an enormous quantity of rain fell, and the
day after there were again some squalls.

Calms on the following days induced the Commodore to
have recourse to steam, and a lucky thing was it for us that
there were on board 100 tons of coal ; for without that we
should have spent a considerable time in reaching our
destination.

On September 25 a magnificent sumise lit up for us the
moimtains of Eramanga, and at a still greater distance on
our starboard bow the hills of Tanna. At about eight
o'clock in tlie morning we cast anchor in fifteen fathoms in
Dillon's.Bay, on the western coast of the island. The water
in the bay was calm and smooth as glass. There was a
little green schooner, called the ' John Knox,' riding at

298 THE CnUISE OF THE ' CURAgOA.'

anchor, belonging to Mr. Henry, and used for bringing up

sandal-wood. Large bonitos were seen swinuning about

the ' Curacoa,' some ten or twelve feet Ijelow the surface.

The Commodore received a letter from Mr. Gordon tlie

missionary, informing him of what was doing on land. A

Mr. White, a clerk of Mr. Henry's, the sandal-Avood trader,

came on board, and from what he said things were not

going on satisfactorily. The natives, he told us, were

divided into two ])arties at war with each other, and

threatened to fall upon the White.s as soon as they had

settled their own diSerences. Mr. White seemed to have

great fear that he would be roasted, and so was anxious to

get back to Sydney, which he had left eighteen months

before. We also leai'nt that Mr. Heniy intended leaving

with all he had in the course of the following Jaiuiaiy.

Also that he had shipped between 700 and 800 tons of

sandal- wood since he had been here, which was sold at 40/.

a ton, and some latelj' had been sold whieli brought him

45/. a toa clear of freight, commission, &c. The wood I saw

looked yellow outside, and was a light coloured wood.

There are young sandal-wood trees in the bush, plenty of

them, but it will take many a year before they are fit to

cut. The native name for sandal-wood is WaiiUo, and for

Kauri [)ine Nitja. There is a great deal of fine timber of

this kind on the island, where they do not exceed fifty or

sixty feet in height, with a straight stem. I was ti)ld you

could not fuid straight trees higher than that, but some are

to l)e found of five and six feet diameter. At Eramanora

EBAMANGA. 299

a shell called Nunpuri, the Cyproea moneta, passes as
money, as also in New Caledonia.

The Commodore went ashore immediately after our
coming to anchor, and soon returned accomptinied by Mr.
Henry, with whom I had a little conversation. He told me
that there were about 100 tons more sandal-wood to be got
here, but that it would cost as much as it was worth to get
it in these warlike times. Mr. Henry said he is going to
live in new Caledonia, after he leaves in Jauuaiy next, and
that he has made a contract with the French authorities
there, which will enable him to prociu'e sandal-wood in that
island. He has already sent away a i)art of his people to
put up some buildings for him.

There are large blocks of coral or stone along the sliore,
and on either side of the river, which is called by the
natives Bunka River. Towards the points the clifis look
very rough and rugged, Init the island is all covered with
vegetation down to the water, except the precipitous sides
of the cliffs and rocks towards the point on the port side,
looking from the ship towards the I'iver. On the top of
the cliff" there is a grassy slope of some extent reaching
down to the point, and the same thing is observable on the
top of the hills on tlie starboard side. I landed for a few
hours in the afternoon, and picked up some specimens of
lava as well as coral, which the natives tm-n to account in
making chinam, and which Mr. Henry employs as a lime of
excellent quality. I picked up also fresh-water shells of
several kinds, and a yellow shell found under dead wood

300 THE CRUISE OF THE ^ GURAQOA:

near the sea, of wliich there were two kinds. As to the
birds I saw or killed, they were the same I met witli when
here before.

We learnt from Mr. Henry that a vessel, whicli had
arrived here after our departure from Tanna, had biought
intelligence that a terrible account was given there by the
natives of the action of the ' Curacoa,' and its effects upon
them. We heard, too, that the natives had found an
unexploded shell on the ground in the bush with the brass
percussion fuse in it ; that they all, at least a good many,
sat roimd it, and that one of them then commenced
hammering away at tlie fi.se with a stone, when the shell
exploded, and killed six or seven of them. It is easy to
conceive how horror-stricken the survivors must have been
when they looked round and saw their shattered and
woimded friends.

The Missionary of the island came to see the Commodore,
and made an exact report as to the proceedings of the two
hostile parties. This Missionary, about thirty years of
age, tall, thin, rather well-looking, with a long beard of a
line reddish-brown, was unmarried, and is said to have been
by occupation a fisherman on Prince Edward's Island. He
was a cold austere man, and so serious that it was said of
him that not only did he never laugh, but that he even
regarded laughter as a sin. His report to the Commodore
may be summed u[) thus: ' Warres-Darke,' the friendly
chief, the first to encourage and solicit the landing of white
men, the only one to whom the Missionary can look for any

EEAMANGA. 301

protection, liad licen warred against for some time past by
Warres-Nangre, his inicle, and by Kauiau. There is a
cessation of liostilities between tliem, and a truce, they say,
for a sliort time ; but it was reported tliat, as soon as their
fighting was over, tliey intended to come down and kill all
the Whites.'

I heard tliat one or both parties had had a great feast
lately. Sir William got the Missionary to send for the two
hostile chiefs, but they declined to come. Mr. Henry, also,
reported tiiat a white man belonging to a vessel that had
gone to the other side of the island, had been killed by the
natives.

The next morning the master was sent away to the
northward in the cutter to take soundings in the little bay
in front of Sifu, a village with sixty or seventy people in it.
The master reported that he was fired at, while soundin<T,
by a native with a musket from the shore.

Mr. Gordon was sent again early to the two chiefs, but
they would not come ; they seemed to give sorry pretexts
for not coming : one said he was not well, the other said he
would come if the other would ; and therefore, as neither
would come, the Commodore resolved to go to them or
their villages round the point in Elizabeth Bay. He did not
wish to do them much harm, but he thought it well to give
them a little lesson, that they might know what he could
do, and that they were not to fire with impunity on the
crew of one of Her Majesty's ships, which alone was a
sufficient reason for fiihig upon them.

3U2 THE CRUISE OF TEE ' GUEAQOA.'

It had been at our first visit here intended to land a forcx^
for tlie purpose of inllicting punishment on one of the chiefs'
villages ; but Lieutenant Meade liaving volunteered, with a
native for his guide, to examine the interior during the
night, reported it, after a trip attended with much risk, to
be so entirely impracticable for military objects, that the
Commodore felt bound to abandon a land-attack. Ac-
cordingly, as soon as he now learnt through the Missionary
that the hostile chiefs doggedly refused to come, he ordered
to v«-eigh at one p.m., and proceeded to the northward
under steam along the land, until he came to anchor in
fifteen fathoms at about 350 yards off the village of
Sifu, which it was his intention to bombard. Mr. Gor-
don had told the crew of his Avhale boat, after he came
on board the ' Cura9oa,' to return to Dillon's Bay, but
they seemed to prefer following us to see the liring. The
Missionary begged the Commodore to spare the school-house.
The women had been warned to clear out with their
children, but it appeared they had m t availed themselves
of it, for many were seen making their escape along the
water-side with men also, after the first shot was fired.

At a quarter past two o'clock fire was opened on the village
of Sifu with the port guns, and Sub-Lieutenant Bolitho, who
was sent away in the cutter, threw rockets upon the village
and its environs. The firing was not so good as at Tanna ;
there being a good deal of swell on ; six or seven rounds of
shells from the 112-pounder Armstrong were fired.

On the shore I could see some of the natives walking

EBAMANGA. 303

about with guns, one of them with a red feather on his
head, and wlio was said to be Warres-Nangre, went
behind the large rock on tlie shore and disappeared ; otliers
were by the houses under the cocoa-nut trees, or sitting down
talking together. They soon changed their quarters after
the firing began, and they had witnessed tlie bursting of the
first shell, which cut some of the cocoa nut trees in lialf.
The rockets, too, went hissing away, and dashing through
the bush. There was a fortified cave on the ritrht of the
village, having a fence, with a gate closing its entrance, and
in the middle of this fence was a long pole with a flag upon
it, which appeared to be made of several stiips of calico or
tapa. The way up to the cave seemed to be between two
large rocks, and was filled up with small trees. A shell
from the big Armstrong went straight up the passage and
burst at the entrance of the cave at the foot of the largest
rock, judging fi'om the smoke that rose from that spot.
Another struck against the rock on the left of the entrance.
I saw a shell go right through a house, which of course did
not offer much resistance, followed by a hollow shot which
burst among the trees. The port guns, only, of the up])er
and main decks, with the big Armstrong gun in the bows,
were used, together with rockets. Mr. Gordon did not
remain on deck during the shelling, but he made liis
appearance at three o'clock, as soon as the firing ceased.
From what he said, he did not think enough had been done ;
he was of opinion that ' the natives would imagine we had
done all we could do, and which tliey would probably find

304 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUEAQOA:

was not much.' Wliether it be true that tliis revereml
Efentleman tliiiiks it a sin to hxugh or not, I cannot say ; but
tliis I can, that during tlie time he was witli us, this was the
only occasion on whirli I saw in him even the faintest
approach to a smile.

The filing over, the Commodore, however, was disposed
to take a more lenient and hopeful view, otherwise there
was nothing to prevent iiis sending a boat on shore without
the slightest risk, and destroying all the houses and the few
canoes, if lie had so wished. I could see, on the steep side
or slope of the range, several houses in different directions,
one or two under a big precipitous cliff. Wherever the
busli had formerly been burnt, there seemed to be one or
two houses raised upon it ; the underwood here and there
appeared to have grown up again, but tlie big trees in all
these places invariably seemed dead.

Having nothing more to detain us, the ' Cura^oa ' weighed
and proceeded to sea, and at half-past three o'clock r.xr. we
again anchored in fifteen fathoms in Dillon's Baj^ Messrs.
Henry and Gordon dined witli the C!ommodore. Before
leaving they gave us one of those semi-transparent circular
rings of calcareous spar or feldspath, called ' navalae,' five
or six inches in diameter, and about one and a half in
thickness, which serve for sacred money, and with which
the purchases of women for wives are generally made ; one
of them, together with a spear, or a l)ow and arrows,
constituting the market price.

Mr. Gordon sent his men off twice in the afternoon to

EUAMANGA. 305

Sifu, to see if they could get any tidiugs of the effects of
the firing upon the natives in the way of either injury or
intimidation, but they came back saying tliat the natives
had not returned, so they had not been able to see any.
Mr. Gordon thought the present time a crisis, as far as he
was concerned ; but if able to weather it now, lie trusted
things would go on very well eventually, and that there
might be some hopes. The Commodore asked the
missionaiy to send him a report of the results of the
hostilities, addressed to him, ' On H.M.'s Service, New
Caledonia, to be forwarded.'

Before taking leave of these disagreeable proceedings, I
will avail myself of the opportunity, as these pages are pre-
paring for press, to make a comment or two upon them.
It is manifest that public opinion in this countiy is
beginning to be more cautious and exacting respecting the
accui-acy of the statements which are made the grounds
and justification of these penal inflictions, and that there is
an increasing disposition to be humanely and justly critical
with respect to the causes of the outrages committed by the
natives of these various islands. A memorable illustration
of this is to be found in the impression produced by the
murder of Bishop Patteson. If there was ever a case in
which public sympathy might be expected to manifest itself
with an angry spirit, and to demand severe retahatory acts,
this decidedly was one. Tlie esteem everywhere felt for
this admirable prelate ; the remembrance of his unswerving,
untiring devotion to his self-elected duty ; of his gentle,

306 THE CRUISE OF TEE ' CUBAQOA.'

amiable, ;uid engaging manners ; of his deep-rooted interest
— recalling that of liis distinguished predecessor Bishop
Selwyn — in the object of his missionary labours, which
liad been exerted for the benefit of some of those by
whom lie was unexpectedly slain, was but too well cal-
cidated to arouse an indiscrirainating resentment and de-
sire for vengeance. Nevertheless there was immediately
discernible a disposition to enquire if the proximate authors
of the crime were the primary authors, and whether
the ends of justice would not be best answered by active
measures against the ruffian whites, who, by their fright-
ful provocations, madden the natives into the commis-
sion of these murderous acts ? But what is of the highest
importance to know is, that the directors of the missionary
enterprise especially connected with this affair, do themselves
participate in this improved feeling, of which they have
given marked evidence in a strong protest against the
conduct of the missionaries responsible for the proceedings
which have just been narrated. As the reply to this protest
by the person chiefly answerable for them gives an insiglit
into the way in which they too often originate, it may
perhaps be interesting to refer to it.

As far back as 1862 there had been meetings in Sydney
praying Sir John Yoimg to take such steps as he should
think proper respecting certain occurrences which had
taken place in Tanna and Eramanga. In the same year
H.M.S. ' Pelorus,' touched at these places, but no action
of any kind was taken. But wlien, in 1^0.5, the 'Cura-

EBAMANGA. 307

yoa ' was ordered to cruise in tliese seas for the purpose of
settling diflSculties in various islands, and of course in these
two, the missionaries in connection with the latter made ac-
tive preparations for turning the expected visit to account.
Accordingly, just previous to our arrival at Anatom, a
meeting of missionaries took place under the chairmanship
of the Eev. Mr. Inglis — one of the most experienced
amongst them — the result of which was a document, luiani-
mously agreed to, setting forth the various acts of mal-
treatment to which the missions of Tanna and Eramanga
had been exposed, which was sent to the Commodore,
urging him ' to take such discriminative measures ' as
would convince the natives ' that British power would be
employed for the protection of British subjects, otherwise no
man's life would be safe.' The missionary movement in
Sydney, and this strong appeal from persons whose state-
ments he felt bound to receive, but had no means of
thoroughly testing, were, of course, imperative reasons for
his attending to their advice ; and, on his showing a dis-
position to do so, he was nut long in learning that the
phrase ' discriminative measures ' was, in missionary lan-
guage, an euphuism meaning the use of powder and shot.
To him, of course, no blame was or could be, in any
quarter, attached ; but his experienced advisers did not
come off quite as well. In a number of the 'Kecord,'
published under the auspices of the ' Board for Missions
for the Presbyterian Church,' there appeared, it seems,
a very severe article reflecting especially upon Mr.

308 THE CBUISE OF THE 'OUBAQOA.'

Iu<'lis as tlie person most responsible for what iiad hap-
pened. To this censm-e this gentleman made an elaborate
reply (a copy of which I have) which, I think, furnishes
within itself the means of testing the character and value of
his advice.

lu tlie first place, as respects Tanna the charge was, it
appears, that Mr. Paton had been advised ' by the elder
missionaries ' to quit the island for awhile, and that had he
done so the mission woidd not have been broken up ; and,
moreover, that what had wounded him most deeply, as the
chief of his hardships, was the injury done to his furniture.^
Then with regard to the two great crimes at Eramanga —
the murder of Williams and Harris in 1839, and that of
the Gordons in 1861 — it was alleged, in reproof of these
proceedings, that the former was the result of miscon-
ception ; the latter of misrepresentation by white men,
who were thus, in fact, the instigators of the outrage,
and the worst culprits in the afHiir. To these unpleasant
criticisms Mr. Inglis replies with tlie usual tale of horrors,
laying down as a postulate that it is of no use to attempt
to palliate the conduct of the natives by throwing dis-
credit on the whites. Having settled this point to his
satisfaction, he makes, in justification of his penal policy,

' 'Mr. Meade, in his interesting work, ' New Zealand and South Sea
Islands,' p. 231, confirms this view ; where, after observing ' that the
irapression left on our minds b}* the missionaries of this society was
not altogether favourable,' he adds, 'in recounting their grievances and
sufferings, too much stress was laid, to my thinking, on the loss of
private and mission property.'

EBAMANGA. 309

the customary vague accusations, ignoring contradictory
evidence based upon ascertained facts.

Tlius tlie uuirder of Williams and Harris, in Dillon's Bay,
was, according to liini, an inexcusable atrocity, though, he
must have been j^erfectly aware that the well-known
missionary Mr. Murray, in his report of his visit to that
island in 1854,' had expressed his opinion on the subject
when giving an account of his interview with a chief who
had been previously anxious to have a teacher placed upon
the island, and who, to liis surprise, turned out to be the
man who killed Williams. When questioned upon the
subject the chief ' looked sorry and ashamed,' but said, ' he
did not know Mr. Williams was a missionary.' To the
question why he killed him he replied, ' it was on account
of outrages committed by foreigners some time before.'
And does Mr. Murray credit this statement ? He does, and
adds significantly, ' who can wonder at what he did when it
is remembered that, in the affray referred to, between the
foreigners and Eramangans, his own son was murdered f
(the itahcs are his) ; and such was the confidence he and Mr.
Sunderland had in him, that, in compliance with his request,
it was arranged that one of the teachers, in another part of
the island, sliould be transferred to his part of the bay.
But of these important statements Mr. Inghs seems to know
not a word. Then again, as respects Tanna, there are
allusions to asserted acts of violence by tlie natives, while

' ' Missions in Western Polynesia,' p. 195.

310 THE GBUI8E OF THE 'GUBAQOA.'

not a single reference is made, by way of accounting for
tliem, to the exasperation caused among them, first, by the
introduction of small-pox in 1853 by a trading vessel (as
reported by Messrs. Murray and Sunderland) ; ' and, secondly,
in 1861, when large ninnbers were swept into the grave by
the introduction of measles,* under the influence of which
they were easily induced to believe the story of some
intriguing whites, who, as Mr. Paton himself declares, had
been busy in persuading them that he was the cause of
these scourges. But Mr. Inglis can see no extenuating
circumstances in all this ; nothing to divert ' British power'
from inflicting punishment, ' inspiring the greatest amount of
terror,' Avithout stopping to take counsel of British justice
before it did so.

Let us now turn to Eramanga and the murder of the
Gordons, which Mr. Inglis's critic ascribes, it seems, to tlie
ignorance of the natives worked upon by the misrepresen-
tations of white men ; but this Mr. Inglis himself treats with
contempt, attributing tlie crime to the savage ferocity of
the native character, combined with an irrepressible desire
to molest, pillage, and destroy the mission. Now we must
))e able to conceive that some great and unexplained change
must have taken place in the disposition and the deportment
of the inhabitants of Dillon's Bay within a few years, if this
theory is to be sustained. For we have the testimony of
two missionaries to the extreme tranquillity of the island
and the orderly behaviour of the natives in 1854. Not

' Ibirl. pp. 153-155. * Ibifl. p. :Wfl.

EBAMANGA. Sll

only were they received and treated witli kindness, l^ut
they were assured by the captains of two traders lying in
the harbonr, tliat foreigners might travel anywhere with
safety, one spot only excepted (Cook's Bay), and tliat the
natives aronnd could be justly praised for their ' harmless-
ness, docihty, honesty,' ' &c. Three years later, in 1857, Mr.
Gordon and his wife were landed at Dillon's Bay. The
tribes around had been at war with each other; but, in spite
of the excitement which would, more or less, survive such
a state of things, so manifest was the peaceful disposition
of the natives, that, after a long deliberation, the ' New
Hebrides Missionaries,' who had accompanied the Gordons,
came unanimously to the conclusion, that the moment was
propitious for the commencement of missionary labours.
It is clear that the explanatory change required to justify
Mr. Inghs's policy of retribution had not yet taken place.
Again, in 1859, another missionary, Mr. Turner, visited the
island, and, though he discovered nothing alarming, he
found that, as far as missionary success was concerned,
' there had been a reaction.' Eeports were current ' that
the Anatom people were all dying, and that the scourge
was ascribed to the new religion.'^ Now here was un-
questionably a most dangerous source of excitement, angry
remembrance of ravages caused by epidemics introduced
by the whites, embittered by an infusion of religious hate!
And what was the result? Nothing more serious than an
order from the chiefs to their people not to attend ' the
• Ibid. p. 104. » Tbifl p. 224.

312 TEE CEUISE OF TEE 'CUBA(,;OA.'

Sabbath services ' of tlie mission, and that not rigidly
insisted on. Indeed, such was tlie state of tranquillity that
Mr. Murray alluding to this period, or a little later,
' discerned the earnests of success, the precursors of a
glorious day destined ere long to dawn on Eramanga.'
Soon after this occurred the murder of the Gordons.
Whether it was tlie act of a few natives stimulated by
their own fanatical excitement, or, as is supposed, by the
suggestions of foreigners, one thing is perfectly clear, that
there was nothing in the general attitude of the natives that
could suggest any apprehension of such a disaster. It is
indeed said that ]\Ir. Gordon received an intimation of some
intended mischief; yet such was his feeling of security that he
had quitted the bay and built a cottage at some distance from
it, on an eminence about 1,000 feet above the level of the
sea. Close to it was a chapel with 'a fine bell, which echoed
from hill to hill.' lie seems to have been an unsocial and
self-willed man, and it is the avowed opinion of his fellow
missionaries, that he owed his death to his having withdrawn
himself from the protection of his friends in the bay.^ But
his separating himself fiom them is plain evidence that he
dreaded no enemies elsewhere. Better proof than this of
the peaceable disposition of the natives it is impossible to
desire. It must be observed too that when, soon after the
death of the Gordons, Messrs. Murray and Geddes visited
the island, they landed without any risk, and were well
received by the chiefs. Moreover they learnt that the

' Ibid. p. 423.

EBAMANGA. 313

bodies of the missionaries had been buried not only without
any adverse manifestation, ' but amid the tears and lamenta-
tions of all around.' And farther, that the ' peal of the
church bell and the sound of morning and evening prayer '
every Sunday continued to be heard as before.'

Now it is utterly incredible that this should have occurred
in the midst of an ill-disposed and ferocious jieople con-
nected either by deed or sympathy with the authors of the
recent crime. That nothing had occurred to induce the
natives to abandon their peaceful policy is clear, but it is
also clear that it liad been resolved in missionary quarters
that the murder of the Gordons should be regarded and
punished as a general offence. Soon after it occurred
H.M.S. 'Pelorus ' was, as has been observed, sent to enquire
into the state of affairs ; but, as lier commander. Commodore
Seymour, did nothing in the way of j)unishing, the pre-
sumption is he discovered nothing to justify a general
punishment. But when the approach of the ' Cura9oa '
presented an opportunity of carrying out the retributive
system, then were active preparations made for biassing the
Commodore's mind in the desired direction. The resolu-
tions already referred to, passed at Anatom, togetlier with
' memoranda ' affirming the commission or intent of outrages,
though resting on no better authority than tliat of ex-
aggerating teachers, made their appearance. Indeed nothing
had been left untried. Mrs. Henry, apparently pressed
into the service, was induced to write a letter to Sir John

' Ibid. p. 423.

314 THE CRUISE OF THE 'VUBAQOA.'

Yoiino' complaining of the natives, and of their ill-inten-
tions towards herself, though she and her husband had
lived unmolested there since 1 861, and slie had herself, only
the year before, in a letter to Mr. Inglis, expressed her-
self as follows : ' With regard to personal safety I
think there is no danger on this side of the island. We
have lived in perfect peace amongst them, and we find
them a quiet and inoffensive people. I am at present
almost alone with them, Mr. Henry being in Sydney.' A
more effective attestation in favour of the natives, confirmed,
moreover, by what I find recorded in my journal of Mr.
Henry's unconsciousness of any danger, coidd not possibly
be desired. And yet we are to believe that in a single
year, without provocation, without any alleged cause, they
should have become malevolent, mischievous, and mur-
derous. But it is ol)vious that Queen Mab, in the shape of
Ml'. Gordon of silent celebrity, had been at work with Mrs.
Henry getting up this and other materials to justify an
appeal to British guns. A paper, by this gentleman,
dated Eramanga, September 25, 1865, and presented to
the Commodore as ' information only,' will furnish an
excellent illustration of the quality of the information con-
cocted for the guidance of our officers.

Beginning very solemnly Avith a quotation from ' Hodge
on Cor. xii. 11,' affirming it to be every man's duty to
' vindicate the righteous,' it proceeds with much imper-
tinence to contradict Messrs. Henry and Edwards, who,
being at Sydney Avhen two missionaries, misled by teachers,

ERAMANGA. 315'

presented a petition to Sir Jolni Young requesting tlic
removal from tlie island of a Malay named Eangi, whom
they represented as a most dangerous character, and
the instigator of the Gordon murder, had dared to
forward to tlie Governor a counter-statement positively
denying the alleged fact. Now Mr. Gordon's zeal was
clearly not a ' zeal according to knowledge,' and had he
no other means of information he might have derived it
from Mrs. Henry, who, a year before, had informed Mr.
Inglis by letter that this Eangi was ' an ignorant, harmless
fellow, who had not the slightest influence in the island.'^
But, of course, Mr. Gordon preferred relying on the vague
evidence of teachers, the value of whicli we may estimate
by the fact of his having since, as Mr. Inglis tells us, felt
compelled to acknowledge that ' Ilodge on Curinthians '
had been wastefuUy cited, that the ' riglitcous ' were in the
wrong, and their audacious gainsayers in the right. Such
were the misleading influences brouglit to bear on the
Commodore's mind ; and if, imfortimately, he had been
somewhat of the fanatical temperament of the assailant
of Bea,^ there would have been a very pretty chance of
bloody reprisals. Of course no one would suppose that
these missionaries had a thirst for blood, but, exaggerating
the importance of their work, and especially the privi-
leges attached to it, they believe every offence against

' The letters, &e. that liave been alhided to are, copies or originals,
in the possession of Admiral Sir William Wiseman.

2 Captain Croker whose proceedings were noticed ab^iw4J3.

31G THE CRUISE OF THE 'CUBAgOA.'

their mission is an offence against God. But tliat sucli a
persuasion can make men, not personally cruel, sanction
cruel acts, liistory teems with proofs.

The moral to be deduced is this : if this country thinks
it necessary to place the commanders of its ships of war
at the disposal of the missionaries in their feuds with
the natives, it should not only be careful in its selection of
its oflScers, but should also take care that they be provided
with the means of communicating, through rehable inter-
preters, Avith the natives themselves. In point of fact the
inspection of these islands should be made a special service,
not to be left to the random visits of ships of war com-
manded by officers who have not had an opportunity of
qualifying themselves for the task. For, assuredly, it is a
solemn duty incumbent on the Government of tliis country,
wlien stretching forth its arm whether for protection or
punishment, in these or other regions, that it should
use the most jealous caution in determining whom it ought
to punish, and whom to protect.

There is reason for bearing this in mind. Mr. Inglis, in
his defence, after protesting against any palliation of
' offences against missionaries on the score of ignorance,'
suggestively adds, ' the principle of blood for blood, life for
hfe, tlie lex talionis, is a principle which every native under-
stands ; ' consequently, when their offences against life are
not punished on this principle, they are agreeably or other-
wise disappointed ; and their surprise, we are assured, is
mingled with contempt for those who having the oppor-

EBAMANGA. 317

tuiiity of applying it do not do so. Unfortunately our
English law does not permit us to meet their views. It
recognizes three varieties of life-taking, as between man and
man, first, in self-defence, justifiable homicide ; secondly,
under sudden momentary excitement — manslaughter ;
thirdly, with malice prepense — murder. The first it sanc-
tions ; the second it punishes with shorter or longer terras
of imprisonment ; the third alone is punishable with death.
It is clearly incapable, therefore, of deahng with the natives
on their own principle, and moreover, it requires that
those who execute it shoiUd carefidly determine in which
of its three categories any act of life-taking must be placed.
A nice distinction, which seems never to enter into the
heads of those who call for punishment on the natives for
crimes of violence. In a word, however inconsistent with
native usages, and however incompatible with missionary
safety its policy may be, it, nevertheless, cannot permit
its representatives to ado];)t the ' principle of blood for
blood,' ' hfe for life.'

It is satisfactory to be able to infer from the protest
under consideration that, in the opinion of the more enlight-
ened missionaries, and conductors of missionary enterprise,
the strict application of the just and cautious requirements
of British law in criminal matters to offences, real or
imputed, by the inhabitants of these islands, will furnish the
most effectual check on the misdeeds of the natives, and, by
augmenting the respect entertained for the missionary, will

318 THE CRUISE OF TEE 'CURAQOA.'

largely contribute to the safety and success of the mission.
Thus uuich it has been thought proper to say.

The island of Eramanga measures thirty-five miles in its
greatest length, sixteen miles in its greatest width, and is
about one hundred miles in circumference. The population
is from four to five thousand, not living together in villages,
but scattered about in clusters of houses on the seaside. Its
temperature has not been well ascertained, but it is known
that the thermometer will sometimes vary 20°, and even 24°
Fahrenheit in the course of twenty-four hours. With the
exception of the most elevated parts of the island, the
climate is not healthy ; elephantiasis and intermittent
fever are frequent. About the year 1840 an epidemic
was introduced by a sandal-wood trading vessel, which
caused great ravages, sweeping off the people by what was
called red dysentery; again in 1861 the measles cut ofl' a
great number of people ; and it is a question whether the
population can ever recover from the exterminating results
of these two attacks.

The after effects are stiU visible in various forms : deserted
houses, numerous ' weeping places,' extinct tribes, or tribes
whose only representatives are a few dying people. All
bear mournful testimony to the havoc made. The last
epidemic was brought by the ' Bluebell,' Ca])tain Bruce, to
Dillon's Bay. Captain Bruce, or one of his crew, informed
the late missionary of the fact as soon as he had anchored ;
and the missionary, the first who had settled there, the
Reverend Mr. Gordon, at once uave notice to the natives,

EEAMANGA. 310

many of whom were then at a feast, urging them to remove
speedily inland, and remain there, which some did, and
others did not. Eventually, however, the introduction of
the disease was fastened upon liim, and lie and his wife were
murdered six months after in consequence. It is clear
that if mi.ssionaries are to look for safety in these islands,
they must be reheved from the risk of being held re-
sponsible for the infamous acts and exterminating policy of
the traders. In the face of these it is a marvel that they
can even for a year exercise their impopular functions, and
effect even as much as they do. Up to 1865, two women
and eleven young men had been baptized, and were in
full communion. Four young men are now candidates
for baptism, sixty are reading in the Gospel of St. Luke, and
two hundred are in the primer.

The government is patriarchal. Cliieftainship is heredi-
tary. Since the decimation of the population, the island
has been in the hands of petty chiefs, who have usually
much power for evil, and but little for good.

Infanticide is uncommon, occurring only when the
mother has died in child-bed, before the infant can take to
the breast, in which case the little unfortunate is buried
alive with the mother. In spite of the various causes of
mortality, however, aged men, it seems, are not unfrequent
in the island. The women tattoo their faces, and wear
a girdle of leaves round their loins. They are generally
chaste, yet breaches of the seventh coramaudment frequently
occur, though death is the penalty. The wives of deceased

320 THE OBUISE OF THE 'CUUAQOA:

brothers fall to the eldest surviving brother. Incest is
probably rare ; but instances it is said can be found.

Two difTereut languages are spoken, the one, it is alleged,
more generally than the other.

The great god of the Eramangans is called Nabu, and
strangely enough they call all strangers by this name,
whether black or white. They suppose the paradise of
souls to be in the West. They have a tradition which says
that men originally walked hke pigs, and that pigs walked
erect. They say the first of the human race was a woman,
then came her sun, and from tliem sprang the race of men.
The Nabu, after having created the human race at Era-
manga, went away to another land. They worship the
moon, having images in the form of the new and full moons,
made of a kind of stone. They do not pray to these images,
but cleave to them as their protecting gods. They practise
circumcision, and believe in witchcraft. The graves of the
dwid are known by a depression in the earth of a few
inches, and by two sticks placed erect. Some of the dead
are placed in caves without any earth or covering. The
natives do not eat anything which grows within about
one hundred yards of a place where their own dead are
buried. I heard nothing about their temples, if they have
any.

Articles exported are sandal-wood and women. A
Captain Edwards is spoken of, who in one year embarked
15,000 tons of sandal-wood, and in a short time realised a
fortune of J7 5,000. This Captain Edwards lias improved

ERAMANGA. 321

some of tlie patlis about Dillon's Baj', Init there are no
roads. A little wood has been purchased from time to
time, but the greater portion is cut and carried off by force.
The last load of sandal-wood was shipped from this ill-
fated island, in the ' Amateur,' Captain Long, for Hongkong,
August 29, 1865.

The trade in women is extremely singular. The price of
a damsel is two guns, say £b. A woman, at present under
Christian instruction, was bought some years ago by a
person engaged in the ti'ade, and again sold by him to
the present owner. One Jonas — the Missionary says — a
native of Manilla, bought three girls, and has also recently
left the island, carrying off two women. Another Malay,
named Joe, who shot a native of Sifu at Dillon's Bay, in
June 1865, has likewise gone, and dragged off his slave, a
fine little girl, to New Caledonia, in spite of her tears,
entreaties, and her father's wishes. Another young girl,
about twelve years of age, is at present the property of a
native of Tongatabu, named Moses, and her fiite is not
doubtful ; both are at present at Dillon's Bay. Not one
half is known of the oppression and violence of the pro-
ceedings in a trade noted for a quarter of a century for its
enormities.

During the closing months of 1864, and the first of 1865,
there was a European fiimily of seven or eight persons all
told, and seveir or eight white men, besides those on board
vessels, living on the island.

Indigenous to the island are the cocoa-nut tree, the bread-

322 THE GBUISE OF THE 'GUBAQOA.'

fruit tree, banana, plantain, the chestnut of the Pacific, the
yam, aiTowroot, and taro in small quantities ; these three
last plants are, together with an edible root resembling taro,
only very much larger, and called Nevya, the stand-by in
times of scarcity and famine. Tliere are four species of
indigenous palms. The papau has been introduced.

Pigs appear to have been introduced from Tanna several
years ago. Captain Edwards brought in horses, cattle, and
goats, but none are in the possession of the natives; and
the stock was to be removed to New Caledonia in a
short time.

The natives give distinct names to sixty birds. Among
them arc pigeons, and several small birds, some of gay,
others of gorgeous plumage. There are two species of
snakes. There are native names for ninety-five salt-water,
and for sixteen fresh-water fish ; a few are edible.

Their weapons are l)ows, aiuows, s[)ears, &c.,and recently
gnus and hatchets.

Tliey make the rings of stone, ah'eady alluded to, the
largest of which weigh some forty pounds, and the smallest
two and a-half pounds. They also make out of stalactites,
or sometimes of clay, images of the new and full moons ;
they are considered sacred, used perhaps as idols, and are
only exhibited at feasts ; at all other times they are kept
hidden in the ground. Nunpuri shells, principally bought by
traders, and boar's tusks, are used for similar purposes
in barter.

323

CHAPTER XXII.

NEW CALEDONIA.— LOYALTY ISLANDS.

(September 28 to October 8.)

Loyalty Islands — Aspect of New Caledonia — Ilavanuab Passage — Prasline
Bay — Canoes — At Anchor in Port-de-France — ^'isit from the Governor —
Visit Returned — Madame Guillain — M. Guillain — Government House and
Gardens — The Governor and the Protestant Missionaries— The Capital of the
Colon}' — The Model Farm of Yahove — A New Kind of I'lough — Coffee
Trees — The Aborigines — Religion — Manners and Customs — Infamous Usage
of Natives by Whites — Captain Cook's Favourable Notice of them — Basset,
Chief of Yengen— His House in the Interior — Appearance of the Country —
Trimly-kept Houses— I'oles Surmounted by Skulls — Remarkable Irriga-
tion — Remains of Ancient Aqueducts — Return to Sydney.

On September 26, the day of the shelling of Sifu, the
'Cura^oa' weighed at eiglit p.m., and stood away for New
Caledonia. Favouied by a steady breeze from ESE., we
made an excellent passage, and on the morning of the 27tli,
reached Mare, one of the Loyalty Islands, a low level land
apparently neither wooded nor fertile. After leaving Mare,
where we received a supply of cabbages from the natives,
who brouglit them off from the island, which we did not
get near enough to land, we stood away for Sifu,^ Avhich

' It is painfully illustrative of the brutality of manners disgracing onr
vaunted superiority over heatlieuism, that when H.M.S. ' Havannali '
anchored ofi' Sifu, the natives, both men and women, wlio swam to the
sbip in a swarm, eagerly saluted the crew with the foulest English
oaths, of the purport of which thry were manifestly ignorant, and for

324 THE CRUISE OF THE ' OURAQOA.'

we ]iasge(1 in the evening, and at ten o'clock next morning
ivaclicd Ilea, the smallest of the group, wliere we stayed
till one o'clock. Of course I had no opportunity of making
any observations myself, but, as there are some interesting
foots furnished by former visitors, I am tempted to introduce
them.

A Mr. Edwards who had l)een wrecked on the coast of
Uea, and resided some time on the island, gave Captain
Erskine a fovourable impression of the people. He repre-
sented them as superior in moral qualities to any other
islanders he had met with. The women (and there is
corroborative testimony to this fact) are chaste befoi'e
marriage and faithful afterwards. Their influence with the
men is said to be considerable, and such is the respect paid
to them that the slander of a woman would be regarded as
a cn.^us belli between tribes. Hood^ mentions a most gallant
and humane act of the natives in saving the lives of fourteen
English seamen, the crew of a ship tliat had foundered, and
who had constructed a raft on which they were seen drifting
helplessly past the island. Ha\ing been rescued with much
difficulty, tlioy were, on reaching the shore, taken to the
huts, and most hospitably entertained for three weeks, until
they were received on Iward II. M.S. 'Esk.' It was a

which tticj were indebted to wrecked crews that had resided some
months among them. Another donation from these favoured visitorr.
was the plague of a certain disease (Erskine, js. 363). What an un-
questionable right have these ill-used savages — as wc call them tc

say to Christianity, 'Physician, heal thy.self.'
> Cruise of H.M.S. 'Fawn,' p. 164.

NEW CALEDONIA. 325

sorry requital for such services that the captain of tlie ' Esk,'
deceived by tlie misrepresentation of some knavish trader,
imposed a most heavy fine on the ishmd as a compensation
for some alleged injury to this person, to be paid within a
certain time. It was to collect this fine that the ' Fawn '
visited the island, but on investigation it was found that the
claim for compensation was groundless ; all, however, that
Captain Cator could do, without infringing his orders, was to
extend the time of payment of one-half; and Mr. Hood ex-
presses the hope that 'in the interim those before whom the
matter may come will preserve the reputation Ave have in
these regions for justice and honesty by remitting this por-
tion of the cruel and unjust exaction.' He regards the case
as one of the most flagrant illustrations they had yet met
with ' of the unfair treatment which the natives too often
experience at the hands of the Papalangis.'

According to Mr. Hood, the Ueans resemble the Samoans,
but are of rather a darker hue, and with noses less flat-
tened ; they liave their frizzled hair hanging down their
shoulders, and embeUish their faces with yellow ochre and
red paint, the ochre being preferred. Tliose he saw sitting
in church with their frizzled heads of hair all squared at
bottom, reminded liim of the Nineveh marbles. He adds,
' in some of the islands to the westward the women have a
way of dressing their hair in a midtitude of little ringlets
twisted with fine cocoa-nut twine, and the men have their
beards arranged in the same manner, also cut square, giving

326 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

tlicin alnidst identically the same nppcnniiico with the
Assyrian figures.'

About noon wc came in sight of New Caledonia, which
as we advanced disclosed to us more and more distinctly
its east coast. The island appeared to be very mountainous,
and the coast at one part near the Havannah Passage was
very precipitous. The land that was visible looked very
barren in every direction, and in a great many places there
was apparently no verdure of any kind on the dark red
soil ; where there was any wood, it seemed confined to small
spots. There were a good many islands, some of them
covered with lofty pines, which were very thick at places,
and looked almost like cypresses. There are a great many
reefs also about these islands. Before coming to Havannah
Passage I saw a fine waterftxll, which, though not precipitous,
was of considerable height, coming down a channel it had
woi-u for itself on the mountain side, and finally fall
ing over a steep cliff into the sea ; its name, I was
iuformed, is Undiania. Wc took the Havannah Pas-
sage, which is near the SE. extremity of New Caledonia,
between a great number of islands, reefs, &c., extending
from thirty to forty miles at tlie S. extremity of the island
and about two and a-half degrees at the N. end, and
appears indeed to encircle the island. After getting round
Cape Queen Charlotte, and entering Havannah Passage,
we soon came to Port Goro, which is the first bay on the
starboard side ; the sea was as smooth as a lake as soon as
we came among the reefs and islands of New Caledonia.

NEW CALEDONIA. 327

The soil as before appeared to be all red, and tlie configura-
tion of the country was pretty, though it appeared very
poor. There were many bare red places on the hills ; the
pines were liere also confined to certain spots ; tliey grew
high, and liad a peculiar appearance, from their branches
being short below and gradually increasing to the top, thus
presenting the reverse of that conical form we associate with
pines. The country looked very mountainous, but the
highest elevation which any mountain attained did nt)t
appear to exceed 3,000 or 4,000 feet. After passing Port
Goro, we went by two small bays or ports, and then came
to Good Cove, in Praslin Bay.

We anchored at half-past six p.m., in twenty fathoms, in
the pretty bay of Praslin. There were .''pots on the hills of
a whitish apjicarance, like sulphur beds. The point of
Praslin Bay had a pretty clump of pines upon it, nearly
down to the water's edge, and still farther on were tlie
islands that formed the first part of Havannah Passage.
On the shores round Good Cove, the vegetation was very
sparse and of a very stunted appearance ; the woods were in
patches only, and the trees not large. A splendid sunset
added beauty to the scene, and the effect of the nine o'clock
gun was extremely fine, as it aroused echo after echo among
the hills. We saw no canoes, natives, nor houses, and very
few cocoa-nut trees.

We remained the whole of the next day at tins capital
anchorage, the crew being busily engaged in setting the ship
to-rights. There were a good many small birds about on

328 THE GBUISE OF THE ' GUBAQOA:

t-hore, which I could hear singuig in tlie morning. I saw a
wliite crane under a tree at the bottom oi the cove ; also
two large brown birds, which looked like a species of heron
when on the wing. Fish were jumping out of tlie water,
and pretty large ones, too.

Ou the morning of September 30, a missionary in a large
whale-boat, rowed by natives, came on board, and asked if
we wanted a pilot ; finding we did not, he went off im-
mediately. Shortly after, three canoes with outriggers, one
of which had a platform, hailed the ' Cura^oa ' ; they were
manned by unarmed natives, who seemed rather a fine set of
men ; they were all more or less dressed, or aspired to be
dressed, in European style ; one had a military jacket on,
another a great coat, another a cap and guernsey, &c. ; in
the matter of trousers the prevaihng fashion was native, —
most of them had none. In one of the canoes was a decent-
looking native woman, Avith some boys Avho were naked and
looked rather cold.

We weighed a little before noon, and made for Port-de-
France. From the chart the navigation seems intricate,
but it appears to have been all surveyed. It Avas pretty
enough passing among all these islands. The weather was
line, and the water quite smooth ; we could distinguish pretty
accurately the shoals and reefs from the deep water by the
dark blue colour of the latter. We often ran within a short
distance of the shore, and could see streams of fresh water
antl waterfalls running or tumbling down the mountain
sides, and near the spots where these waters ran into the sea

NEW CALEDONIA. 329

might generally be seen one or more native houses, amid
the broad belt of wood that skirts the base of the mountains.
There were a few cocoa-nut trees at these places, but no
groves of them. I saw but a very few canoes, and those
were small and drawn up on the sandy beach. The soil
seemed very red, except at the white patches and the
ravines. The upper parts of the mountains were generally
covered with grass or fern. One could see from the strata
of the rocks that this part of the island had been upheaved ;
as we went on, the tall pines became more and more rare.
We soon came in sight of the lighthouse at Amedee on the
Island of Amed, and saw a pilot who was coming off to us.
The lighthouse is painted white and red in some parts, and
seems very high ; it is made of cast iron ; the different
sections are joined together with masonry. We stopped to
take in a pilot, a Frenchman, who spoke a little English.
We soon came in sight of the semaphore on a hill at the
back of the town, a square tower Avhich signals the arrival
of vessels long before they can be seen at Port-de-France ;
it was not long before we saw the masts of a man-of-war, and
then the hull, which, as the pilot informed us, was H.M.S.
' Falcon,' Captain Parkin, arrived five days previously. We
noticed a few houses of settlers, as we came along, most of
them pj'etty near the sea, and not very fiir from the port, of
a small wooden bungalow style. We could now see the
town of Poit-de-France. At last, after passing a rocky
point with a cliff, we came to the mouth of the port, across
which there is an island of some size, more than half a mile

330 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' CUEAQOA.'

ill length. Wo went through the passage nearest to the point,
which is by far the widest of tlie two, and tlic water about
it deep. We had a fine view of tlie port and of tlie town,
which is built upon a slope, the lower end of which comes
down to the water. It is a very fine harbour, and the entrance
apparently easy for ships. There were in port two French
nien-of-wai", the 'Gazelle ' and the 'Fulton' (a paddle steamer
with the pennant of the Governor), and the ' Falcon,' which
from her size appeared to advantage near them. The
mountains in the background, covered with wood and grass

-sresE?^ ciKE-

MC i.^uvMi, w;.w-^,,- — ..:.^... ;u. ij..o uvptxs.

had a fine effect. The pilot pointed out to me Mont Mu,
4,000 feet high, the highest in this part of the island, which
seems very mountainous. There is a chain of hills running
nearly from one end of it to the other, which is said to be
about 150 miles long. We passed a new battery, which the
pilot siiid was the Artillery Battery ; it appeared to be
merely a piece of wall with a platform on which there were
a few mounted guns ; the artillerymen w^ere scattered about
near some houses a short distance above it. We could see

NEW CALEDONIA. 331

the Government House very well, and the town also, which
looked a poor place, very small, with little wooden houses.
We stopped at half-past three p.m., and dropped anchor in
ten fathoms ; immediately after, we were visited by the
Health officer. We then saluted tlie French flag witli
twenty-one guns, which was returned by the battery.
Captain Mathieu, tlie aide-de-camp of His Excellency M.
Guillain, a captain in the navy. Governor of the colony,
came on board the ' Curacjoa,' to invite the Commodore to
dinner that day at Government House, which he accepted,
and had great reason to be pleased with the manner in
which he was received.

During our stay, our relations the whole time with the
French officials were of the most pleasing kind, and we
carried away with us the most agreeable recollections of
our visit to Port-de-France. There we made the acquaintance
of Count Adam Kulczycki, the Government astronomer, a
Polish gentleman, as obliging as highly informed, and
whom I had tlie satisfaction of finding was acquainted with
my fiiend, Jules Eemy, the companion of some of my
former wanderings, whom he liad known at Tahiti.

On October 1, the day after our arrival at Port-de-
France, the Governor came on board the ' Cura^oa ' in full
dress, to pay his official visit, and received on leaving it a
salute of seventeen guns. To our great surprise, the land
battery, contrary to our English practice, returned tlie
salute, it not being usual to return personal salutes.

In company witli the Commodore, Captain Parkin.

332 THE CRUISE OF THE 'GURAQOA.'

Lieutenant Meade, Mr. Veitch, ami mj'self, had tlie oppor-
tunity of visiting tlie Governor, by whom we were cordially
received.

M. Guillain ha^ been for many years on tlie western
coast of Africa, Madagascar, &c., and has published a work
with plates and maps on those countries. He is a moderate-
sized man, about lifty-three years of age, and said to have
a great deal of energy. His wife, Madame Guillain, is a
pleasing Uttle woman, very gay and sprightly, and a good
deal younger than her husband. She told me that when
they first came here, it was with a party of seventeen, all of
whom, strangely enough, were unarmed, an act of confi-
dence or carelessness in these regions of an unusual kind.
With a most remarkable absence of mistrust, they went off
for some reason or other, leaving her alone in the boat,
which presently was surrounded by natives, who attempted
to carry her off, from which peril she was saved by her —
crinoline! How this much criticised decoration or garment
became a defensive weapon was not explained ; possibly in
the struggle, the steel ribs being broken protruded in a
variety of points, which thus formed a complete chevau,v-de-
frise ; luckily, how^ever, while the fray was going on, and
her alarm at the highest, the Governor witli his party came
back to her assistance, and vowed, in the fulness of his
indignation, he would be revenged upon them for causing
her this fright. And she had just had the pleasure of
knowing that this vow had been fulfilled. For he liad but
a few days before our arrival returned from an expedition

NEW CALEDONIA. 333

from the Northern coast, whicli had for its object the
punisliraeiit of the natives for kilUng and eating five or six
Frenchmen, together witli part of a crew of a trading-
vessel ; tlie discliarge of his vow of course not being over-
looked. The punishment was certainly very effective.
Having landed a force at the proper s])ot on the coast, he
marched by night to the village where the cannibals lived.
The march must have been a puzzling one, especially to
him, as he was dragged occasionally through the bush on
all fours by his party, a kind of advance that was neither
military nor pleasant. The result, however, was everything
that could be desired. They attacked the village, and shot,
burned, or bayonetted every soul in it, sixty in number ;
those who were not shot or cut down having been burnt in
the houses, men, women, and children of coiu'se ; not a
soul survived to tell the tale. He felt this was a terrible
vengeance, but had little doubt it would have its effect for a
long time. It is, in fact, likely that the most eager cannibal
would be disinchned to feast upon forbidden flesh at this
price. On our return to Sydney we heard that the
Governor had made a second raid upon the natives in
another place, attended with the same merciless success.

The Governor's house is a square wooden building,
■whitewashed outside. It was within five minutes' walk of
the new-built pier or jetty, that looks very short, but is, I
believe, long enough for any coaster or trader of the island
to lay alongside. One of the rooms is panelled with
acacia, and another wdth pine ; both are done by the soldiers

334 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

and liave a very neat effect. There is a garden attached to
it. whicli lies on a slope that goes down to the sea, and
under the hill on which the telegraph is placed, up which
there is a walk. It is well stocked with trees and plants of
the country, as well as exotics, and yields grapes of an
excellent quality, fruits such as strawberries and pineapples,
and vegetables of various kinds. There was a trellis-work
covered over with pretty creeping plants, and a profusion
of roses and mignonette, which gave a home character to
the spot.

While walking together in his garden, in which he takes
great pleasure, the Governor gave me an account of the
circumstance which caused so much noise some years ago,
connected with the missionaries of the isle of Sifu. He
attributed everything that had taken place there to the
Kev. Mr. MacFarlane, who, he said, would not admit
that the Loyalty Islands w^ere under French rule, notwith-
standing that this missionary had previouslj^ lent him a
book written by himself, or one of his own body, which
acknowledged the fact. He added that Mr. MacFarlane
had excited and stirred up the native Christians against
him and the French Government; that these came down
upon him all armed, fired on the French soldiers, and were, in
consequence, fired upon in return, by wliich several of
them were killed and wounded. The Governor then forbade
Mr. MacFarlane and the missionaries to make any more pro-
selytes (not wishing in other respects to interfere with tlieir
religion), but in>i.-ted that tliey should confine themselves

NEW CALEDONIA. 335

to the Christians ah'eady under their charge, and no longer
attempt to govern the island, but submit to his authority.
He told them that thei'e was a French ordinance or law
forbidding the further extension of the Protestant religion
in the country, because, as it was French, the Catholic faith
its religion, and French its adopted language, they would
have to undo wliat he might do, and to teach French in the
schools, and propagate the Catholic religion in the place of
Protestantism. He said Mr. MacFarlane was compelled to
give in, and, though he felt sore, he saw he was wrong ;
that they met afterwards, and parted amicably. This was
altogether a very long story ; and certainly seemed not to
be in accordance with the decision of the Emperor, to wliom
the matter was referred ; and who ordered tlie Grovernor, I
was told, to come to an amicable arrangement with the
missionaries, and to abstain from any further interference
with them. M. Guillain spoke in strong terms against the
French missionaries here, saying they had hitherto governed
the natives, and were attempting still to do so, but that he
could not and would not permit it ; he instanced a
missionary living towards the north that actually allowed
the natives to call him ' Governor,' which, as the natives
had never seen M. Guillain, and knew no better, it was easy
enough to do.

The town of Port-de-France is a very small straggling
place ; its streets are unpaved, the houses not continuous.
Most of them very small, nearly all Ijiiilt of wood, having
generally a httle verandah in front ; they a)'e, with one or

336

THE CRUISE OF THE ' CVBAQOA:

two exceptious, low-pitfhcd, and have all their rooms on
tlie ground floor. Tlie greater part of tliem appear to be
grog-shops, cafes, or stores ; of the latter I think the best
belongs to Martin, an Englishman ; there is another kept by
Gubcrt. a Frenchman ; bnt both verj' indifferent, and
something like the common run of those I saw in New
Zealand. The Imperial Hotel, said to be tlie only hotel

rOltT-DE-FIlAXCE, FROM SIGKAL lUIX.

in the place, is kept by an Englishwoman called Madame
Beck. There are a good many straggUng houses on the
outskirts of the town by the Marine Artillery barracks.
The quarters for the troops are near Government House.
There are, I believe, about 1,000 men here, counting the
Marine Artillery. There is only one church that I know
of, and it is very small and built of wood. Almost the
best house in the place is the priests' on the hill, not very
far from the Governor's. The roads and almost everything

NEW CALEDONIA. 337

else have been made by soldiers and convicts. It is a dear
place ; beef costs tenpence a pound, and of mutton there is
none, though there are a few sheep in the island.

The situation of Port-de-Frauce is very picturesque ; it
stands on the edge of a beautiful Iiill, with a gradual slope
to the water. The bay, seen from the top of it, looks
nearly loiuid, and they say there is water enough for a
large ship or man-of-war in any part of it. The anchorage
is very good, in a mud bottom. The Governor told me
that ships would hold tlieir ground in a hurricane. The
liills around seemed covered with coarse grass, with a few
trees here and there. The land does not appear to be
mucli cultivated in the environs of the town ; occasionally
you may meet with small bits of ground used for vegetable
gardens. The soil is red, being a ferruginous clay. In the
Governor's garden, however, it is blackish, and has been all
brought there, which is no doubt the reason the produce is
better than elsewhere. There is good brick earth to be
found near the town, as I heard, but as yet they do not
appear to have made use of it, all buildings being of wood,
except barracks and buildings belonging to Government.
A great deal in the way of supplies, &c., comes from
Australia at present, it being cheaper than procuring thena
from the mother coimtry.

About five miles and a half from tlie town is the model
farm of Yahove or Yahoue belonging to the Government.
The Governor took us out one day in his omnibus drawn by
a pair of good Australian horses, driven by M. Boutan, the

838 THE CRUISE OF THE ' VURAQOA.'

manager of the model ftirm. Two gendarmes trotted in
front, and two otlier horsemen, tlie Procnreur Imperial and
the chief engineer, kept close by ns. The road had not
long been made and was consequently very rough. The
scenery was very pretty, the mountains before us in the
distance looked beautifid. We passed a few small places in
which settlers were living upon their laud, but did not
appear to have done much beyond building their houses
and planting their cabbages. We passed some mangrove
swamps, a part of one of which the road traversed ; the sea
at high water runs up at this place to the roadside, but
there are only a few inches of water on the mud, and at
low water the swamp lies bare. It is a good distance from
the sea, and the mangrove bushes are pretty thick upon it.

We reached the farm buildings in about three quarters of
an hour. We were shown the stables first, all of stone,
consisting of a long shed quite open in front. There
were about a dozen decent-looking horses imported from
AustraUa. The Director's house, also built of stone, adjoins
the stables and contains three or four rooms, one of which
is kept for Madame Guillain, who often stays here when
the Governor goes away from Port de France. There is a
large sitting-room in which M. Boutan has a case containing
a dozen or more gold and silver medals which he had won
in France. There was a bookcase also, full of agricultural
works. The rooms were all panelled with native woods.
All kind of work upon the farm is done by convicts and
disciplinaires ; the latter have all been soldiers who, having

NEW CALEDONIA. 339

committed some military offence, are sent out to the colony
to work out their time uf service, unless this be nearly
completed when convicted, in which case they are kept at
home. But tliose that are sent out can never re-enter the
French army.

There is a large carpenter's shop in which there were
several of them at work ; one young man was very good-
looking ; another working alongside of him had, though
rather good-looking too, no small amount of devilry in his
face. There is a large blacksmith's shop also. I saw a
plough invented by M. Boutan ; the centre piece — running
from one end to tlie other, and to which the other parts
are attached, — is of wood and therefore supposed to be
better than if of iron, as then it might get bent, and could
not be easily set right again. But the novelty in tliis
ingenious plough consisted in the handle tur]iing over from
one end to the other, so that on arriving at the end of a
fiurow, the liandle is turned over back again to the other
end of the plough, and thus there is no occasion to lilt and
turn the plough romid, but you merely bring round tlie team
or oxen from one end to the other, hook them vn, and change
the coulter, which tuincd on a hinge or pivot to cut either
backward or forward, accordingly as the plough was drawn
backward or forward ; there was a cutter to precede the
coulter, a lixtiu'e, whichever way it went.

In the land under cultivation theie were two ploughs at
work, four oxen to each. The oxen were harnessed so as
to pidl with their heads. A strap was placed across their

z 2

340 Till'! GR0I8E OF TIIF. 'GUHAQOA:

rurelii.';uls jiitil lu'luw the Ikhmis, a brttcr |)laii, Niys M.
Boutaii, tliaii yukiiiL! lliciii iiji wlnii il was iidl lur iiiiy
lengtli 111 tiiuL', as ill lijii^ ( iMiliiiunus woik. The oxen,
liowi'vcr, were icstiii^ a little and |paiiliiiL: away as if tlicy
(lid iiul liiid it vciy easy wxuk. Tiir land si'<.'iiK'd pre'lly
still, with a clay subsoil.

The garden and |ilanlalii)n |iail is a, y^nm] ^izcd |piccc of
ground, very lr\cl, linl on a slij^lil incTnii-. On the edi^a- ol"
il, looking towards roii-ik'-l''ranct', tlu'ic is a deep LTully,
down which sonic linica^o, dining tlii' rains, tlii' water had
descended like a nioiinlani loricnl, as it really was, eiiliix'ly
overllowing the ground in thai place, washing a good ileal
uf soil and vegetalion away, and t'overing the land with
stones. This has been all ivarrunged, and in order to
])revent, if possible, a. siinilai- occurrence, a bank has been
ihrovvn up along the side of the gidly.

M. I'lOutan slunved lis some eollee trees wliicli had not
been j)hinted more than eighteen months or two years, that
were covered with an amount ol' bloom which Mr. Veitch
■said he had never seen eijualled in any other jilace. I was
told that the coflije berry was very fine, and that the soil
and climate were well adapted Ibr the cultivation of colTee.
Everything appeared to llourish in the garden ; vegetajjles
of many kinds showed vigorous growth, and some
European fruit trees that had been planted there, also
lookeil as if tliey would do Avell. The Government
allows tin; Director oidy 9,000 fiancs a year for the farm,
of which he has to return to the Goveriuiient between ,3,000

NEW CALEDONIA.

341

and 4,000 francs, tlie estimated valu(> of llio proceeds of tlic
garden.

The views from tlie fann-house arc very pretty ; the deep
wooded gorges and valleys ou the sides of the mountains
look beautiful from it, and tlie foliage resembles lich dark-
green velvet. There is a mountain at the back which
terminates in a curious peak. I was told by the Director

.\|..l>r.l. I AUM. MAV I Al.l ln'M \.

that the l^'rench missionaries, whose land adjoined the farm,
iiad nnich lieller land tli.-ni li<' has nu the olher side of tlie
garden-yuliy, and (hat (hey Lieiierally managed to get the
best everywhere ; a sagacity of choice that missionaries of
all creeds possess in their selecdon of lands.

I saw liu( few nadves. Tliey are a ladier (all, muscular
people. 'I'liey are said (o l»e cour(eous and Fiiendlv, and

3-J.2 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA.'

have less Uie habit of pilfering than any of the other
islanders. Many of both sexes go quite naked ; some of
the women wear the small lavalara which scarcely covers
their nudity. The men use the same grotesque wrapper
we have already spoken of in connection with other natives,
and which Mr. Murray says he has never seen elsewhere
than in the New Hebrides.

A few of them were more or less clothed in European
dress. They are said to work very well under European
supervision.

Nothing seems to be known about the population ; what
strikes me as singular is that till now no native name has
been found for the entire island. Very little is known of
their religion. Their gods are their ancestors, whose relics
they keep and idolize. They have in some places wooden
idols. They pray to their gods and to the gods of other
lands before going to fighting, fishing, planting, house-
building, feasting, and doing anytliing of importance.
Almost every family has its priest whose office is hereditary,
There is a rain-making class of priests. The spirits of the
departed are supposed to go to the bush, and at certain
periods in the year they have feasts in which they prepare
heaps of food for the spirits. They think white men are the
spirits of the dead and bring sickness, and they give this as
a reason why they kill them. They throw over the cliffs
into the sea anyone among themselves suspected of witch-
craft, or supposed to have caused the death of any person.
At the birth of a child, if a girl, she is betrothed forthwith

NEW CALEDONIA. 343

to some one present, and leaves home for tlie house of her
future husband when seven or eight years of age ; if a boy
there are great shouts and rejoicings, and the priest cuts
the navel-string on a particular stone, tliat the new-born
may be .s/(?»t'-hearted in battle. Circumcision is practised
when the boy has become quite adolescent. Common
people have one or two wives ; chiefs have from ten to
thirty. They intermarry without troubling themselves
about consanguinity, even between the nearest relatives.
They cut off the finger and toe-nails of the dead to preserve
as relics, and bury all the jjody but the head, the skull of
which they keep for different purposes. They migrate from
place to place, never long occupying the same piece of
ground for cultivation ; lience there are no permanent
villages. As they had only stone axes until recently, they
felled their trees by means of a slow fire close to the
ground. The chiefs have absolute power of life and death.
The law of private revenge allows the slayiug of the thief
and the adulterer. They live jmncipally along the coast.
They fight with clubs, spears, and slings. Women go to
battle, keeping in the rear, and when they see an enemy
fall it is their business to rush forward, to pull the body
behind, and to prepare it for the oven. The priests go to
battle too, but sit in the distance, fasting and praying for
victory. Their appetite for human flesh is never satisfied.
They have no pigs, and but few bread-fruit trees. Taro,
yams, cocoa-nuts, sugar-cane, fish, pigeons, bats, rats, and
human flesh are tlie prevailing articles of food. They cook

344 THE CRUISE OF TEE ' GUBAQOA.'

in earthenware pots manufactured by the women, and it is
a ciu'ious fact tliat earthenware jars are not found in any
otlier islands except tlie Fijis and Espiritu-Sauto. They
have no intoxicating ava, but drink enormous quantities of
salt-water. It appears that they have only one meal a thiy.
The missionaries are so little inclined to attribute the
defects, vices, or crimes of the natives to any other cause
than their heathenism, that it is with some surprise we find
the Eev. Mr. Murray declaring that if tlie New Caledonians
of the present day no longer deserve tlie encomiums which
Captain Cook passed upon them, the probability is that the
'altered conduct of the natives is to be cliarged chiefly to
the account of their visitors ; ' and such is his opinion of
tliat conduct as to make it seem to him ' a wonder tliat
they do not kill every white man tliat places himself in
their power.' ' Nothing, indeed, could be more courteous
and friendly than tlie reception whicli Cook and his party
met with. They were guided and accompanied in their
excursions by the natives, who evinced not the least un-
easiness at theii- presence. He found the Hat plain between
the beach and the hills filled Avith villages ' finely culti-
vated,' and watered ' by little rills, conducted by art fi'om
the main stream, whose source was in the hills.' The huts,
which resembled beehives in shape, were fountl to be
insupportable within. In their general effect they had a
neat appearance externally, with oinamental work on their

' Missious in Western I\)lyiicsi;i, ]i. ■2i)9.

NEW CALEDONIA. 345

tops, and sometimes with carved door-posts. This descrip-
tion reminds us of the pretty little sketch of a native
chief's house, in Captain Erskine's work,^ corresponding ex-
ternally with the account above given. This cliief. Basset, is
described as being an intelligent man, who with his brother
had visited Sydney, and spoke English well enough to keep
up a conversation. He was a man of about thirty, of quiet
and rather dignified mannei's, very anxious to introduce a
higher civilization. In a little excursion, during his two
days' stay, to visit another house of this chiefs about five
miles inland, Captain Erskine met Avith ' trindj' kept houses
beautifully situate on the river banks, with good landing-
places, and a few trees placed in regnlar order on what
appeared to lie mown lawns.' The countiy sti'uck him, as
it had Cook, as deficient in iiatnial fertility, but he found a
degree of care in its cultivation he ' liad never expected to
see among savages.' By a system of irrigation whieli ap-
peared to be most scientifically conducted, the slopes of the
hills were covere<l with i-ectangular fields, surrounded by
channels of water that flowed at intervals into the liver.
Like Cook he found the natives about Basset's village good-
humoured, though poor and ill supplied with provisions.
On liis way were obsei'ved some poles with skulls upon
them, and when the meaning was asked. Basset, it is said,
looked confused, and said ' they were heads of friends kept
as mementoes.' But Mr. Hood^ supplies another ex])lanalion ;

' Cruise of tlio ' Havniiiiali,' p. 35:^.
- Cruise of the ' Fnwii,' ).. US.

346 THE CRUISE OF TEE ' CUBAQOA:

he tells us that the teeth of old women are sown in yam
patches as a charm to procure good crops, and their skulls
set on poles for the same piu'pose, and this is probably the
explanation of the practice. The women at first were much
alarmed at the appearance of the white men, but on re-
ceiving a present or two losl all their fears, and chatted
away as freely as the men, to whom it was manifest they
were in great subjection. In fact all accoiuits agree that
women are at a great discount here. Mr. Hood speaks of
them as ' the most degraded of all the South Sea Islanders,'
and as ' leading a life of drudgery.' He tells us a story
which, whether it be true or not, illustrates the utter
disrespect in which woman is held, and that is, that a well-
known chief in the North used to set up a row of women
as targets, and to shoot them down one by one. This
depreciation of the sex explains a fact which Cook reports.
It appears that when he landed, a native who had accom-
panied him to shore, indicated to him the persons to whom
the presents lie had with him should be given, and who,
when he was about to offer something to the women, held
back his hand. Either, therefore, a gift to the women
would have been indecorous as putting them on the same
level with the men, or a lowering of the value of the gift as
being mean enough for them.

The men do not in general suffer their beards to grow,
but cultivate whiskers, which are so essential that a man
without them is said to be cursed l)y the gods. War is
reported to l)e constant, and the piiests are alleged to

NEW CALEDONIA. • 3-17

encourage it as mucli as they can ; tlieir interest in it
arising from their desire to l)e furnished with tlie liands
of tlie enemies, wliicli are tlieir perquisites. When the
supply falls off, they threaten the people with disease if war
be not renewed or actively carried on. Another illustration
this of the mischievous use to which I'eligion has been, and
is sometimes, put by those authorised to direct it. It would
appear from what Mr. Hood tells us, that a more advanced
civilisation must have at one time existed on this island.
Eemains of ancient aqueducts are to be found ; one eight
miles in length ; also of paved roads and fortifications.
' We are not,' they say, ' like our ancestors ; we cannot build
large houses as they did ; they were numerous and wise, we
are neither the one nor the other.' It is evident that the
skilful irrigation wliich has so much surprised those who
saw it, must be a practice that has been transmitted from
better times.

On September 8, at half-past seven a.m., we took leave of
Port-de-France, on our return to Sydney, which we reached
on the 13th, after rather a stormy passage.

Thus came to a close om- interesting cruise. It had
extended in time over nearly nineteen weeks, and in dis-
tance some 9,284 miles. I looked back upon it with
pleasure not unmingled with regret, — pleasure at having
had the opportunity of seeing what I saw, — regret that the
opportunity had been so fleeting and bi'ief In my various
wanderings I had met witli many rude, inert, and im-
perfectly developed races ot men. I had seen the

348 THE CRUISE OF THE ' GUBAQOA.'

Australian, bnitislily incapable of civilised development
I had sojourned among the Xorth American Indians, living
in sullen hatred of that powerful civilisation which, in its
origin, had expelled them from the soil it now occupies,
and on the ever-encroaching confines of which they
moodily roam ; doomed apparently to vanish out of exist-
ence with tlie features of their primitive rudeness uneffaced.
But what in this excursion was new and engaging to me,
was the spectacle of these island communities, exhibiting
incontestable evidence of their power of spontaneous de-
velopment, made manifest in their social organisation, their
creditable agricultural industry and skill, their progress in
cert:iiu industrial arts, their peculiar ceremonies of public
consultation, tlie decorum, and even refinement, of their
manners, and above all. in (heir capacity for absorbing the
instruction and influence of a nmre advanced civilisation.
What I could ni)l l>ut lament was that I could onlj' glance
at what I should liave liked (o have examined, record rapid
impressions instead of reporting careful experience, and
depend on statements and dt'scriptions wliich require to be
accurately tested before we can accept tlicm as verified. In
Pir -Ji)hn Lubbock's very intcresliug work on 'The Origin of
Civilisation and the Primitive Condition of Man,' nothing is
more remarkable than the confused and contradictory
character of the judgments that are passed on uncivilised
commuuitii's. and liow constantly the statements he makes
use of to support a conclusion are positively contradicted
by other statements, wliicli with cxcniplary fairness lie

NEW CALEDONIA. 349

adducesi. And good reason is there to be on one's guard.
From the brutal trader who boasts tliat lie has sliot down
the natives in sport, and wlio occasions, for trade purposes,
the ferocity lie truin[)ets and exaggerates, up to the self-
satisfied inissionaiy, who persuades himself and others that
all that is good in tlieiii is of his own donation, thei'e is a
combination of misre[)oit which makes a just estimate of
their real character, as long as we are dependent on such
interested authorities, next to impossible. It is deeply to
be regretted, in the interests of ethnological science, that
competent oljservers have not made them the subject of
study, and, in their own interest, that the more advanced
civilisation l)y which they are being instructed comes to
them unfiltered, and tainted with overmuch that is vilest and
most deiirading in itself. Tliat the Missionaries are tloinu
much, though not unmixed, good, seems to be the general
testimony ; but how much more beneficial would be their
action if with their zeal they combined knowledge, if they
were men of more cultivated intellects, and of a greater
social refinement, in one category of which, that is manners,
they are often much inferior to those they teach, and
thereby, as we have seen, abridge their own infiuence.
Hence it is much to be regretted that the standard of
native refinement will be lowered instead of raised, by
those who will have the power of moulding it. But it
is useless to complain. The rough work of a higher, but
inefficiently imparted, civilisation will go on as it has
begun ; and it will be a matter of interest hereafter to

350

THE CRUISE OF THE ' CTJRAQOA:

know the character of the materials out of which its results
have beeu Avrought. EiKjiiirers will iiatmally turn for
information to those who have stood by the cradle of these
nascent societies, and noted some of the ]>henomena of
their infimt development. As a slight contribution to tiie
object they will have in view, my little work may not be
without its use.

NATURiVL HISTORY NOTICES.

BIEDS.

BY G. E. GEAY, F.B.S., &c., &c.

The Ornithology of the South Sea Islands is peculiar,
and local in many of the groups ; but space confines the
treatment of the subject within narrow limits. It is, there-
fore, proposed to notice only those birds that are new, or
especially rare to science, and thus to convey some idea of
their singular formation and richness of colour.

A A

354 THE GBUISE OF THE 'OUBAQOA.'

PLATE I,
ACOIPITER ALBOGULABIS.

(Accipitcr albogularis, G. R. Gr. Aim. and Mag. of N. H. 1870. p. 327.)

Male. The upper surface plumbeous black tinted with grey ;
the base of the feathers on the hind head white ; the entire surface
beneath the body also white, but irrorated with pliunbeous on the
chest and thighs.

Length 17" 6'", wings 10", bill 1" 1"', tarsi 2" 4"'.

This bird, of which there is only a single specimen, might at
first sight be taken for the Accipifer haplochroiis of New Cale-
donia ; but it is larger and possesses a white throa', which at
once distinguishes it from the last-mentioned species. It was ob-
tained at Hada, or Kecherche Bay, San-Christoval Island.

356 THE ORUISE OF THE ' GUBAQOA.'

PLATE II. Fig. 1.
GOLLOGALIA HYPOLEUGA.

(CoUoealia hypolouca, G. li. Gr. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 170.)

The upper surface of a glossy green black ; side of head, throat
and breast fuscous black, with each feather margined with white,
the lower part of breast and abdomen pure white ; the under tail-
coverts glossy greenish black ; the tail metallic black, the inner
web of each lateral feather with a prominent white space near the
base.

Leng-th 4", wings 4".

Specimens were obtained at Uji or G-ulf Island, which is one
of the Solomon group.

' Eyes black. Contents of stomach, very small insects.'

This species is also found in New Guinea, Mysol and Am
Islands. It is closely allied to CoUoealia Lincld, Horsf., but is
larger in all its measurements.

PLATE II. Fici. 2.
GOLLOGALIA UROPTGLiLLS.

(CoUoealia uropygialis, ff. /?. Gr. Ann. and Mag. nf N. H. 1866, p. IL'3.)

Upper surface metallic black, with a broad band of pure white
on the rump ; throat and breast greyish ; abdomen pure white ;
under tail-coverts metallic greenish black, with the smaller ones
margined with white ; quills and tail-feathers above metallic
greenish black, the latter with a white spot on the inner web of
each of the three lateral feathers, that on the first and tliird less
in size, sometimes only found on the second and third lateral
feathers; under wing-coverts metallic greenish black, with the
larger ones margined with white.

Length 4", wings 3" 9"', tail 1" 9'".

This bird has hithei'to only been obtained at New Hebrides
(Anatom), where it is called by the natives ' Nahawpgag.'

These two species belong to the genus CoUoealia, all the species
of which form the well-known edible bird-nest, so much sought
after by the Chinese for culinary purposes.

360 THE CEUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

PLATE IV. Fi«. J.
GLYOIPHILA GALEBONIGA.

(Gljciphila modesta, G. R. Gr.Pmc. Zool. Soc. 18.59, p. 160 ; Glyciphila caledonica,
G. R. Gr. Hand, list of B. i. p. 155.)

Upper surface obscui'e cinereous, darker ou the head ; back
varied with olive ; quills and tail fuscous black, margined exter-
nally with olive ; throat, breast, and sides greyish brown, varied
with cinereous white ; abdomen pale greenish brown, tinged with
yellow ; ear-coverts shining grey.

Length 5" 6'", wings 3", bill 10^'".

New Caledonia is the abode of this sombre species.

PLATE IV. Fig. 2.
GLYOIPHILA FLAVOTINGTA.

(Glyciphila flavotincta, G. R. Gr. Ann. and Mag. of K H. 1870, p. 331.)

It is very like Glyciphila modesta. Gray, of New Caledonia ;
but it is rather larger in all its proportions, and it has a promi-
nent tinge of yellow on the back and beneath the body, which is
not fovmd on the bird referred to.

Length 6", wings 3" 3"", bill 12", tarsi 10"".

' Eyes black. Contents of stomach, honey. Male and female.'

Three specimens were obtained at Eramanga Island.

364 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' CUEAQOA.'

PLATE VI.

ANTHOCEJSBA AUBBYANUS.

(Leptornis aubrjanus-, J. J'err. and Dcsm. Rev. and Mag, de Zool. 1816, p. 16.)

Uniformly black, but tbis colour is duller on tbe wings, with
the shaft of each feather black and shining; the sides of the
head naked and of a clear reddish colour, which is divided in the
naked space by a sub-superciliar and narrow band of black
feathers, springing from behind the eyes to the plumes of the
hind head, there is also an abbreviated band beneath the eyes ;
the lores and mentum are partially clothed with black bristly
plumes. Upper mandible black and the lower one mostly yellow,
except on the upper margin, which is black.

Length 17" 6"', wings 1" 6"', tail 7" 6"', bill from the
gape 2".

This singular bird is peculiar to New Caledonia, where it is
stated to be rarely met with.

360 THE GBUISE OF TEE ' CUBAQOA:

PLATE VII. Fio. 1.
ZOSTEBOPS FLAVIFB0N8.

Muscieeip:! flavifrons, Om. S. N. i. p. 914 ; Zosterops flavifrons, G. li. Gr. Cat. B.
Trap. hi. I'acif. Ocean i. p. 15.)

Upper surface pale yellowish olive ; the forehead and under
surface yellow ; sides olivaceous ; round eacli eye a broad white
ring'; a mark between the gape and eyes black; ([uills and tail
greyish fuscous black, slightly edged with yellowish olive, paler
at the ends.

Length 5" 6"', wings 2" 6'", tarsi 9'", bill from gape 8'".

This species is found on the various islands forming the group
of New Hebrides.

PLATE VII. Fig. 2.
ZOSTEBOPS XANTHOGHBOA.

(Zostei'op.<> .xantliochron, G. li. Gr. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. lOI.)

Dai'k yellowish olive ; the lores and beneath the eyes black, the
latter surrounded with a broad white ring ; throat and under tail-
coverts yellow ; middle of the abdomen white, tinged with yellow,
and the sides rosy grey.

Length 4" 3'", wings 2" 4'", tarsi 9'".

' Eyes light brown. Contents of stomach, seeds and insects.'

This bird inhabits New Caledonia, where it is known under the
name of ' Ti-ri-ri.'

368 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA:

PLATE VIII. Fio. 1.
MYIAGBA MELANUBA.

(Myiagra melanura, G. R. Gr. Cat. B. Trap. Id. Pacif. Ocean i. p. 18.)

Upper surface greenish shining black, duller on the wings and
tail ; the breast and abdomen pure white.

Female. Greyish brown on back ; head and lower part of back
plumbeous ; wings and tail feathers fuscous black ; the abdomen
white, tinged with rufous ; the breast riifous.

Length 5" 4"', wings 2" 11'".

' Eyes dark brown. Contents of stomach, insects.'

Specimens of this bird were obtained at Vanua Lava, Banks'
Group. It also inhabits the group of Xew Hebrides, where it is
known to the natives as ' Lakno.'

PLATE VIII. Fin. 2.
ArS'IAGBA GALEVONIGA.

(MyiagKi caledonica, Bonap. Rev. and Mag. de Zool. 1857, p. 49; Myiagra per-
SFifillat.% G. R. Gr. Pnc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 161.)

Upper surface obscure greyish slate colour ; top of the head
shining ajneous slate colour ; wings and tail fuscous black, each
feather margined with pale brown ; outer feather of the tail
mostly white, second feather white some distance from the end,
the third feather only white at the end ; throat and sides of
breast rusty red ; abdomen and iniddlo of breast white, tinged
with rufous.

Length 5" 9'", wings 2" 9'", tail 2" 9'".

The bird is allied to M. oceanica, Homli. and J., but smaller,
especially in the size of its bill. It is an inhabitant of New
Caledonia.

B B

370 THE OBUISE OF THE ' CUEAQOA.'

PLATE IX.

BHIPIDUBA SPILODEEA.

(Rhipidura spilodera, G. R. Gr. Ann. and Mag. of N. H. 1870, p. 330.)

Fuscous black ; eyebrows white ; throat and breast white, each
feather triangularly marked in the middle with black ; abdomen
pale fulvous white ; qiuUs dark fuscous black ; tail fuscous black,
with the tips and inner margins more or less white.

Length 7", wings 3", bill 7'", tarsi 12'".

' Eyes black. Contents of stomach, insects. Female.'

This bird, of which there is only one example, was obtained at
Vanua Lava, Banks' Group. It is like Rhipidura pectoralis,
Homb. & Jacq., of the island of Vanikoro ; but the spots on the
breast extend up to the chin.

374 THE 0BUI8E OF THE 'GUBAQOA:

PLATE XI.
PAGHYGEFHALA GHLOBUBUS.

(Pachycephala clilorarus, G. R. Gr. Cat. B. Trap. Isl. Pacif. Ocean i. p. 20.)

Head and band that margins the white throat, black ; upper
surface dark olive ; wings, fuscous black, with the quills more or
less margined with dark olive ; under siurface bright yellow ; tail
yellowish green, varied with black on the upper surface, while the
tips of the feathers are obscm-e grey.

Female. Upper sm-face olivaceous brown ; head rufous brown ;
throat white, breast and abdomen brownish white, tinged with
yellow ; under tail-coverts ochreous yellow.

Length 6" 3'", wings 3" 5'", tarsi 1" V".

This species is peculiar to the islands forming the New Hebrides
Group.

376 TSU GBUISE OF THE 'GUBAQOA.'

PLATE XII. Fig. 1.
PAGHYGEPHALA MOBIABIENSIS.

(Pachycephala moriariensis, Verr. and Desm. Rev. and Mag. dc Zool. 1860, p. II.)

Upper surface olivaceous ; top of head slate colour ; ear-coverts,
and band on breast black ; throat pure white ; quills fuscous black,
margined with olivaceous ; tail olivaceous ; breast, abdomen, and
under tail-coverts bright yellow tinged with orange. Bill black ;
legs pale brown.

Length 6", wings 3" 4'", tarsi 1", bill from gape 7'".

Inhabits New Caledonia, where the male is called ' Monota,' and
the female ' Tirio.'

PLATE XII. Fk!. 2.
PAGHYGEPHALA XANTHETBJUA.

(Muscicapa xantlietriea, Forst. De»cr. ifc. p. 268 ; Pachycephala xanthetrsea, G. If.
Gr. Proi: Zool. Sue. 1859, p. 162.)

Whitish pale slate coloiu ; top of liead with a black mark do^\^u
the shaft of each feather ; wings and tail fuscous black, broadly
margined with whitish pale slate colour ; throat piue white,
margined on the breast with a black baud ; breast, abdomen, and
under tail-coverts pale rusty colour ; sides whitish pale slate
colour.

Length 5" 6'", -wings 3" 3'", tail 2" 8"', bill from gape 7'".

This species was obtained at New Caledonia. The natives call
this bird ' Magga.'

384 THE GEUISE OF THE ' OUBAQOA.'

PLATE XVI.

TBTGH00L0SSU8 PALMABUM.

(Palm Parrot, Lath. 8yn. 1, p. 253; Psittaeus palmarum, Chm. S.N. 1, p. 329;
Trichoglossus palmarum, Wagl. Monogr. Psitt. p. 546.)

Uaiformly emerald green, duller on the back, beneath the body
pale green, with the feathers of the throat and abdomen yellow at
their bases ; a line of dull crimson proceeds down the sides of the
bill, and extends on the chin ; tail green with the tips bright
pale yellow.

Length 7", wings 3" 7'", tail 3" 6"'.

This rare species is peculiar to the islands composing the New
Hebrides Group.

c c

386 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAgOA.'

PLATE XVII.
CUGULUS BBONZINTTS.

(Ciiciilus [Cacomantis] bronzinns, G. R. Gr. Proc. Zoo!. Soc. 1859,7). '•'■*•)

This specie.s is allied to C. cineraceus, Vig. & H., l>ut the bill is
larger, and it is altogether of a deeper colour, especially beneath
the body, which is of a rusty colour ; the white spots on the sides
of the tail-feathers are very small, and unconnected with one
another.

Lengtli 10" 9'", wings 5" G'".

The specimen was obtained in New Caledonia.

PTILONOPUS SOLOMONENSIS.

(Ptilonopus soliimoiiensis, G, It. Gr. Ann. and May. N. H. 1870, p. 328.)

Female, yoiiny. Bright golden emerald-green ; quills bluish
black, with the tips dark shining green ; tertials emerald-green,
all narrowly margined with yellow ; abdomen and under tail-
coverts bright king's-yellow.

Length 8", wings 5", bill 9'", tarsi 6'".
' Eyes yellow. Contents of stomach, large seeds and fruits.'
The single specimen of tliis bird was procured at Wanga, San-
Christoval. It is probable tliat tlie mature male of this species,
when obtained, may prove to possess a showy plumage, as is the
case with most of the species.

388 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

PLATE XVIII.
CAIiPOPHAGA BBENGHLEYL

(Carpophaga Brenchleji, G. Tt. Gr. Ann. and Mag. N. H. 1870, ^>. 328.)

Front of head greyish white, witli the hind head grey ; cheeks
and throat pale chestnut ; upper sm'face plumbeous black, tinged
with grey ; tail above, when closed, black, with the outer feathers,
when expanded, and beneath all the feathers rufous chestnut ;
beneath the body of a very dark rufous chestnut, shading into a
lighter colour on the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts.

Length 16", wings 8" 9"', bill 1" 2'", tarsi 1".

' Eyes yellow. Contents of stomach, large seeds and fruits.
Male.'

This fine bird, of which there is only a single specimen, was
collected at Wanga, San-Christoval, where it feeds on various
kinds of seeds, amongst which are those of a species of Canarmvi.
The soft pulp that surrounds the hard shell wherein the seed is
placed must be the portion that nourishes the bird during the
period it can be obtained.

390 TEE CBUISE OF THE ' OURAQOA.'

PLATE XIX.

MACBOPYGIA CBASSIBOSTBIS.
(Turacsena crdssirostris, Gould Proc. Zoot. fioc. 1856,^. 136.)

Head, all the upper surface, wings and tail dark slaty black, the
feathers of the back margined with a deeper black ; a broad band
of grey across the lateral tail feathers near the base, and the outer
feather on each side tipped with darker grey ; throat greyish
white ; under surface sooty, washed with grey on the sides of the
neck, breast, and centre of the abdomen.

Length 14^", wings 7f", tail 7i", bill 1^".

This rare bird was discovered on the Island of Guadalcanar, one
of the Solomon Group. It is very remarkable for the great size
and form of its bill.

392 THE GBUISE OF THE ' GUBA(J0A:

PLATE XX.
MEGAPODIUS BBENCHLEYI.

(Megapodius Brenchleyi, G. It. Gr. Ann. and Mng. N. H. 187(1, yj 328.)

Young. Chestnut brown, with transverse narrow bauds of
yellowish brown on tlie back and wings ; throat and cheeks fulvous
white ; beneath the body more rufous than on tlie upper siuface,
but without any markings.

Length 5" 6'".

' Eyes dark hazel.'

A single specimen of the yoimg bird, and two eggs (unfortu-
nately in a broken state), were obtained at Grulf Island, where they
were discovered in the month of September 1865. These eggs are,
both in size and colour, very similar to that of the Mei/apoilius
Brazieri, described by Mr. Sclater in Proc. Zool. Soc. 18()9, p. 528.
In 1864, I observed, in the Proc. Zool. Soc. p. 42, that an egg
(very similar in every respect to tliose aliove referred to), had been
brought from Sau-Oiristo\ al Island. As Gulf Island lies close to
this last-mentioned island, it is therefore very probable tliut the
birds of these two islands may exentually prove to be of one and
the same species.

I have named this species after Julius Brencliley, Esq., as
a small acknowledgment for the opportunity he has given me of
describing" the new species contained in his highly interesting
collection.

Mr. Sclater has recorded tliat an egg of a Megapode which he
has described, under tlie name of Megapodius Brazieri, in the
Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 528, has been found and brought
fronr Banks's Islands. Mr. Brenchley's collection contains three
specimens of eggs of a Megapode that were obtained at Vanua
Jjiiva, two of which are similar in coloiu- and size to that described
by Mr. Sclater ; but tlie third example is a dirty white. IMr.
Brenchley has a note in reference to them, that they were found in
tlie vicinity of the hot springs on the mountains dm-ing the
month of August 1865.

The neighbouring group of islands, the New Hebrides, is also
the abode of a species of jVIegapode ; and we are told by Capt.
M'Leod that they are found abundantly, especially on Tanna and
Sandwich Islands. Both these islands are also referred to by Mr.
Brenchley, who remarks that on the first-mentioned island a large
bird is spoken of as living in the vicinity of the volcanoes ; while
in the second island eggs of a Megapode had been offered for sale.

It may be remarked that the mature state of the bird of both
these groups of islands is at present unknown to ornithologists.

REPTILES.

BY ALBERT GUNTHER, M.A., PnD., M.D,, F.R.S.

Mr. Brcncliley's collection of reptiles is especially rich iu
the smaller kinds of lizards ; they were obtained in varions
islands of Polynesia and the North of Australia, and in Mon-
golia. However, as the materials are not sufficient to give
a complete account of the reptilian fauna of some locality, I
limit myself to the descriptions of the new forms discovered
by Mr. Brenchley.

3!i(5

THE CRUISE OF THE 'CUBAQOA:

PLATE XXII. Fig. A.

EREMJAS BRENUHLEYL

Tlie supranasals meet, separating the prtefrontals from the
rostral ; prsefrontals not confluent ; a t^inall azygos sliield between
the post froutals. Six upper labials in front of the iufraocular,
which forms a part of the free margin of the lip. The sixth
labial, only about half the size of the infraocular. Eyelid
entirely scaly. Collar formed by eight scales subequal in size.
Ventral scutes forming 31 transverse and 12 longitudinal series.
Pr^anal region covered with small scales. Fore-limb reaching
nearly the extremity of the sn<nit when stretched fonvards ; hind-
limb extending to the axil of the fore-limb. Upper parts brownish
olive, with an indistinct series of liglit-coloiired ocelli on each side
of the back ; a well-defined whitish band commences behind the
eye, passes through the tympanum and runs along each side of the
body to the axil of the hind-leg. Hinder side of the tliighs with
a few whitish ocelli on a black groimd.

A single adult female was obtained in a district of Mongolia,
called ' the Land of Grass.'

mm.

Length

of the head to

tlie eye

. 4-5

tympanum

. 10

collar .

. 16

Distance between collar and vent .

. 35

Length

of fore-limb

. 18

third and fomili fingers .

. 5

hind-limb

. 31

third toe

. 7

fourth toe

. 10

tail

. 80

n
o

,■■'■*

fy"]

f--

-4j^

■ A ' *

f *: ?

) ;

,i*/

,—3

REPTILES. 397

PLATE XXII. Fifi. B.

EUPBEPES HAPLORHfNUS.

This species would appear to represent a distinct generic
division, but more than enough genera have been distinguished by
names in tlie Scincoid family, and I am unwilling to increase
their nuTiiber, if I am not fully convinced of tlie generic value of
the distinctive characters.

This species, then, differs from Euprepes by lacking supranasal
shields ; it would be a Mocoa, but it lias the scales distinctly
provided with three or four keels.

The proefrontal forms a broad suture with the rostral as well as
with the vertical. Only one fronto-parietal, notched behind to
receive the front part of the central occipital. Vertical five-sided,
nearly as long as broad. Nostril wide, in the centre of the nasal.
Ear opening witli two or three short lobulea in front. Tlie middle
of the body is surrounded by 28 longitudinal series of scales, sub-
equal in size ; there are 38 scales in a longitudinal series between
the fore and hind legs. Six prteanal scales, the middle of which
are rather larger than the others. The fore-leg extends to the
middle of the eye, if stretched forwards ; third linger a little
shorter than the fourth. The hind-leg covers aljout two-thirds of
its distance from the fore-leg ; the fourth toe one-fourth longer
than the third.

With regard to coloration tliis lizard is very similar to Mocoa
trilineata. The dorsal parts are brownish, imiform or with dark
markings, more or less confluent into a pair of longitudinal

398

imn GBUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA:

bands. Sides black, with a well-defined white streak, one scale
broad, frota the tympanum, above the slioulder to the axil of the
hind-leg. Lower parts uniform white.
Two examples from the Fiji Islands.

ram.

Distance between the snout and eye

, 4

n ?5

tympanum

I . 10

5» n

fore-leg

. 17

55 ■>•>

vent

. 32

Length of tail

. 68

„ fore-leg .

. 12

„ fourth finger

. 3i

„ hind-leg

• 21

„ third toe

. 5

„ fourth toe

• n

400

TEE CBUISE OF TEE ' GUBAgOA.'

EUEMIAS MULTWCELLATA

The supranasals meet, separating the single prefrontal from
the rostral ; prjefrontals contluent into a single shield ; a small
azygos shield between the postfrontals. Six upper labials in
front of the infraocular, which enters the free margin of the lip,
with its narrow lower corner. The sixth labial as large as the
infraocular. Eyelid entirely scaly. Collar formed by a central
larger, and numerous smaller lateral shields. Ventral scutes
forming 30 transverse and 18 longitudinal series. Praeanal region
covered with small scales. Fore-limb reaching nearly the ex-
tremity of the snout, when stretched forwards; hind- limb ex-
tending to the axil of the fore-limb. Greenisli olive above, with
numerous more or less perfect black rings enclosing a lighter centre.
A somewhat irregular whitish black-edged band along each side of
the body, from the eye to the axil of the hind-limb.

A single specimen was obtained in the desert of Gobi, on the
route from Sume to the Tola River.

mm.

eugtli of tlie head to t

le eye

. 5

n n

tympanum

. 12

?5 59

collar .

. 17

istauce between collar

and vent .

. 40

eniith of fore-limb

. 20

„ third and foui

th Hugers .

. 7

„ hind-limb

. 32

„ third toe

. 7

„ fourth toe

. 10

„ tail

, .

. 05

D D

402

THE CRUISE OF TEE ' CUBAgOA.'

PLATE XXIII.
MOGOA MICEOPUS.

Prsefrontal shield single, in contact with the rostral as well as
with the parietal. Five occipitals, of which the central is as
large as one of the anterior. Ear-opening very small, without any
lobules. The middle of the body is surrounded by 21 longi-
tudinal series of smooth scales ; six series are dorsal and rather
larger than the others. There are 35 scales in a longitudinal
series between the axils of the fore and hind limbs. Four praeaual
scales, the two middle of which are twice the size of the lateral.
Legs very feeble, but five-toed ; the fore leg does not reach the
ear-opening, if stretched forwards ; fingers very short, subequal in
length. The third and fom-th toes equal in length. Back light
greyish-olive, with a few minute black specks, bordered on the
side by a deep-black band, which gradually passes into the
greyish coloration of the lower parts ; the latter are indistinctly
marbled with whitish.

Two specimens, apparently young, from the Fiji Islands.

Distance between the snout an

d eye

» 55

tympanum

55 55

fore leg .

55 55

vent.

Length of tail (reproduced)

„ fore leg .

„ middle finger .

„ hind leg

„ third or fourth toes

The figure represents the animal of thrice the natural size.

-.#

., , ?'

•sj

■^

|i^

BHPTILES.

403

MOCOA NOVAE./E.

Euprepes novane, Sleindachner, Novara, pi. 47, tab. 2, fig. 4.

Prsefrontal shield single, in contact with the rostral as well as
witli the parietal. Five occipitals, of which the central is nearly
as large as one of the anterior. Ear-opening without any denti-
culation. The middle of the body is surrounded by 28 longi-
tudinal series of perfectly smooth scales ; eight series are dorsal
and conspicuously larger than the others, especially the two
central series. There are 37 scales in a longitudinal series
between the axils of the fore and hind limbs. The two middle
praeanal scales large. The fore leg reaches to the front margin of
the eye, if stretched forwards, and the hind leg covers about two-
thirds of its distance from the fore leg. The third and fourth
fingers conspicuously longer than the second and fifth ; fourth toe
only one-fourth longer than the third. Upper jjarts brownish-
olive ; a light band along the median line of the back : it com-
mences from a white spot in the middle of the neck. Both the
spot and band have an irregular broad black margin. Sides of
the body and tail marbled with black, these markings forming an
irregular broad band. Lower parts uniform white.

The British Museum possesses an example found on the Fiji
Islands by the Naturalist of H.M.S. Herald ; and Mr. Brenchley
has brought three other examples from Tongatabu. Three other
examples from the Samoan Group were presented by the Eev. T.
Powell. It occurs also in Otaheiti.

Distance between the snout and eye

. H

55 55

tympanum . 9

55 55

fore leg .

. 16

55 55

vent

. 48

Length

of tail

. 55

fore leg

• 12i

fourth finger

• H

hind leg-

. 17

third toe

• 4^

fourth toe

. 5i

D D 2

404

TEE CBUISE OF TEE • CUBAgOA.'

PLATE XXIV. Fig. A.
GYMNOBACTYLUS MULTICABJNATUS.

Snout broader than long. Head without any larger tubercles,
except in the occipital and temporal regions. Six upper labials ;
the middle lower labial large, without mentalia, or with a pair of
only rudimentary on^s behind. Back with from 16 to 20 regular
longitudinal series of small conical tubercles ; the series are equi-
distant from each other, and the tubercles closely set and ribbed.
The abdominal scales are very small, strongly keeled, and gradu-
ally reduced to minute tubercles in the direction towards the
vent. The tail of all our sjjecimens is more or less reproduced,
and uniformly granular, without tubercles or scutes. The upper
side of the hind limbs with scattered, strongly ribbed tubercles.
No pores. Upper parts brownish, uniform, or with dark trans-
verse markings ; sometimes a blackish streak from the eye to
above the tympanum.

Several examples from the New Hebrides (Anatom), and
Tongatabu.

mm.

. 7
. 16
. 26
. 62
. 59
. 21
. 6
. 32
. 3^
. 5i

. n

Distance of the snout from the

eye .

■>■>

tympanimi .

?»

fore leg

vent .

Length of the tail .

fore leg

third and foiu-th fingers

hind leg

first toe

second toe .

third toe .

fourth toe .

fifth toe .

:el.24.

GlLFori

A OYMNODACTYLUS MULTICARINATUS
B HINULIA TETRACONURUS

JmntesrnDroa iTTro.

REPTILES.

405

PLATE XXIV. Fig. B.
HINULIA TETBAGONUBUS.

The prsefrontal forms a broad suture with the rostral as well as
with the vertical. Vertical five-sided much longer than broad.
Only one fronto-parietal, notched behind to receive the front part
of the central occipital. Nostril in the centre of the nasal, with a
limate groove behind. Ear-opening without lobes in front. The
middle of the body is surrounded by 28 longitudinal series of
scales, those on the back being rather larger than those on the
sides and abdomen ; there are 40 scales in a longitudinal series
between the fore and hind legs. Four prseanal scales, subequal in
size. Tail strong, tetrahedral. Legs feeble ; the anterior extends
to the ear-opening, if stretched forwards ; fingers very feeble and
short. The hind leg covers about one-half of its distance from
the fore leg ; the fourth toe one fourth longer than the third.

Upper parts light- brownish, finely marbled with darker ; sides
lighter ; lower parts white.

One example, apparently adult, from the Fiji Islands,

Distanc

e between the snout and eye

. 3

„ „ tympaniun . 8^

55 55 fore leg

. 16

55 „ vent

. 43

Length

of tail (partly reproduced)

. 35

fore leg

. 9

foiuth finger

■ 1*

hind leg

. 14

Uiird toe

. 3

fourth toe

. 4

406

THE GBUISE OF THE ' CUBAgOA.'

NANNOSCINCUS.—(rj.n. Sclncid. )

Appears to be allied to Cophoscincus (Ptrs.), but differing by-
having keeled scales. Body of moderate proportions ; legs feeble,
five-toed. Eyelid narrow, scaly. Not supranasal. Ear-opening
externally not visible, entirely hidden by scales.

PLATE XXV.

NANNOSCINGUS FUSGUS.

Rostral shield depressed, flat, somewhat wedge-shaped. Pras-
frontal forming a broad suture with the rostral as well as vertical.
Vertical much longer than broad, tapering behind. Four
supraciliaries. Five occipitals, the middle of which is smaller
than one of the anterior. Nasals rhomboid, with the anterior and
posterior angles acute, perforated in the middle by the nostril.
Five or six supralabials. Scales with three or four keels, in 22
longitudinal series, the dorsal not being conspicuously larger than
the lateral. There are 38 transverse series of scales between the
fore and hind legs. Four praeaual scales, the middle being some-
what the larger. Anterior toes almost rudimentary ; the third
and foiu-th hind toes rather longer than the second. Upper parts
uniform shining blackish-brown ; lower parts speckled with
greyish.

One example from the Fiji Islands.

mm.

Distance between the snout and eye

„ „ fore leg .

lOi

„ „ vent

Length of tail (partly reproduced)

„ fore leg ....

„ hind leg ...

„ second toe

„ third and fom-th toes .

EEPTILE8. 40?

PEBIPIA CTCLUBA.

Back uniform granular, without any tubercles. Scales in the
middle of the belly in about 45 longitudinal series. Tail rounded,
not depressed, very narrowly verticillated, without enlarged sub-
caudals. Nine upper and eight lower labial shields. Front
lower labial elongate, but the two adjoining labials are still
longer ; the chin is covered with very small shields, of which one

in the centre, immediately behind the front labial, is generally the
largest. Brownish-grey above, with more or less irregular brown
bands across the back, each band being ornamented with some
small white spots. The brown bands are sometimes replaced by a
dark marbling.

Several specimens from New Caledonia ; all agreeing in the
peculiar pholidosis of the chin and in the form of the tail. The
longest is 4f inches long, of which the tail takes 2 inches.

I have no doubt that Professor Peters is perfectly right in
supposing that Peripia peronii is identical with Perapios muti-
latus of Wiegmann (Monatsber. Berl. Acad. 1867,29. 14).

FISHES.

By albert GUNTHER, M.A., Ph.D., M.D., F.R.S.

The majority of the fishes collected by Mr. Brenchley, belong to
known species, and were obtained at previotisly-a.scertained localities ;
therefore I have considered it superfluous to give a complete list of
the species collected by him, selecting for description in this account
those forms only which are imperfectly known or appear to be new.
It so happened that tlie Trustees of the British Museum obtained,
nearly at the same time, two other collections, which, together with
Mr. Brenchley's specimens, supplied sufficient materials for forming
an idea of the character of the ichthyological fauna of two localities,
the fishes of which have been hitherto unknown or nearly so, namely,
of the Solomon Group, and of the Molucca island of Misol. The
following two lists contain the result of my examination of these
three collections.

A. FISHES FROM THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.

1. Treniura lymraa, Cho.

2. Chiloscyllium oceUatum, Giii,

3. Lates, sp. ?

4. Grammistes orientalis, BL

5. Serranus urodelus, Forat.

6. Diagrarania lessonii, C. V,

7. Scolopsis bilineatua, Bl,

8. ChEetodon vittatus, Bl.

9. Chretodon vagabundus, Z.
10. Chaetodon citrinellus, Broms.

11. Clisetodon ephippiuni, C. V.

12. Ghsetodon kleiaii, Bl.

13. Uolacanthus bicolor, Bl.

14. Holacanthus vrolikii, Btkr.
16. Upeneus oxycepbalus, Blkr.

16. Upeneus trifa-sciatus, Lac.

17. Upeneus barberinus, Lnc.

18. Cirrhites arcuatus, C. V.

19. vSynauceia verrucosa, BL

20. Tfcuthis Tulpina, Schleg.

410

TEE OBUISE OF TEE 'CUBAQOA:

21. Teutbis striolata, Gthr.

22. Holocentruin spiniferum, Fursk.

23. Acanthurus triostegus, L.
24 Acantliurus lineatus, L.

2.5. Acanthurus celebicus, Blkr.

26. Acanthurus ctenodon, C. Sr V.

27. Caranx ciliaris, Bl.

28. Zanclus coruutus, L.

29. Gazza equulseformis, Riipp.

30. Percis hexophthalma, C.V.

31. Percis cancellata, C. V.

32. Pseudochromis adustus, M. ^- T.

33. Antennariua pinniceps, C, V.

34. Dactylopterus orientalis, Bl.

35. Gobiodon histrio, C. V.

36. Eleotris fusca, Bl.

37. Salarias coronatus, sp. n.

38. Amphiprion percula, Lac.

39. Amphiprion bicinctus, Biipp.

40. Amphiprion melauopus, Blki:

41. Dascyllus aruanus, L.

42. Pomacentrus scolopsis, Q. i5' G.

43. Glyphidodon ccelestinus, C. V.

44. Glyphidodon assimilis, GUii:

45. Chilinus fasciatus, Bl.

46. Stethojulis axillaris, Q. Sf O.

47. Platyglossus trimaculatus, Q. i^- G.

48. Platyglossus opercularis, Gthr.

49. Julis trilobata, Lac.

50. .lulis jansenii, 5/^r.

51. Julis aueitensis, Gthr.

62. Julis lunaris, L.

53. Julis giintheri, Blkr.

54. Coris multicolor, Hupp.

55. Coris cingulum, Zree.

56. Pardacbirus pavoninus, Biipp.

57. Exocretus speouliger, C. V.

58. Mursena fimbriata, Benn.

59. Mursena nubila, Mich.

60. Ophichthys pinguis, «/;. «.

61. Anguilla, s/j. ?

02. Balistes aculeatus, L.

63. Balistes verrucosus, Bl,

64. Balistes undulatus, Bl.

65. Balistes erythrodon, Gthr.

66. Balistes niger, ilf.P.

67. Ostracion cubicus, L.

68. Monacanthus pardalis, Gthr.

B. FISHES FROM MISOL.

1. Bicerobatis draco, sp. n.

2. Carcharias dumeriUi, Blkr.

3. Trifenodon obesus, Biipp.

4. Anthias bechtii, Blkr.

5. Grammistes orientalis, Bl.

6. Pogonoperca punctata, C. V.

7. Serranus gilberti, Mich.

8. Serranus lineatus, C. V.

9. Serranus hoevenii, Blkr.

10. Serranus urodelus, Furst.

11. Ghilodipterus truncatus, sp. n.

12. Dules, sp. ?

13. Diagramma polytaenioides, Blkr.

14. Diagramma punctatum, C. V.

15. Diagramma affine, Gthr.

16. Scolopsis l)ilineatus, Bl.

17. Scolopsis xenochrous, s/j. n.

18. Chaetodon punctato-fasciatus, C V.

19. Chajtodon octofasciatus, &'wj.

20. Chffitodou bennetti, C. 7-^.

21. Chcetodon oligacanthus, Blkr.

22. Chsetodon dorsalis, C. V.

23. Chretodon lileinii, Bl.

24. Holacanthus melanosoma, Blkr.

25. Holacanthus leucopleura, Blkr.

26. Holacanthus lamarckii, iac.

27. Holacanthus uavarchus, C. V.

28. Holacanthus inijierator, Bl.

29. Holacanthus diacanthus, Bodd.

30. Holacanthus nicobariensis, Bl.

31. Heuiochus varius, C. V.

32. Toxotes jaculator, Pall.

33. Upeneoides traguln, iitcA.

34. Tetraroge longispinis, C. V.

FISHES.

411

35. Holocentrum samuiara, Forsk.

36. Holocentrum caudiinaculatum,

37. Acantliurus glaucopareius, C. V.

38. Acauthuru3 hypselopterus, £l/cr.

39. Acauthiu'us hepatus, L.

40. Acanthurus ctenodon, C. V,

41. Naseus tuberoaus, Lac.

42. Zanclus cornutus, L.

43. Lactarius delicatulus, C. V.

44. Cubiceps pauciradiatus, sp. ti.

45. Scomber australasicus, C. V.

46. Percis alboguttata, sp. n.

47. Antennarius moluccensis, Blkr.

48. Antennarius pinniceps, C. V.

49. Antennarius marmoratus, Othi:

50. Eleotiis strigata, C. V.

51. Eleotris helsdingenii, Blkr,

52. Amblyopus bracbygaster, Gthr.

53. Petroscirtes rliinorhynchus, Blkr.

54. Anipbiprion perideraion, Blkr.

55. Cboerops brenclileyi, sp. n.

56. Cossypbus antbioides, Benn.

67. Cossypbus bilunulatus, Lac.

68. Anampses geograpbicus, C. V.
59. Anampses diadematus, Blkr.

60. Stetbnjulis triliueata,'JS/.

61. Platyglossus bortulanus, Lac.

62. Platyglossus scapularis, Benn.

63. Platyglossus marginatus, Biipp.

64. Coris pulcberrima, Glhr.

65. Fierasfer bomei, iJj'cA.
60. Belone cboram, Forsk.

67. E,xocoetus babiensis, Itanz.

68. ExoccBtus opistbopus, Blkr.

69. Clupea piuguis, sp. n.

70. Clupea venenosa, C. V.

71. Engraulis bojlama, Forsk.

72. Murajna flavomarginata, Riipp.

73. Opbicbtbys filaria, s/). ».

74. Opbicbtbys misolensis, sp. n.

75. Hippocampus guttulatus, Cuv.

76. Triacantbus biaculeatus, Bl.

77. Monacautlms scriptus, Osb.

78. Ostracion solorensis, Blkr.

79. Ostracion sebai, .B/Zor.

80. Ostracion punctatus, Bl.

81. Ostracion renardi, Blkr.

82. Ostracion gibbosus, L.

83. Ostracion cubicus, L.

84. Tetrodon nigropunctatus, 5/.

85. Tetrodon papua, Blkr.

412 THE CRUISE OF THE 'GURAQOA.'

C. DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW OR IMPERFECTLY
KNOWN SPECIES.

PLATES XXVI. AND XXVII.

DICEROBATIS BRAGG.

Teeth tessellated, those of the upper jaw in 46 series, each tooth
being much broader than long, and trenchant behind ; the band
of teeth terminates laterally at a short distance from the angle of
the mouth ; body and tail smooth ; the distance between the mouth
and dorsal fin is one-half of the greatest width of the body ; tail
more than twice as long as the disk, without spine ; upper parts
uniform brown ; top of the dorsal fin white.

Misol Island.

Greatest width of the disk, 15 inches; distance between the
front margin of the head and dorsal fin, 7-^ inches.

9-
ft

o
p

FL,,. Z8.

G.HPari.

ASERRANUS CYLWDRICUS.
B PLEGTROPOMA ANNULATUM.

MmLemBroB CWamo llJii-

Lcn'ijn Loii^TneLns Grecri k Co,

414 THE GEVISE OF TEE 'GUBAC'OA:

PLATE XXVIII. Fio. A.
SERB ANUS CYLINDBIGUS.

(Giinth. Fish. vol. i. p. 151.)

D. \\. A. f. L. lat. 100.

Body elongate, roimded, subcylindrical, its depth being two-
sevenths of the total length (without caudal) ; its width is three-
fourths of thedepth. The length of the head is one-third of the total
(without caudal) ; caudal fin rounded ; praeoperculum rounded,
finely serrated, with some rather stronger denticulations at the
angle ; the maxillary extends beyond the hind margin of the
orbit ; the spinous and soft portions of the dorsal fin are nearly
equal in height, and the former is not much longer than the
latter ; the pectoral reaches as far as the ventral, terminating at
some distance from the vent. Body with large hexagonal brown
spots, separated by a white net-work ; five or six of these spots
along the back are of a darker colour ; fins with scattered round
large brown spots, and with a narrow whitish margin.

Indian Ocean.

Specimens up to 16 inches in length have been obtained. The
figure is of half the natural size.

FISHES. 4] 5

PLATE XXVIII. Fig. B.
PLECTBOPOMA ANNULATUM.

(Giinth. Fish. vol. i. p. 15S.)

D. if. A. f . L. lat. 50. L. trans. J^.

The length of the head equals the height of the body, and is
two-fifths of the total (without caudal) ; scales very rough ; prse-
operculum finely serrated behind, and with three spines below,
one being placed at the angle. Red, with six black cross-bands,
narrower than the inter-spaces, occupying the whole depth of the
body and tail ; sides of the head and nape with three black bands
obliquely descending forwards.

Sydney.

Specimens 7 and 8 inches long.

416 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.

PLATE XXIX.
PLEGTBOPOMA OGELLATUM.

{TUctropoma cyanosiigma, Giinth. Fish. vol. i. p. 161 ;
Flcctroponitt ocellatmn, Giinth. ibid. p. 504.)

D. if. A. f. L. lat. 100.

The height of the body is nearly equal to the length of the head,
and two-fifths of the total (without caudal) ; prseopeiculum with
three spines beneath, the anterior of which is the strongest, and
sometimes bifid. Brownish : head, body, and base of the fins with
numerous roundish spots, bluish in the centre, and black round
the margin ; they are more numerous, and also relatively smaller
in old examples than in younger ones ; those on the head and fins
without bluish centre.

Sydney.

The largest specimen obtained is 16 inches long.

■t5

K E

418 THE CRUISE OF TEE ' GUBAQOA:

PLATE XXX.

CEILODIPTEBUS TBUN0ATTT8.
D. 6 I i. A. f . L. lat. 26. L. trans, f

The height of the body is one-third of the total length (with-
out caudal), the length of the head two-fifths ; the diameter of
the eye equals the length of the snout, and is one-half of that of
the postorbital portion of the head ; the maxillary extends to
below the hind margin of the orbit ; the third dorsal spine (which
is the longest) is two-fifths of the length of the head ; caudal fin
truncated, with the angles rounded, the two central rays being not
much shorter than the outer ones ; uniform purplish-brown, with
scarcely a trace of longitudinal bands, a round black spot at the
end of the lateral line ; the spinous dorsal black ; ventrals blackish-
brown.

Misol Island.

Length 7 inches.

E E 2

-1.20 THE CliUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA.'

PLATE XXXI.

SCOLOPSIS XENOCHBOUS.
Allied to Scolopsifi r/hanaon.

D. Lo. A. A. L. lat. 44. L. trans, ^'f.

The height of the body is contained thrice in the total length
(without caudal), the length of the head thrice and a third : the
diameter of the eye is one-third of the length of the head, and a
little more than that of the snout, and equal to the width of the
interorbital space ; infraorbital arch with two strong spines, one
pointing forwards, the other backwards, two or three small den ticu-
lations below the strong spine ; prseopercnlum with the angle pro -
jecting ; dorsal sjjines rather strong, but less so than those of the
anal fin ; second and third anal spines nearly equal in strength and
length. Brownish-olive, a narrow pearl- coloured band along the
uppermost dorsal series of scales ; a large blackish-brown spot on
the posterior part of the gill-cover ; a broad silvery band, three
scales broad, along the trunk below the lateral line ; the anterior
part "of the band is crossed by a pair of short oblique brown
streaks, the middle part with a brown spot on the base of each
scale, the posterior portion uniform pearl-coloured ; praeorbital
with a narrow silvery band ; fins colourless.

Misol Island.

r>ength 7 inches.

OUBIGEPS PAUGIBADIATU8 {not fi,jured).

T). 10 I ^\. A. -iV- L. lat. 50.

The height of the body is one-fourth of the total length (with-
out caudal), the length of the head two-sevenths ; abdomen com-
pressed into a ridge in front of the ventral fins which are received

cri

■«

P-

(_5

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W:^

FISHES. 421

into a groove of the posterior part of the abdomen ; the diameter
of the eye is equal to the width of the interorbital space, and one-
third of the length of the head; snout shorter than the eye ; jaws
with a series of minute teeth ; tlie vomer and tongue are armed
with a long elliptical patch of very small obtuse teeth ; no teeth
on the palatine bones ; maxillary hidden below the praeorbital,
and extending to the front margin of the orbit ; humeral plate
much developed, triangular ; pectoral fin very long, longer than
the head, and extending to the vent, not quite thrice as long as
the ventrals ; caudal fin forked nearly to the base, the lobes can
overlap each other. Uniform brown ; inside of tlie mouth and
gill-cavity black.

Misol Island.

Length 5-j inches.

■i22 THE CRUISE OF THE ' GUBAQOA.'

PLATE XXXII. Fig. B.

PEBGIS ALBOGUTTATA.
D. 5 I 22. A. T-L-. L. lat. 60. L. trans. ^V

The height of the body is contained 6^ iu the total length
(without caudal), the length of the head 3^ ; tlie width of the
interorbital space is one-third of the diameter of the eye, which is
two-sevenths of the length of the head, and not quite equal to
the length of the snout ; lower jaw slightly projecting beyond the
upper ; the maxillary extends somewhat behind the vertical from
the front margin of the orbit ; cheek covered with minute scales
to below the middle of the eye ; the fourth dorsal spine is rather
longer than the third, and about twice as long as the fifth ; the
ventral fins reach to the vent ; caudal truncated. Brownish-olive
with a series of five small pearl-coloured spots on each side of the
back, along the base of the dorsal fin ; a series of indistinct
brownish spots along the lower half of the side ; caudal fin with
a pair of brown spots on the base, the lower spot being followed
by an ovate white spot ; fins without distinct markings.

Misol Island.

Length 6 inches.

424 THE VBUISE UF THE 'CUFAQOA.'

PLATE XXXIII. Fig. B.

SALABIAS COBONATUS.
D. 12 I 20. A. 20.

The height of the body is contained six times in the total
length (without caudal), the length of the head five times and a
third ; the forehead projects a little beyond the mouth ; the
supraciHary tentacle is about as long as the eye, and terminates
into several fringes ; nuchal crest none ; a pair of canine teeth in
the lower jaw ; dorsal fin deeply notched ; pectoral nearly as long-
as the head. Flesli-coloured, with eight dark cross-bands as broad
as, or broader than, the interspaces, darkest on the edges ; back
■with scattered brownish-violet spots smaller than the pupil ; sides
and upper surface of the head with round small yellow spots ; a
group on the crown of the head being placed in a circle ; throat
with three brownish-violet cross-bands ; vertical fins nearly im-
maculate, and witli a blackish margin; pectoral finely dotted witli
black.

Solomon Islands.

Length 3| inches.

FISHES. 42S

PLATE XXXII. Fio. A.
JULIS GUENTEEBI.

(Julis Guentheri, Blecl-er, Vcrsl. Ale. Wit. Amskrd. vol. xiii. p. 279.)

D. -3^. A. -\. L. lat. 27-28.

The height of the body is equal to the length of the head, and
two-sevenths of the total (without caudal) ; no posterior canine
tooth ; two canine teeth of the low&r jaw are received between
those of the upper ; dorsal spines pungent, shorter than the rays;
caudal lobes somewhat produced ; the length of the ventral is
three-fifths of that of the pectoral, which is shorter than the head.
Upper parts greyish-green, lower of a lighter colour ; a greyish
band, one scale broad, commences on the side of the neck, runs
along and above the lateral line, and is continued to the end of
the upper caudal lobe ; a second band of a lighter colour com-
mences above the pectoral, and runs along the middle of the side
of the body to the root of the caudal ; caudal fin yellow, blackish
at the base, with a greyish black-edged band along the upper and
lower lobes ; head dark-violet, with two curved bluish bands, the
lower from the chin towards the lower part of the orbit, to the
opercular lobe, the upper across the prseorbital through the upper
part of the orbit to the upper end of the gill-opening (the bands
are red during life) ; the pectoral with the hinder jiiortion
blackish ; dorsal fin with a deep black spot anteriorly, and with a
blackish margin ; anal without markings, or with a faint blackish
lower edge.

Solomon Islands.

Length 5^ inches. This species is known also from Celebes
and the Cape of Good Hope. ,

426 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA:

PLATE XXXIV.

OHCEEOPS BBENGHLEYI.

D. y. A. A. L. lat. 28. L. trans. -j\.

The height of the body is equal to the length of the head, and
one-third of the total (without caudal) ; head much longer than
high ; the depth of the prsorbital is more than the width of the
orbit ; scales on the cheek small, scarcely imbricate, in fom* series ;
opercvilum terminating in a membranaceous flap behind ; poste-
rior canine tooth present ; prseoperculum not serrated. Eeddish-
olive ; a broad pearl-coloured band ascends obliquely from above
the axil of the pectoral towards the origin of the soft dorsal ; its
upper half is surrounded by a broad brown margin, which is
spread over the base of the last dorsal spines and anterior rays ;
root of the pectoral silvery ; no other markings in a preserved
state.

Misol Island.
Length 7|- inches.

CLVPEA PINGUIS (not fcjured).

B. 5. D. 17. A. 19. L. lat. 43. L. trans. 13.

The height of the body is one-fifth of the total length (without
caudal), the length of the head one-fourth ; scales deciduous ;
lower jaw but slightly projecting beyond the upper ; maxillary

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USEES. 427

extending to below the front margin of the eye ; teeth none ;
snout longer than the eye, which is one-fourth of the length of
the head; ventral fin inserted below the anterior third of the
dorsal fin, the base of which is midway between the root of the
caudal and the end of the snout ; caudal fin deeply forked ; there
are fourteen abdominal scutes behind the base of the ventrals.
Back bluish-green, side silvery, both colom's being sharply defined
from each othei-.

Misol Island.

Length 5 inches.

428 THE CEUISE OF TEE ' GURAQOA:

PLATE XXXIII. Fig. A.

OPHICHTHYS FILAEIA.

Allied to 0. longipinnis and 0. hlrkii, but distinguished from
both by the considerably greater slenderness of the body, the
depth of which is two-ninths of the length of the head, whilst it is
rather more than one-third in those two species.

The lensth of the head is one-tenth of the distance between the
gill-opening and vent ; tail almost as long as the body ; cleft of
the mouth of moderate width, extending to some distance behind
the eye, which is small and somewhat nearer to the corner of the
mouth than to the end of the snout ; snout pointed, more than
twice as long as the eye, projecting beyond the mouth ; anterior
nostril with a small tube, posterior on the inner side of the lip,
below the front margin of the eye ; teeth pointed, uniserial ; gill-
openings lateral ; pectoral fin reduced to a minute filament ; the
dorsal and anal are about half as high as the body, the former
commencing midway between the gill-opening and the eye. Colo-
ration imiform.

Misol Island.

Length 24 inches, the tail being Hi inches long; depth of the
l>ody 3 lines.

430 THE GBUISE OF THE ' GUBAQOA.'

PLATE XXXV.

OPEIGHTHYS PINGUIS.

Teeth pointed, in a single series in the maxillary, mandible,
and on the vomer; head small, pointed, its length being contained
five times and a half in the distance of the gill-opening from the
vent ; eye about half the length of the snout, the cleft of the
mouth extending considerably behind its hinder margin ; dorsal
and anal fins low, nearly entirely hidden in a groove (the former
commences somewhat in advance of the gill-opening) ; the length
of the pectoral fin is about one-third of that of the head. Eeddish-
brown with eight large broad black spots across the back of the
trunk, and fifteen across the back of the tail ; they extend down-
wards to the middle of the side ; head with numerous small roimd
blackish spots : no other spots.

Solomon Islands.

Length 16 inches, the tail being 9^ inches long.

OPHIGHTHYS MISOLENSIS (not figured).

The length of the head is one-seventh of the distance between
the gill-opening and vent ; tail as long as the body ; the depth of
the body is one- third of the length of the head ; eye small, above
the middle of the cleft of the mouth, which is of moderate width ;
snout pointed, twice as long as the eye, projecting beyond the
mouth ; anterior nostril with a very short tube, posterior on the
inner side of the lip, below the fi-ont margin of the eye ; teeth
equally small, pointed, uniserial ; gill-openings somewhat oblique,
lateral ; pectoral fin none ; dorsal and anal fins low, the former
commencing at a very short distance behind the gill-opening, the
latter immediately behind the vent. Coloration uniform,

Misol Island.

Length 11 inches.

•X.

SHELLS.

432 THE aiiUISE OF THE CUBAQOA.'

PLATE XXXVI.
FU8US (GOLUS) SIMILIS, Baird.

Shell elongately fusiform, spindle-shaped, moderately thick,
rather solid, somewhat deeply grooved and ridged throughout
transversely, and finely striated across the ridges longitudinally ;
spire acuminated ; whorls slanting round the upper part, noduled
in the middle ; nodules moderate-sized, not distant from each
other, about 10 or 11 in number in each whorl; interior of the
aperture pure white, sharply ridged in the throat, guttately
noduled at the inferior part, columella callus slightly wrinkled.
Eostrum long, bent about the middle of its length ; canal twisted.
Of a dull white colour throughout, externally.

The spire in the specimen we described is broken at the tip.

Length of remainder 6 inches.
Breadth of body whorl 2 inches.
Hab. New Caledonia.

PI.. 36.

GttFot-i

^MEnlemBcos Jiup .

rUSUS SIMILIS. 5c«>-ci

London. Lontmans Green & Gb-

F F

434 THE CEUISE OF THE ' CUIiAQOA.'

PLATE XXXVII. Figs. 1, 2.
FUSUS (COLUS) BBENCHLEYI, Baird.

Shell fusiform moderately ventricose in the middle, spire
and canal about equal in length ; -whorls 11 or 12 in number,
closely noduled round the centre of each, spirally grooved and
ridged ; ridges irregular, some consisting of 2 strise, others of 3
or 4 spiral ridges crossed longitudinally with numerous, small,
raised strise, giving them the appearance, under a low power, of
being reticulated. Shell white with numerous chesnut-coloured
blotches and lines, the blotches more decidedly marked between
the nodules and outside of canal ; lower extremity of canal
marked with a large deep orange-coloured spot.

Length 3^ inches.

Greatest breadth 1 inch 3 lines.

Hob. South Sea Islands.

PLATE XXXVII. Figs. 3, 4.

BEFBANOIA ALBO-STEIGATA, Baird.

Shell turreted, fusiform, white ; whorls 8^, longitudinally cos-
tate, the costse or ribs transversely striated ; the first 2^ whorls
very small, smooth, and very gradually increasing, the rest rough
with prominent ribs and striae, increasing rapidly, the succeeding

PL..37.

G-HFori,

MrafbecnJjno;

LZ-EUSUS BBENCHLEYI.^oz^^d^
3.4-DEERANC]AALBO-3TBICiATA Baxrd.
5.6 . TEREHEIA PATOZ?V. jSozz-rf .

London. LcrrHJmanti fVo-n K I

SHELLS. 435

4 crowded upon each other, the last nearly half the length of the
whole shell. Near the centre, on the back of this whorl, it is
distinctly marked with a pure white chalky looking band, and in
some instances with an interrupted band of brown ; aperture
rather narrow ; outer lip thickened, toothed on inner margin ;
canal rather short, sub-flexuose.

Length 3 lines.
Breadth 1^ lines.
Hab. New Caledonia.

Approaches somewhat to Pleurotoma apicalis of Montrouzier,
but is only about half the size, and is distinguished by the white
band on the back of the last whirl.

PLATE XXXVII. Fios. 6, 6.
TEBEBBA (LEIOSTOMA) PABVA, Baird.

Shell elongately subulate, rather thick, whitish-coloured,
marked with a row of somewhat square-sliaped reddish-brown
spots beneath the suture; whorls 13, shining, longitudinally-
grooved at the sutures ; groove extending half-way down each
whorl ; last whorl marked with two bluish bands, one near the
suture, and one near the mouth ; penultimate whorl with one band
near the suture ; mouth white inside, except where the bluish
bands shine through ; columella straight ; outer lip sharp, simple.

Length of shell from 8 to 11 lines.
Greatest breadth 2 lines.
Hah. New Caledonia.

436 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' CUEAQOA.'

PLATE XXXVin. Figs. 1, 2.

NASSA BIFABIA, Baird.

Shell ovately conical, rather soUd, light-coloured, stained here
and there with brown ; whorls 7 in number ; last whorl smooth,
shining, flexuosely ribbed ; ribs distant, coronated round the
suture, sulcated at the base with 5 or 6 grooves ; the other
six whorls small densely granosely reticulated ; penultimate
whorl coronated, others not so ; sutures distinct ; columella
smooth, not callous, twisted at the base ; outer lip simple,
grooved interiorly, emarginated and toothed at its junction with
the body whorl.

Length of shell from 6 to 7 lines.
Breadth from 4 to 4^ lines.
Hub. New Caledonia.

? An Nassa acuticostata, var. Mantrouzier.

PLATE XXXVIII. Figs. 3, 4.
PHASIANELLA WISEMANNI, Baird.

Shell small, oval, polished ; whorls 5i ; apex rather obtuse and
blackish ; the remaining whorls yellowish with transverse pink
bands, the body-whorl having 7 or 8 of these, and also marked

FL.-ia.

./-'

10.

GUFori

Tsdm-tecn Bros irrqi .

1 2 NASSA BIFARIA. Bc^A^ 7 8.9. NERITlN^SITBRUGA.TA.S«7rc^.

3 4 raiASiANELI.AAA/lSEMANNI.Bc«rce 10.11. NERITA STMGTA.^our-d.,

5 6 STYLIFER DUB]US.iJai7^d. 12.13. .. UOViE CALEDOUiffi./Sorrci.

London. Lon^ans Grtcn & *.

SHELLS. 437

througbout with brown spiral bair-like lines. Beneath the
sutural line tliere are alternately blackish and white blotches, the
latter being produced zigzagly over the whorls ; aperture sub-
circular, equalling the spire in length ; columella white.

Length 3|- lines.
Breadth 2 lines.

Var. Shell of lighter colour, with ouly slight indications of the
transverse pink bands ; but having the alternate blackish and
white sutural blotches, aud of the same size and proportions.

Hab. Anatom, New Hebrides.

PLATE XXXVIII. Figs. 5, 6.
STYLIFER DUBIUS, Baird.

Shell sub-globose ; whorls 7 in number exclusive of sinistral
nucleus, smooth, shining, white ; last whorl globose, large, ex-
ceeding in length all the rest of the shell ; spire rapidly and
suddenly diminishing in size, and terminating in a sharp point ;
mouth ovate ; columella somewhat produced at the base ; outer
lip simple, acute.

Height 3 lines.
Breadth nearly 2 lines.
Hab. New Caledonia.

Approaches in shape and structure the Stylifer ovoideus of
A. Adavis, but differing from it in habitat, shape of the mouth,
and form of .the columella.

438 THE CRUISE OF TEE 'CUEA(JOA.'

PLATE XXXVni. Fios. 7, 8, 9.
NEBITINA SUBBJJGATA, Bakd.

Shell very obliquelj'-ovate, sub-globose ; spire much eroded,
scarcely exserted, spirally ridged round the whorls, which are
distinctly angled, rudely wrinkle-striated longitudinally, rather
rough, of a dark olive colour, the wrinkled strise pale yellowish ;
columella area slanting, sinuated in the middle, finely toothed,
last tooth much larger than any of the others, lip thin, slightly
channelled at the upper part, bluish-coloured within ; operculum
bluish-stained, with a reddish margin, and bisected with a some-
what raised rib.

Height 9 lines.

Breadth 7^ lines.

Hah. Upolu, Samoan group.

? An Neritina huvierosa, Moussun, var. without spines. See
' Journ. de Con.,' xiii. p. 188.

PLATK XXXVlil. Fius. 10, 11.
NERITA STBICTA, Baird.

Shell narrow, ovate ; spire not exserted, flatly depressed, small;
whorls spirally ribbed ; ribs rather thin, numerous, interstices
densely lined with very fine strias which sometimes extend over
the ribs ; columella area rather narrow, yellow, edge toothed
with only 3 or 4 teeth ; inner part of mouth yellowish-green,

SHELLS. 439

outer edge of lip dark and crenated. Shell of a dark colour with-
out spots ; operculum covered with fine grains.

Height 7^ lines.
Breadth 6 lines.
Hab. South Sea Islands.

PLATE XXXVIII. Figs. 12, 13.
NEBITA NOV^-CALEDONL^, Baird.

Shell obli(|uely narrowly ovate, rather ventricose; spire very
small ; whorls 3 in number, first minute but rather prominent
smooth and shining, last whori large, constituting by far the
greatest part of the shell, spirally ribbed ; ribs rather large,
interstices densely concentrically striated ; columella area glassy,
smooth, indistinctly toothed ; labrum with a yellowish margin,
somewhat channelled at top. Shell itself of a dull yellowish
colour, tesselated with spots of black ; operculum densely granu-
lated.

Height about 6 lines.

Breadth 4 lines.

Hab. New Caledonia.

Resembles somewhat in shape N. mu-siva, Gould.

440 THE CRUISE OF TEE ' GUEAQOA.'

PLATE XXXIX. Figs. 1, 2.

EYDBOGENA SIMILIS, Baird.

Shell small, ovate, smooth, of a horny colour; whorls 5 in
number, apex rather pointed, last whorl rather more than half
the length of the shell, rounded, mouth semilunar, rimate, not
perforated ; peristome simple ; columella thickened, rather re-
reflexed, edges not continuous.

Height 1^ lines.
Breadth scarcely 1 line.
Hah. Samoan group.

PLATE XXXIX. Figs. 3, 4.

BE ALIA (OMPEALOTBOPIS) LZ3VIS, Baird.

Shell conical, oval, of a light amber colom-, perfectly smooth ;
whorls oi in number, last whorl exceeding in length all the others
combined ; apex blunt ; suture defined, narrow ; umbilicus of a
moderate size, surrounded with a rather strongly elevated carina ;
mouth oval, peristome continued, outer lip doubled externally ;
interior of mouth of same colour as external surface of shell.

Height 2 lines.
Breadth 1 line.
Hah. Samoan group.

PL. 39.

4 /

10.

GHForA Mmi^rnBroa.irqD.

I2,HYDI10CEKA SIMILIS .Bozr-d- 5.6.KEALIA VA\?KUENS15. Barrd.

3.4 REALIA L7EV1S. :&cu^d. 7,8 .- B1CARJ1SIA.TA .

9.10.MELAMPUS OVULOIDES ._Bair-ci.

London Longmans Oratm & Co

SHELLS. 441

PLATE XXXIX. Figs. 5, 6.

BEALIA {OMPRALOTROPIS) VAVAUENSIS, Baird.

Shell conically oval, of a dirty white colour; whorls 6, obscurely
longitudinally striated, apex ratlier blunt, last whorl about equal
in length to all the others combined, very obscurely carinated ;
suture well defined ; mouth ovate, umbilicus restricted, surrounded
by a raised keel, peristome continued, outer lip slightly expanded ;
interior of mouth of a slightly reddish colour.

Height 2^ lines.
Breadth 1^ lines.

Hah. Vavau, Friendly Islands.

PLATE XXXIX. Figs. 7, 8.

BEALIA (OMPHALOTEOPLS) BICAPTNATA, Baird.

Shell ovate, conical, rather stout, smooth, horn-coloured ;
whorls 6 in number, apex rather obtuse, last whorl with two
keels, one surrounding the middle of it, the other immediately
beneath the suture ; umbilicus distinct, and suri'ounded by a
rather strong raised keel ; mouth rounded, oval, peristome simple,
the outer lip above nearly touching the median keel.

Length 2 lines.

Breadth IJ^ lines.

Hah, Savage Island, and Tongatabu,

442 THE VEUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA:

PLATE XXXIX. Figs. 9, 10.
MELAMPUS (TIFATA) 0VUL0IBE8, Baird.

Shell small, oval, conti-acted at both extremities ; spire con-
sisting of 8 whorls, rapidly increasing, last whorl nearly double the
length of whole shell ; spire short, acute, upper whorls finely
striated, last smooth ; shell of a dark coffee colom- with white
zigzag longitudinal lines ; mouth narrow, inner lip exhibiting
only one plait, outer lip gi-ooved within.

Length 2^ lines.

Breadth H lines.

Hah. Tutuila, Samoau group.

444 TEE CRUISE OF TEE ' CUBAQOA:

PLATE XL. Figs. 1, 2.
MELANIA BBENCELEYI, Baird.

Shell ovate, pyi-amidal ; apex much corroded, remaining whorls,
4 or 5 in number, rounded, lo\\3r ones perfectly smooth, upper
delicately concentrically grooved ; colour greenish-yellow with
occasional longitudinal streaks of dark brown ; mouth oval, of a
leaden hue within ; columella white, small, and suddenly turning
into the inner body of shell.

Length from 6^ to 7i lines.
Breadth about 3^ or 4 lines.
Hab. Upolu, Samoan group, and Tongatabu, Friendly Islands.

Var. delicatula Baird, Plate" XL., figs. 3, 4.

Shell smaller and more delicate, thin, transparent, and dark
brown, streaks more decidedly shown ; apex much corroded,
remaining whorls only 3 or 4.

Length about 5 lines.

Breadth 2^ lines.

Hab. Tutuila, Samoan group.

PL.M.

11.

12.

13.

G;H.FoDi. Mnitern.Bros any

1.2MELAN!ABRENCHLEYL5at/-a:, 7. CHETON AMIC0IlUM.2?air-rf..

3 4-. „ Yaxdelicaiiila..5a?rd. 8.9. HELIX LADUEATA.^oird..

5.6.MELANrACYL]NDR0]DES.2?curi£. 10.11 HELIX Vi52MENSIS.5c«r-<i.

J2.13.MELIX SAM:aENSIS..5OT>-<i

i-:r.c.-.r_ L^nomEis Green i Co.

SHELLS. 445

PLATE XL. Fios. 5, 6.

MELANIA CYLINDBOIDES, Baird.

Shell rather small, of an olive colour, smooth, finely longitudi-
nally striated ; apex corroded, remaining whorls only 3 in number,
very ventricose and rounded, last whorl longer than the two pre-
ceding ; mouth oval, inside of a bluish colour ; columella pecu-
liarly twisted, somewhat callous at upper part.

Length nearly 9 lines.

Breadth 4^ lines.

Hab. Nine or Savage Island.

PLATE XL. Fio. 7.
CHITON (ONITHOCHITON) AMICOBUM, Baird.

Shell oval, nearly equal at each extremity ; mantle margin
covered with numerous chaffy-lookiug scales ; first valve larger than
any of the others, marked with numerous granular lines ; centre
valves strongly striated, lateral areas with 2 or 3 granular lines ;
last valve small and striated. A line of a red colour runs along
the top of all the valves, whilst one or two others run along the
lateral areas.

Length 8 lines.

Breadth 5J lines.

Hab. Niue or Savage Island.

446 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' GUBAQOA:

PLATE XL. Figs. 8, 9.

HELIX LAQUEATA, Baird.

Shell small, depressly orbicular, thin, pellucid, shining, smooth,
flattened underneath, imperforate, with a slight umbilical pit;
whorls 4:^, rather flattened above, fluted and carinated, the
fluting very conspicuous on the last two whorls ; sutures distinct ;
aperture lunat /; labrum simple, sharp ; columella with a white
callus within.

Breadth 2i lines.
Height li lines.
Hab. Samoan group.

PLATE XL. Figs. 10, II.

HELIX VAVAUENSIS, Baird.

Shell small, orbicular, rather depressed, thin, pellucid, shining,
of a homy colour, quite smooth, rounded underneath, imperforate,
with a slight umbilical pit; spire of 4 J whorls, last rounded,
convex; suture marginated; aperture lunate; labrum thin, sharp;
columella margin white, thickened, with a slight wliite callus at
its junction with the body of the shell.

Breadth 3 lines.

Height 2 lines.

Hab. Vavau, Friendly Islands.

SHELLS. 447

PLATE XL. Figs. 12, 13.

HELIX SA3I0ENSIS, Baird.

Shell small, depressly globular, thin, pellucid, shining, of a
light horny coloiu", paler beneath, quite smooth, rather flat under-
neath, imperforate, ■«'ith an umbilical pit ; whorls 4^ in number,
last convex ; suture margined ; aperture lunate ; labrum thin,
sharp ; columella with a small white callus at its junction with
the body of the shell.

Breadth 3 lines.
Height 1^ lines.
Hah. Samoan group.

448 TEE CRUISE OF TEE ' CUBAQOA.'

PLATE XLI. Figs. 1, 2.

EELIGINA BBENCELEYI, Balrcl

Shell globosely lenticular, flattened underneath, conoidal above;
whorls 5 in number, slowly increasing, covered with a brownish
epidermis, urder which the surface is marked with rather waved
reddish lints above and beneath ; last whorl sharply keeled,
penultimate nearly as large as the last ; mouth semi-lunate, oval ;
columella at the point where it comes from the shell marked by a
red spot ; callous extending, with an impressed line round it.

Greatest width 4 lines, least 3|.
Height 2^ lines.
Hob. Samoan group.

PLATE XLI. Figs. 3, 4.

EELIGINA FULGUSATA, Baird.

Shell rather globose, of a reddish colour ; whorls 5 in number,
peculiarly rounded, smooth, under the lens minutely punctured,
last one vividly marked with several lightning-like white lines, the
two last of about equal size ; mouth semi-lunar ; callus limited in
extent from tip of columella, and bordered with an impressed
line ; lip simple, not reflected.

Greatest breadth 2 lines.
Smallest breadth 1| do.
Hub. Samoan group.

FLM.

-rT'-^-,

10.

IL 12

1. 2 HELICTNA- BKENCHLEYI. Jctirci .

3.4.HELTCINA. FULGURATA.

5.6 J1ELKINA2yUJLTlFA3CTATA-. ..

MaAem&ros .Trap .
7.8.«ELICrNAJULU. Baxrd.
9 lO-HELICIKASTRlGAT^ Bcurd
11.12 .TELUNA NOV/E CALE.D0NIffi.i5apird,.

13 . TELLIHA.BlFARIA.Bax^d?

London. LonjittLans CJrc«n & Co.

SEELLS. U9

PLATE XLI. Figs. 5, 6.

HELICINA MULTIFASGIATA, Baird.

Shell depressed conic, thin, marked, especially on last whorl,
with numerous narrow faintly-coloiired circular bands, finely
striated longitudinally, and marked concentrically with a few
impressed lines, of a pale ilesh colour throughout ; whorls 5 in
number, rather rapidly increasing, last whorl rather rounded on
periphery ; mouth somewhat triangular, peristome sharp, not
reflexed.

Greatest width 3f lines.
Narrowest 3^ lines.
Height 2| lines.
Hob. Samoan group.

PLATE XLI. Figs. 7, 8.
HELICINA JULII, Baird.

Shell conically globose, shining ; surface finely striated, and
decussated with delicate concentric lines, marked, especially near
the suture, with rather broad arrow-head lines ; whorls 5 in
number, rapidly increasing, last large, and angularly rounded at
periphery ; mouth semi-lunar, rounded ; under surface smooth,
shining, and uni-coloured ; callus expanded, but very thin, white.

Greatest breadth 3^ lines.

Smallest breadth 3:^ lines.

Height 3 lines.

Hob. Cockatoo Island, Solomon group.

Approaches in shape to H. gratiosa, Pfelffer.

a a

450 TEE CEUISE OF THE ' CUEAQOA.'

PLATE XLI. Figs. 9, 10.

HELIGINA STBIGATA, Balnl

Shell depressed, rather thin, smooth with the exception of a few
remote circular striae on upper sm-face of two lower whorls, white,
with straight reddish lines or bands running longitudinally over
the upper surface of the two last whorls ; under surface brown
coloured, lines not appearing on it ; mouth semi-lunar ; callus
circumscribed, rather thick, surrounded with an impressed line ;
whorls 3^ in number, last whorl obscurely keeled on periphery.

Greatest diameter 2 lines.

Least diameter If lines.

Height 1^ lines.

Hah. Upolu, Samoan Group.

Like niusiva of Gould, but the white lines on the body of the
shell are differently disposed, and the shell itself is much more
depressed.

HELICINA NOr^ CALEDONIA, Baird (not figured).

Shell conic, somewhat top-shaped, of a dirty white or reddish
colour ; whorls 4^, convex, smooth, marked with very fine stria3
running longitudinally, and obliquely crossed with exceedingly
fine lines only visible under a lens ; apex pointed, last whorl large,
rounded on peripheral margin ; under smface striated like the
upper ; callus very large, dirty white, extending from the tip of
columella to external margin of peristome, very thick and sharply
defined ; mouth oval, lip expanded, white, sharp edged ; operculum
shelly.

Greatest breadth 3 lines.
Least breadth 2^ lines.
Height 2| lines.
Hab. New Caledonia.

SHELLS. 451

PLATE XLI. Figs. 11, 12.

TELLINA NOV^ CALEDONIA, Baird.

Shell small, pure white, smooth, nearly shining though very finely
concentrically faintly striated, as if from lines of growth, rounded
subtrigonal, solid, inaequivalve ; posterior margin shorter than
anterior ; beaks rather prominent and whiter than the rest of the
shell ; ventral margin rounded ; wliite within, not ventricose ;
fold rather indistinct.

Length (transverse) 4 lines.
Height 3^ lines.
Hab. New Caledonia.

Approaches in general shape and appearance to Tellina robusta
of Hanley.

PLATE XLI. Fig. 13.
TELLINA niFABIA, Baird.

Shell elongated, narrow, thin, moderately convex, insequilateral
white ; ventral edge rounded in the middle ; anterior side much
longer, its extremity rounded, obuise, dorsal edge rather
sloping ; hinder extremity short, with a truncated acumination ;
flexure distinct ; ligament rather prominent ; valves curiously
striated ; anterior and posterior extremities subimbricately circu-
larly striated, the centre of the valves beset with minute numerous
decussated striae, not extending to the ventral edge, which is
marked with oblique, distinct striae alone ; teeth very small ;
white within, somewhat iridescent.

Length 9 lines.

Breadth 5^ lines.

Hab. New Caledonia.

Eesembles very much T. pura of H. Adams, from the Gulf of
Suez.

G G 2

462 TEE CRUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA:

PLATE XLII. Figs. 1, 2, 3.

VENUS BOSEO-TINCTA, Baird.

Shell sub-cordately orbicular, dull white, concentrically lami-
nated; laminae broad, distant, 16 in number, the upper very
small, and tipped at the umboues with rosy red, the lower very
large and wide, reflected upwards, more or less striated, the
interstices striated; ligamental area moderately excavated; lunule
cordate ; interior of valves of a pink colour, except the margin,
which is white.

Height 13^ lines.
Breadth nearly the same.
Hah. New Caledonia.

PLATE XLn. Fig. 4.
AECA NOV^ CALEB0NI2E, Baird.

Shell very swollen, obliquely ovate, equivalve ; anterior side
very slightly angled, extremely short, posterior obliquely extended
to an acuminated point ; of a dull white colour, apparently
covered with a close epidermis ; radiately ribbed ; ribs about 36
in number, rather flat and close set, densely wrinkled-noduled,
not divided by a sulcus or groove, interstices closely crossed with
raised lines ; umbones small ; ligamental area moderately large,
bent inwards.

Length, from anterior to posterior side, nearly 2^ inches.
Breadth about 2 inches.
Hah. New Caledonia.

PL.iZ.

OKTori

Mmlecii33ros imp.

1 2 3 VENUS ROSKO TlNGTA,i?az^.. 5 6, ARGA TOBIA ^o^rf-
4X™CALED0N!;E^.W,. 7.PECTENSM1US Ba..r<i,. ■
SPEEtNA. SAMDE'NSB^au'fi

SHELLS. 453

PLATE XLII. Figs. 5, 6.

ABC A (BYSSOAROA) BUBIA, Balrd.

Shell ovately oblong ; posterior extremity rather acute ; an-
terior rather squarely rounded ; keel well marked, running down
from beaks to end of posterior extremity ; of a dull white colour
without any markings ; longitudinally ribbed, ribs small till they
reach the keel, crossed with strong transverse raised ridges which
are almost beaded ; posterior concave and divaricately rayed with
4 or 5 strong ribs ; umbones situated near anterior extremity ;
ligamental area very small and narrow, colourless; ventral margin
slightly sinuated.

Length nearly -^ an inch.
Greatest breadth 3 lines.
Hab. New Caledonia.

Approaches A. divanoata of Sowerby from west coast of
America ; but the shell is narrower, the anterior extremity less
rounded, the hinge area more naiTow ; and the body of the shell
is not fimbriately ribbed.

PLATE XLII. Fig. 7.
PECTEN SIMILIS, Baud.

Shell somewhat orbicularly ovate, a little longer than broad,
equilateral, equivalve ; valves rayed with 25 ribs ; ribs rather
narrow, squamate : scales very minute at upper part, larger on
ower portion and at the sides, standing almost erect, thin, and
rather broad. Shell externally of a dull reddish colour, internally
of a pale red and somewhat iridescent ; ears unequal, ribbed and

454 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUllAgOA:

slightly scaled ; inner portion of left valve below the ear with 5
or 6 scale-like teeth.

Length 1 inch 7 lines.

Breadth 1 inch 5 lines.

Hab. Tongatabu, Friendly group.

Approaches, in general appearance, to tlie dull variety of P.
varius, a European shell.

PLATE XLII. Fig. 8.

PEBNA ilSOGNOMUN) 8AM0ENSIS, Bainl.

Shell sometimes orbicular, sometimes ovate, rather thin, con-
centrically laminated and longitudinally rather obscurely ribbed ;
ribs on upper valve tinged with a purple hue, especially near the
umbo ; on under smface the shell is of a uniform dead white
colour ; beaks incurved ; teeth pits on ligamental hinge about 5
in number ; inner surface of valves dull pearly.

Length from 1 inch 4 lines to 1 inch 6 lines.
Breadth 1 inch 2i lines.
Hab. Tutuila, Samoan group.

Note. — The speciuieus upon which all the preceding species Lave been
founded, have heen presented to the British Museum hy Julius Brenchley, Esq.
Unfortunately, the examples of Helicina ftilyurnta have been lost by the artist.

INSECTS.

456 THE GBUISE OF THE ' GUBAQOA.'

HYMENOPTEEA ACULEATA.

Family Thyn>;id;e. Genus Thynnus, Fabr.

• PLATE XLUI. Fig. 2.
THYNNUS BEENGHLEYI, Smith.

Length, 14 lines. Black, with the head and prothorax yellow.
Head smooth and shining, the antenna black as well as the tips of
the mandibles. Thorax: the prothorax smooth and shining, its
anterior margin elevated. The meso- and metathorax black
above, both smooth and shining ; two small ferruginous angulated
spots in the middle of the anterior margin of the mesothorax
which has a few scattered delicate punctm'es; the scutellum finely,
but not closely punctured, and having in the middle, posteriorly,
a pointed tubercle; the metathorax with a small pale spot on each
side behind the insertion of the posterior wings; the wings
hyaline, dark brown at their base ; the anterior pair with a paler
cloud at their apex. The mesothorax ferruginous beneath ; the
anterior legs ferruginous, with the coxae and the femora beneath
yellow ; the intermediate and posterior legs ferruginous ; their
coxae with fuscous stains beneath ; the posterior tibiae above,
and their tarsi, black. Abdomen cylindrical, shining and finely
punctured, with the base abruptly truncate ; a minute indistinct
ferruginous spot at the base of the second segment in the middle,
and a similar spot in the middle of the fom-th, fifth, and sixth
segments ; there is also a minute lateral ferruginous line, indis-
tinctly visible, on the first foiu- segments ; the seventh segment

PL. 43.

G-.HFordL-

1 THYNNUS UNIFASCIATUS. <Smt&
2. THYNNUS BRENCHLEYI
3.THYNNUS CONSPICUUS^

TfatemBros .Trnp .

4.THYJS1NUS PULCHHATIS.SrRxfh..
5-POMPILUS PICTIPENNIS.

8 PPaOCNEMIS POLYDORJS.

j-iOndcTL Lonfmans Greffn 5t Co.

INSECTS. 457

lougitudinally striated ; beneath : a ferruginous spot, more or less
visible, in the middle of all the segments, which are strongly
pvmctured.

Hub. Western Australia (Champion Bay).

In Coll. Brit. Museum.

PLATE XLIII. Fig. 3.
THYNNUS OONSPIGUUS, Smith.

Length 12 lines. Luteo-testaceous, with the apex of the abdo-
men black. The antenna, ocelli, and tips of the mandibles
black ; the scape yellow in front. Thorax shining ; the wings
dark fuscous, the apical margin of the anterior pair, and the
posterior margin of second pair, subhyaline ; the legs slightly
ferruginous, the intermediate and posterior tarsi, except the base
of the first joint, black. Abdomen beneath, and the four apical
segments above, black ; the fourth segment with two small trans-
verse yellow spots ; the fifth segment has sometimes two smaller
spots of the same colour ; the seventh segment longitudinally
striated above.

Hab. North-West Coast of Australia.

In Coll. Brit. Museum.

PLATE XLIII. Fiu. 4, g.
THYNNUS PULCHBALIS.

(Smith, Cat. Hym. h^. Pt. VII. Appendix, p. 68.)

Hab. Adelaide. In Coll. Brit. Museum.

458 THE OEUISE OF THE 'OUBAQOA.'

PLATE XLIII. Fio. 1.
THYNNU8 UNIFASGIATUS, Smith.

Length, 9 lines. Black, with an orange band on the abdomen.
Head closely and finely punctured, slightly shining ; the face and
cheeks with hoary pubescence ; on the sides of the thorax, and
also beneath, there is a short pubescence of the same hue, on the
metathorax it is longer and more dense, the latter is transversely
striated ; the mesothorax above and the scutellum are shining,
and have a few shallow scattered punctm'es ; the legs have a short
hoary pubescence ; the wings dark brown ; the apical margins of
the anterior, and the posterior margins of the inferior pair, hyaline.
Abdomen, smooth and shining, with a few scattered fine punctures ;
the fourth segment yellow above, with its apical margin narrowly
black ; the basal segment rounded.

Hob. Queensland.

In Coll. Brit. Museum.

Family Pompilid.'e. Genus Pompilus, Fabr.

PLATE XLIII. Fig. 5.

POMPILUS PIOTIPENNIS.

(Smith, Cat. Hym. Ins. Pt. Ill, Mutilidie aud Pompilidse, p. 165, $ ).

Length, 8 lines. Hah. Moreton Bay.

In Coll. Brit. Museum.

Genus Phiocxejiis, ydiiodte.

PLATE XLIII. Fig. 6.

PBIOCNEMIS POLYDOBUS.

(Smith, Trans. ■Ent. Soc. (1868), p. 246, f .)

Length, 1 1 lines. Hab. Moreton Bay.

lu Coll. Brit. Museum.

460 THE GBUISE OF TEE ' CUBAQOA.'

PLATE XLIV. Fig. 1.
PBIOCNEMIS AFFEGTATUS.

(Smith, Trans. Eiii. Soc. (1868), p. 146, ? .)

Length, 8^ lines. In Coll. Brit. Museum.

PLATE XLIV. Fig. 2.
PBIOCNEMIS EPHIPPIATUS.

(Smith, Trans. Ent. Sue. (1868), p. 246, ? .)

Length, 8 lines. In Coll. Brit. Museum.

Family Sphegid;k. Genus Spuex, Liun.

PLATE XLIV. Fig. 3.

SPHEX AUBIFEX, Smith.

Length, 12^. Black, the head, and thorax above, clothed
with golden-coloured pubescence ; the legs and two basal segments
of the abdomen ferruginous. The scape of the antennae and
base of the flagellum beneath, ferruginous ; the clypeus and
mandibles ferruginous, the latter black at their tips. Thorax,
the wings flavo-hyaline, with a dark fuscous border on their apical
margins extending along the posterior border of the inferior
wings. Abdomen, the apical margin of the second segment and
all the following segments black.

Hab. North-West Coast of Australia.

In Coll. Brit. Museum.

PL . 44r.

GH.ForA

l.PRIOCNEMIS ATFECTATUS.^SVriifTi,
2.PR10CNEMIS EPHIPTTATUS.

3 SHHEX AURIFEX.

lifeil>em Bros -imp.
4SPHEXDEC0RATA. .SWu.iK.

5. sphexprj?:texta.

6. stizuspectoralis. .

London, Longmans Green & Co.

INSECTS. 461

PLATE XLIV. Fio. 4.
SPHEX DEGOBATA, Smith.

Length, 1 2 lines. Black, the base and apex of the abdomen
ferruginous. Head : the scape and two or three of the basal
joints of the flagellum ferruginous ; the clypeus and mandibles
ferriiginous, the latter black at their tips ; the face and cheeks
with golden pubescence. Thorax covered with a fine short
changeable golden pubescence, most dense on the metathorax ;
the tegulse, nervures of the wings, and the legs ferruginous, the
claws tipped with black ; the wings fulvo-hyaline. Abdomen fer-
ruginous, with the second segment black above, and with two
large black maculse beneath.

Hab. North- West Coast of Australia.

In Coll. Brit. Museum.

PLATE XLIV. Fig. 5.
SPHEX PB2ETEXTA, SmUh.

Length, 12 lines. Black : the face and metathorax clothed
with golden pubescence ; the cheeks and the vertex with long
thin pale yellow hair ; the wings sub-hyaline with their apical
margins slightly bordered with a fuscous cloud ; the posterior tibiae
with fine golden pile within ; the basal segment has a pale
changeable golden pile.

Hab. Moreton Bay.

In Coll. Brit. Museum.

Famili/ Nyssonid^. Genus Stizus, Latr.

PLATE XLIV. Fig. 6.

STIZUS PECTOBALIS.

(Smith, Cat. Bym. Ins. Pt. IV. p. 336.)

Length, 12 lines. Hab. Australia.

In Coll. Brit. Museum.

462 TEE CRUISE OF TEE ' CUBAgOA.'

DIPLOPTERA.

FamUy Masaeid;e. Genus Paragia, Shuck.

PLATE XLV. Fig. 2.

PABAGIA VESPIFOBMIS.

(Smith, Trans. Ent. Soc. 3rd ser. ii. 393, $ ; and Mem. vol. (1
p. 250, <J.)

liength 7 lines. Hab. Champion Bay, West Australia.

In Coll. Brit. Museum.

Genus Disccelius, Latr.
PLATE XLV. Fig. 1.

DISC(ELIU8 INSIGNIS.
(Sauss. Mon. Guepes. Sol. supp. p. 125, $ .)
Length 8 Hnes. Hab. New Holland.

Genus Eumenes, Latr.
PLATE XLV. Fig. 3, ?.

EUMENES SINENSIS, Smith.

Length 1 1 lines. Black : the clypeus, a spot between the
antennae, the scape in front and a narrow line behind the eyes
towards their summit, yellow ; the mandibles ferruginous, their
base black, fhorax punctured ; the prothorax, an ovate spot

JPL.iS.

I DISC^LIUS INSIGNIS, Sccufs

2. PARAGIA VESPIFORMIS, Smxthy

3. EUMEISES SINENSIS, Smtik.

GHJori

4 KHYNCHIUM MAGWIFICUM, Snuth.
5, MEGACHILE MONSTROSA, Smith..
6 STENOTRITUS SMARaGDINUS. SmjoK.

Mmtcm Bros m^

Lcmdon Lonjmajia, Green, iC"

INSECTS. 463

beneath the wings, the tegnlse, post-sciitellum and lateral margins
of the metathorax reddish-yellow ; the anterior legs, the inter-
mediate and posterior tibiae, and the tips of the femora ferrugi-
nous ; the outer margins of the intermediate and posterior coxse
reddish-yellow ; the tarsi more or less fuscous. Abdomen smooth
and shining ; the petiole punctured ; apical margin of the petiole
and a broad fascia on the apical portion of the second segment,
reddish-yellow ; beneath, the second, third, and fourth segments
have a narrow yellow fascia on their apical margins.

Hab. North China.

In Coll. Brit. Museum.

Genus Ehtnchium, Sauss.
PLATE XLV. Fig. 4.

BETNGHIUM MAGNIFICUM.

(Smith, Trans. Eni, Soc. (1866), p. 310, ? .)

Hah. Nicol Bay, West Australia. In Coll. Brit. Museum.

Family AirDEENiD;E. Genus Stenotbitus.

PLATE XLV. Fig. 6, ?.

STENOTBITUS SMABAGDINTJS.

(Smith, Trans. Ent. Soc. (1868), p. 251.)

Hab. Champion Bay, West Australia. In Coll. Brit. Museum.

Family Apid.;e. Genus Megachile, L,itr.

PLATE XLV. Fig. 5, $.

MEGACHILE MONSTBOSA.

(Smith, Trans. Eni. Soc. (1868), p. 256.)

Hab. Champion Bay, West Australia. In Coll. Brit. Museum.

464 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CURAQOA.

LEPIDOPTERA.

Famffy NTjrpnALin^ ("Westwood). Sub-Famity Danain;e Bat.'s).

Gemis EuPLCEA (Fabrieius).

PLATE XLVI. Fios. 1-4.

EUPLCEA BRENCHLEYI, Butler.
Ann. and Mng. Nat. Hist. s. 4, rol. v., p. 357, n. 2 (1870).

S Wings above pitchy-brown : front wings with white external
area ; the outer margin broadly brown ; a silky streak below the
first median branch : hind wings brown, the outer anal area paler;
costa silky pale brown.

Wings below paler than above, external area white : front wings
with three central violet-tinted points, the largest within the dis-
coidal cell, and a white discal point : hind wings with pale brown
costa ; a discoidal spot and an angulated series of five discal
points, all violet-tinted ; base white-spotted : body black, white-
spotted.

9 Differs from the male in having a broad white external area
to all the wings and a white internal streak on the under surface
of the front wings. Expanse of wings 3 inches 2 lines.

Five specimens (four $ , one ? ). South Sea Islands. Colls.
Brit. Museum and Maidstone.

Allied to E. lapeyrousei and E. sepulchralis, and interesting
as being one of a double series of parallel species resembling one
another in colour but differing in form.

PL. 46.

A G Sutler ad eSMh

ilmtsm Bro' jinp

EUPLCE/>^ BRENCHLEYI .

London. Lon^ans "ireen & Co.

H II

400 THE CBUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.'

PLATE XLVII. Figs. 3, 4.

EUPLCEA LORENZO, Butler. ' ,

Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. s. 4, vol. v., p. 359, n. 7 (1870).

S Allied to E. Jessica (Butler, in Lep. Exot. pi. viii. fig. 3)
Wings above black, shot with blue ; front wings with a white
spot between second and third median branches, and an iuterno-
discal greenish streak: hind wings with brown costal area ; seven
creamy discal spots as in E. Jessica.

Wings below blackish-brown with purple reflections ; front
wings with a discoidal spot, a discal jioint beyond it, and the
discal streak of the upper surface white ; internal area brown :
hind wings with base white-spotted ; three central spots in a
nearly straight series, a minute point near them, and the seven
discal spots of the upper surface, white. Body brown, white-
spotted. Expanse of wings 3 inches 7 lines.

One specimen. South Sea Islands. Coll. Brit. Museum.

A third species of the group to which E. Treitschkii belongs.

PLATE XLVII. Eios. 1, 2.

EUPLCEA IMITATA, Bufler.

Ann. and Mag. Kat. Hist. b. 4, vol. v., p. 359, n. 8 (1870).

S Wings above pitcliy brown ; front wings with white external
area, tinted with rosy-ojjaline ; a spot of white on costa near
external area ; anal area and costa ochre-tinted ; a rosy-white oval
spot below first median branch ; outer margin slenderly black-

I>1L.4'L

ASBijUerddelUtli-

Mmtem Bro* ing).

1. 2.EUPLCSA IMITATA
3; t EUPLCEA. LORENZ .

London LcngTnaxis Green k Co.

INSECTS. 467

brown ; Iiind wings with a large whitish-ocbreoiis subcostal pear-
shaped patch, partly covering the discoidal cell ; the costal area
silky ; external area ocliraceous ; the internervular folds termi-
nating in white points ; eight obsolete discal white spots ; body
black -brown ; head and prothorax white-spotted.

Wings below paler ; front wings with the internal area dirty
white ; the oval spot of upper surface obsolete, a second rounded
rosy-white one below second median branch ; two white points
near outer margin ; hind wings brown ; a large cloud of a deeper
tint towards apex ; outer area whitish, ten decreasing white
points, zoned with jourplish, near outer margin ; body black,
white-spotted ; expanse of wings 3 inches 3 lines.

One example. South Sea Ihlands. Coll. Brit. Museum.

Allied to E. assimilata of Felder and parallel to E. Brenchleyi.

468 TEE CRUISE OF TEE 'CURAgOA:

Genus Danais, Latreille.
PLATE XLVIII. Figs. 1,2.

DANAIS INSOLATA, Bnih-i:

Ann. and Mag. Kat. Hist. s. 4, vol. v., p. 360, n. 2 (1870).

S, 5 Wings above brown, the disc obsoletely streaked wth
fulvous between the nervures ; front wings with the external area
snow-white, divided by the nervures (especially at anal angle),
interrupted by an oblong costal patch, and separated at apex into
five marginal points ; hind wings with a white marginal band,
separated by the nervures into eight subdivided square spots ;
margin black.

Wings below paler ; hind wings more fulvous tlian above, the
marginal spots entire ; expanse of wings 2 inches 11 lines.

Two specimens {S , $ ). South Sea Islands. Coll. Brit. Museum.

Genus Diabema, Boisdural.
PLATE XLVni. Figs. 3, 4.

tllADEMA BOLINA, Idnnceus, var,

? Very like the female of the variety P. Lasinassa Fabr., but
Vvith the black suffusion of front wings confined to the discoidal
and anal areas ; hind wings without dusky scaling on disc, and
with central spot pearly white ; it differs below in being paler,

FL.49.

A & Biider del et litli

MiaterriBro- m^i

1. 2.I)ANAIS INSOLATA.
3.4.DIADEMiV BOLINA, ra.r-.

Longmans Green ?c ^o

INSECTS. 469

and having a white band across liind wings ; expanse of wings
3 inches 5 lines.

Two specimens. South Sea Islands. Colls. Brit. Museum and
Maidstone.

This variety is most interesting as it is the lightest form of this
very variable species which is yet known ; the female of the form
P. Laslnassa has never been figui-ed, therefore it is important
that this insect, which better exhibits the extent of modification
to which the species is subject, should be made known.

470 TEE CEUISE OF TILE ' GURAQOA.'

Family Papilioniti;f,, Doiibleday. Suh-Family Pierin;t:, Bates.

Genus Callidryas, Boisduval.

PLATE XLIX. Figs. 1, 2.
OALLTDEYAS LAGTEA, Builer.

Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. s. 4, vol. v., p. 301 (1870).

^ , ? Wings above white, the apex tinted with brown ; males
with a very minute brown discocellular point, females with a
larger one ; body above grey, head somewhat greenish.

Wings below pale ochraceous, hatched with ochreous ; a minute
brownish discocellular ring-spot ; front wings with the internal
area whitish ; body below whitish, antennas ochraceous ; expanse
of wings 2 inches 7 lines.

Three examples (2^, 1$). South Sea Islands. Colls. Brit.
Museum and Maidstone.

This species also occurs in various parts of Australia ; in India
it is replaced by C. Gnoma, Fabricius, but I have seen nothing
like it from the Malayan Archipelago; a very similar form also
occurs in Africa (C Pyrene, Swainson).

Genus Tebias, Swaiuson.
PLATE XLIX. Fig. 3.

TEBIAS INGANA, Wallace.
Trans. Ent. Soc. s. 3, vol. iv., p. 322, n. 10 (1867).

i Wings above sulphur-yellow ; front wings with a minute
black discocellular point ; outer margin to first median branch
broadly brown ; suddenly narrowed and bisinuate from third
median ; hind wings with abdominal margin whitish ; nervures

PL.iB.

AC-3-jUer ael efMli.

"MiTilem Bro' imp

1.2. CALUDBiaS LACTEA.

3.TERIAS MGANA.
45.APP1AS MELANIA.

lor.don- LonSmans Orcen & ■

INSECTS. 471

terminated by minute brown marginal points ; body blackish-grey
above ; head and prothorax greenish olivaceous ; antenna brown
with orange tijj.

Wings below golden yellow, with black discocellular point ;
basal costa sparsely irrorated with dark brown ; brown markings
of hind wings as in the various nearly allied species of the Drona
group ; body below yellow, antennte white ; expanse of wings
1 inch 7 lines.

Sydney. Coll. Brit. Museum.

This little species has never before been figiu-ed ; in the margin
of its fore wings it forms a distinct section of the genus, and comes
near the group to which T. Drona, Libythea, Venata, and others
belonar.

Genus Appias, Hubner.
PLATE XLIX. Figs, 4, 5.

APPIAS MELANIA, Fahncius.
St/st, EiU. p. 473, u. 128 (1775).

(? Front wings above creamy-white, pale blue-grey at base ;
apical area broadly blackish-brown, deeply bisinuate between the
median branches, and almost divided through the centre by an
oblique, somewhat arched series of five creamy spots ; hind wings
pale blue-grey, a large patch of creamy-white covering costal
area, apex and apical part of outer margin broadly blackish-brown
and deeply sinuated between the nervures ; body above greenish-
grey, abdomen brownish.

Front wings below creamy-white ; base broadly orange-yellow ;
basal half of costa sulphur-yellow ; apex rosy-brown ; otherwise as
above ; hind wings rosy-brown, base of costa orange-yellow ; a
broad diffused discal olive-brown band, and outside it a series of

472 THE CRUISE OF THE ' GURAQOA:

five to six diffused whitish spots ; body below dirty-white ; expanse
of wings 2 inches 8 lines.

Australia.

The original type specimen of A. Melania has long been
imique in the Collection of the late Sir Joseph Banks, now in the
possession of the Trustees of the British Museum ; the original
figure in Donovan's Insects of New Holland is so poor that
Lepidopterists who were not aware of the existence of the type
in the Banksian Collection had given up all hope of ever deter-
mining the species, the Fabrician description not being sufficiently
detailed to enable them to correct the errors in Donovan's
drawing ; it is therefore important that this beautiful butterfly
should be correctly delineated.

474 THE GBUISE OF THE ' CUB AGO .V

Sub-Family Papilioninie (Bates), Genws Papilio (Fabricius)

Group Oenithoptera (Boisduval).

PLATE L.
PAPILIO (OBNITHOPTEBA) GASSANDBA, Scott.

$ Nearly allied to P. Richmondla Gray, but nearly as large as
P. Priamus Linn, which it resembles in the pattern of the front
wings above ; hind wings as in P. Richmondia, but the upper-
most spot sometimes enlarged ; the green bands of front wings
and the whole of hind wings exhibiting strong coppery reflections
in certain lights as in P. Richmondia ; abdomen of a deeper
yellow than in P. Richmondia or P. Priamus.

Front wings below nearly as in P. Priamus, but the discal row
of black spots broader and connected into a band, and the green
patch in cell redu.ced to two small spots ; hind wings nearly as in
P. Richmondia, but the costal area, up to the yellow submarginal
spots, filled in with black ; body below with black thorax spotted
with crimson at junction with wings ; abdomen yellow; expanse
of wings 6 inches 4 lines.

Queensland. Coll. Brit. Museum.

The female of this species was described and figured by Mr.
Scott {Tr. Ent. Sac. N. S. W. 1, 2, p. 131, pi. 10), but the male
was then unknown to him ; there are two males and a female in the
Collection of the British Museum, and also a female, from Lizard
Island, of what I take to be a variety of the same species : as will
be seen, from the above comparative description, this species is
clearly intermediate between P. Priamus of Linnaeus and P. Rich-
mondia oi G. E. Gray.

H
P^
O

•—I

pi
po
a

INDEX.

NEW

Torres

J I L.

Artiiiirl.^ „ a *Phae

Phoenix Islands

Otirdnerlo BuH I? 'Sidit&y

c,NlAOA

3A OR NAMGATO^

rpo'

(rood Bope 7- J

Omjco/

Lathe » /Pf

F R I E\N D L V

■*a=

I I I

'^^«.

!'!'**>«"'

■5i>

, _. uiA or
Safa0<^ I.

PajtmfTSton^ 1. ^;

riV>UIWU>IL/.4 , \Byron I

* ■^^^i"'

j ^BoUgWUTllIc I

V__:a \irvsT«ab*i 1

Gnailaicanai i,

',,^i:t^zss.

End^un I
Jrl/uir ; , , , trhm ur 7

P li a.- n . > Islands

Xrljlrrlaiut t

d Cd BUtES 1* I

S LJ ,N o s Gi-odl/,>pFlj

.-fiTuuyiira

F n 1 Kljt, J) !■ r

'fe/w

,^«o^™:*AV,o.ro^,^^^

L.o?=^^' ,„,>

TongBJnho^ir.'V
tfyLrtaarl I

ttdoo 1'

tSbaadeyl.
'Oalul

Thn<pJIu^9f_y ._ {b/i

Chart of tte

SOUTH SEA ISLANDS

to mxfiTnpnnv
"Jot&n^s during Uie cruise iil' H.M S. Curacoa"

Julius BrencUwyMA FKG.S.

E of GrMTiwich IflO W of

^"-•"'

L"TiJifiuLinuFnutJu^

INDEX.

ADA

ADAMS, George, son of a mutineer of
the ' Bounty,' 4

Alofi, a village in Nine Island, 20

Ambrym Island, 233

Amedi5e, lighthouse of, 329

Amed, island of, 329

Anatom, island of, visit to, 193. Beauty
of, 193. Whale fishery of, 19o, 199.
Climate of, 195. Hurricanes of, 195.
Population of, 195. Diseases of, 196.
Causes of a decrease of the population
of, 196. Language of, 196. Character
and acquirements of the natives, 196,
197. Missionaries and their work,
197. Government of, 198. Fruits
and vegetables of, 198, 199. Exports
from, 199. Indigenous rat of the
island, 199. Birds of, 199. Reptiles
of, 200. Fish of, 200. Insects of, 200.
Common articles of barter, 200. Red
earth of, 207

Animals in Upolu, 86

Ants of Guadalcanar, 275

Anuu, or Cocoanut Island, -37

Aoloau, village of, in Tutuila Island, 57

Api Island, 283

Apia Bay, in Upolu, 61, 62. Food to be
obtained iit, 85

Arrowroot in the Fiji Islands, 189

Ass's Ears on Florida Island, the roclcs
so called, 278

Asur, an active volcano of, 211

Ava made on Tutuila Island, 50. For-

BUK

bidden by the missionaries in the
Hawaiian Archipelago, 51. Ava
(Piper niephystieimi) plentiful in
Tanna, 213

BALISTES, native bas-relief of, 261
Ball's Pyramid, 2, 3

Banks' Islands, visit to, 233, 23-1. Na-
tives of, 240

Bea, Captain Croker's siege of, and
death at, 113

Beche-de-Mer, yield of, in the Fiji Is-
lands, 189

Birds of Nine Island, 25. Of Tutuila,
49. In Upolu, 86. Of Tongatabu,
112, 135. Of Ovalau, 1.52. Of San
Christoval, 269. Found at sea, 296.
Found in the South Sea Islands,
353.

Bligh Island, 234

Bocatatanoa, or the Great Argo, 144

Boutan, M., manager of the model farm
at Yahove, 337. His plough, 339

Boscawen, or Cocos Island, 89

Braidwood, Mr., on Tutuila Island, 50,
51

Brazier, Mr., accompanies the cruise of
the ' Cura^oa ' as shell collector, 2

Bread-fruit wood never attacked by
worms, 85

Biiena Vista, 'sland of, 286

Buke-Levu, mountain clilf of, 177

478

INDEX.

BUE

Bun, a fruit found at San Christoval,

2G6
Byron, Lord, scene of an adventure in

his poem of ' The Island,' 98, 101

CALEDONIA, New, view of, from
the sea, 326. Waterfall at Un-

diana, 326. Havannah Passage, 320.

Port Goro and Good Cove, 326, 327.

Vegetation of, 327. Birds of, 327.

Canoes of, 328, 329. Affairs of the

Isle of Lifu, 334. Visit to the model

farm of Yahove, 337. Natives of,

341. Religion of the people, 342.

Their wars, 343. Women of, in

battle, 343. Customs of, 343, 344.

The Kev. Mr. Murray's account of the

people, 344. Captain Cook's visit

to, 344. Careful cultivation of, 345.

Remarkable system of irrigation, 345.

Women in, 346. Remains of ancient

aqueducts, 347
Cannibalism, suppression of, in Fiji,

1G5. Conjecture as to origin of, 165.

Of the natives of Tanna, 209
Candle-nut tree {Aleurites triloba), 134
Canoe, a double war-, 56. Canoes of

Vavau, 90. Of Tonga, 136. Of

Florida Island, 279
Caves, curious, on coast of Vavau, 97, 99
Cascade Bay, 4, 5. Beauty of, 5
Cascade St.ation, Norfolk Island, G
Cascade in Upolu, 84. Of Waitoba,

150
Centipedes of gi-eat size on Norfolk

Island, 11
Chevron, M., French missionary at

Tongatabu, 119. Visit to him, 120
Clubs of the natives of Florida Island,

281
Cockatoo, or Eastern, Islet, in St.

George's Bay, 286. SmaUness of, 287.

Natives of, 287
Cocoa-nut fibre, great quantity to be

had in the Fiji Islands, 189
Cocoa-nut trees -of Eramanga, 321

Div

Cocoa-nut oil in Upolu, 85. Of Ton-
gatabu, 135. Of Tutuila Island, 46.
Of the Fiji Islands, 187

Cocos Island, or Boscawen's Island, 189

Coffee, cultivation of, in the Fiji Is-
lands, 89. Of New Caledonia, 345

Cole, Mr., the American Consul at
Upolu, 66

Contrarieties Island. See Ulakua

Coral beach of the island of San Chris-
toval, 265

Cotton planting at Tongatabu, 136. At
Ovalalu, 146. Cultivation in the
Fiji Islands, 187, 188. Grown and
exported from Anatom, 199

Crabs, land, in Upolu, their peculiar
habits, 86

Crater, an ancient, in L'^polu, 84. One
in the Island of Savaii, 84

Creelman, a cotton planter, his petition
to the captain of the ' Curafoa,' 154,
155

Croker, Captain, his siege of, and
death at, Bea, 113

' Cui-afoa,' accident to the, 297. Visit
from King George of Tonga, 115,
117. Visited by two French mis-
sionaries. 117

Cypraea moneta, or Nunpuri, passes as
money in Eramanga, 299

'T\AY SPRING' accompanies the
-L' ' Curafoa ' to Havannah Harbour,

216, 218. Goes to port of Vila, 233
Deception Isle, 216
Deification of warriors and friends

among the Fijians, 181
Dent, Commander, leads the men of the

'Curafoa' at the attack on Tanna,

202, 203
Dillon's Bay, 297. Visit to, 304. Cost

of a woman at, .304
Diploptera of the South Sea Islands, 468
Diseases of Tutuila, 57. Of the Sa-

moans, 83
Diving of the natives of ^'avau, 09-101

INDEX

47S)

EAE

EAR ornaments of tlie natives of Santa
Cruz Islands, 246, 247

Ebon}' trees of Ysabel Island, 289

Efatj island of. See Vate

Eleanor, Queen of Golea, 174. Her
dress, 174. Her arguments in defence
of poly gam}', 175

Elephantiasis in Tutiiila, 57. Among
tlte Samoans, 8?>

Eoa, island of, 112. Vegetation of, 134

Eramanga, visit to, 294, 297. Moun-
tains of, 297. War among the natives
of, 298. Sandal-wood and Kauri pine
of, 298, 299. Shells and birds of,
299, .300. The village of Sifu bom-
barded, 302. Visit to Dillon's Bay,
304, 305. Area of the island, 318.
Diseases of, 318. Government of, 319.
Infanticide in, 319. Their god Nabu,
320. Captain Edwards and his for-
tune, 320. Articles exported, 320.
Vegetation of, 321. Birds and wea-
pons of, 322

Eramanga, island of, 1 94

Erronan, or Fotuna, island of, 201

Erskine, Captain, his accomit of the Nine
Islanders, 31

Espiritu-Santo, island of, 233

Eiitassa, or Auricaria excelsa, the Nor-
folk Island pine, 5, 11

FALATELE, or public house of re-
ception at Feleasau, 37

Fala-teles, 78

Fate, island of. See Vate

Feleasau, village of, 36, 78

Fijian idols, 146, 147

Fijians, model of a buri, or temple
of the, 147. Suppression of can-
nibalism among them, 165. Jack-
son's praise of them, 168. Capt. Er-
skine's confirmation of it, 168. Their
intelligence and acuteness, 169. Their
songs and hymns, 169. Their pro-
verbs, 170. Their capacity of con-
versing, 170. Their love of fun and
jest, 170. What value they attach to

FEE
truth, 171. Their readiness to welcome
foreigners, 172. Notices of the islands,
179. Population of all the islands,179.
Government of, 179. Dialects of, 180.
Mythology of the Fijians, 180. Pro-
gress of the islanders in civilisation,

182. Their food, 183. Temperature
of Fiji, 183. Diseases of the people,

183. Depopulation of the island.s, 183.
Eapidity of the vegetation of, 184.
European population of the group,

184. Contact of the islanders with
Europeans, 184. Land in the islands,

185. GiFer of the islands to Britain,

185. Internal trade, note 185. Native
notions respecting property in land,

186. Value of the exports in 1863 and
1864, 187. Articles of commerce, 189.
Introduction of the sugar-cane and
coflfee, 189. Articles most in demand
in Fiji, 190. Land purchasable in,
191. System of scanty cultivation,
191. Climate of, healthy, 191 Excel-
lence of the wool of, 192. Eapid in-
crease of the flocks of, 192

Fire, method of igniting wood, 151

Fishes of Nine Island, 25. Of Tu-
tuila, 60. Flying fish, 144. Found
in the South Sea Islands, 411. Of
Tongatabu, 135. Poisonous fish, 214

Florida, island of, 277. Natives of, 278,
280, 282. Gulf of Mboli, 279.
Canoes of the island, 279. Shield
and two-handed clubs, 281. Beauty
of the island, 284. Madrepore, reef
at, 283, 289. Villages of, 284. Is
divided by a creek or channel, 295

Flying fish, swarms of, 144

Foljarabe, Mr., meets with a waterfall
at AVaitoba, 150. Goes up to Viria
and Naitasiri, 157

Fotuna, or Erronan, isle of, 201

France, Port-de-, visit to, 328, 329.
Town of, 3.35, 337. View of, .3.36

French lady, and her turn for natural
history, 147. Supplies the autlior
with a collection, 148

480

INDEX.

FBI

Friendly Islands, islands comprised in

the, 94
Fruit of Tongatabu, 135. Of Anatom,

198, 199. Of San Christoval, 266
Fimga-loa, or Deep Bay. See Pango-

Pango Bay
Funga-tele, village of, 50, 51
Funga-sa, or Sacred Bay, or Massacre

Bay, 49, 50

GEORGE, King of Tonga. See Tuboa,
George

George's Bay, St., mountains of, 2S6

Golea, king of Wariki, 174

Good Coye, in Praslin Bay, 327

Gordon, Rev. Mr., a missionary, at
Anatom, 194. Murder of his brother
and his wife, 195

Goro Port, in New Caledonia, 326

Gower, Mount, 2

Graciosa, Port, 244

Graphite found in the Fiji Islands, 190

Grottoes of Vavau, 98, 99

Guadalcanar, visit to, 274. Mountain
of, 274. Houses of, 276. Natives
of, 276. Birds of, 276

Guillain, Madame, .332

Guillain, M., governor of Port-de-France,
.331. Visit from him, .331. Notice of
him, 332. His house, 333. His
punishment of the natives, 333. His
account of matters in the Island of
Lifu, 334. Goes with the visitors to
the model farm of Yahove, 337

Gum, or resin, from theDakua, or Fijian
Kauvi-pine (Dammara vitiensis), 158

HAAFULUHAO Islands, 94
liada, or Recherche Bay, visit to,
270. The self-styled king of, 270.
Natives of, 272
Ilapai Islands, 94. Under the sway of

King George, 141.
Hat Island, entrance to Havannah har-
bour, 216

Havannah harbour, entrance to, 216.

A'isit to, 216. Appearance of the

natives of, 217. Their dress and

ornaments, 217
Hawaii, manners of the half-castes of, 12
Heathcote, midshipman, at the attack

on Tanna, 203
Hebrides, New, island of, 233
Henry, Mr., of Eramanga, 299
Hermit-crabs of Guadalcanar, 275
Hinchinbrook Island, 233
Holland, a seaman of the ' Cura^oa,'

falls at the attack on Tanna, 203
Ilolothuria foimd on Ysabel Island, 288
Hood, Mr., his visit to Nine, 34. And to

Tutuila, 37. His account of Samoan
■ houses, 42
liymenoptera aculeata of the South Sea

Islands, 462

INDISPENSABLE Reefs, wreck of a
whale-ship on, 270, 271

Indispensable Strait, 276

Inglis, Rev. Mr., holds a meeting of mis-
sionaries at Anatom, 307. They re-
commend decisive measures against
Tanna and Eramanga, 307. Mr. Inglis
reproved for sanctioning these pro-
ceedings, 308. Defends himself in a
letter to the Presbyterian Mission-
Board, 308. Facts on which he relies
in his defence examined, 308-316.
His policy of retaliation criticised, 316.
Value of the reproof, 317.

Insects of Guadalcanar, 275. Found in
the South Sea Islands, 453

' Island,' the scene of the adventure iu
Byron's poem of, 98, 101

JACKSON, the English sailor, his
account of the Fijians, 168
Jones, Capt., consul at Levuka, 145

KANDAVU, island of, visit to, 176.
Size of the island, 170. Resident

nynax.

■181

KAV

luissionaiies of, 176. Isthmus of Yar-
abali, 177. Population of, 177. Moun-
tain cliffof Buke-Leru, 177. Pottery
of the village of Yawe, 177. ^'isit of
H.M.S. ' Esk ' to, 177. Letter to the
captain of the ' Esk ' from native
boatmen, 17S. Pop\ilalion of the
island, 179

Kava, fields of, at Tongatabu, 125. Prepa-
ration of in the Kava ring, 125-129.
Ceremonies iu pai-takiug it, 132

Kava bowl of Fiji, given by King Tha-
kumbau to the Commodore, 1G3

Kauri pine, native name for, 298

Keppel Island, 89

Kermedac Islands, 17

Koya-ne-Kululu, the chief, the Com-
modore's letter to, 158

Kingston, town of, iu Norfolk Islaud, 9

Kulczycki, Count Adam.the Government
asti-onomer at Port-de-Fnuice, 331

LAMMAS, Mount, height of, 274
Language of Niue, 28. Of Tu-

tuila, 45. Languages of Tanna, 211
Latte, island of, volcano of, 97, 104
Lawes, Rev. Mr., his house at tlie

village of Aloti, 20. The missionary

himself, 20, 21
Lemon trees and lemous in Norfolk Is-
land, (5
Leoue, village of, iu Tutuila, OG
Lepidopteraof the South Sealslands,470
Levuka, visit to the port of, 144
Levuka Bay, visit to, 170. Village of,

170
Lifuka, a chief at, rudely treated by a

missionary. 111
Lord Howe Island, 2
Low Island, 234
Luce, Captain, his visit to a natural cave

in Vavau, 00. His visit to Kaudavu,

177
Lying condemned by the Fijiaus, 171,

172

MBA

MAAFU, sou of King Geoivre of
Tonga, 107. Gives himself up to

drink, 143
MacF;vrlane, Kev. Mr., compelled to

submit to the Governor of Xew Ciile-

donia, 334
Madi-epore lleef at Florida Islaud.2S3,284
Malachite found in the Fiji IsliUids, liH)
Malapoa Point, Sandwich Islaud, 215
Malanta, or Malatfl, island of, 270. Posi-
tion and extent of. 270, 277
Miilicolo, island of, 233
Malietoa, 72 ; and )wlt'f. Siguifieation

of his name, 74
Manono, Islaud of, 86
Manners, influence of, according to

Burke, 81
Maofaugn, visit to French missionaries

at, 120
Marau Sound, visit to, 274. Curaijoa

Harbour, Guadalcauar, 275
Man's, one of the Loyalty Islands, visit

to, 323
Marriage among the natives of Tutuila

Islaud, 58
Mauumai, Tsmuese chief, adheres to

Christiauity, 211
Massacre Bay, 49, 50, 57
Mataku, islaud of, subuiits to Tougan

supremacy, 140
Mbau, island of, 144. Uoadstead of,

153, 154. The residence of King
Thakumbau, 154. Compliiiut of a
cotton planter of the name of Creel-
man, 154. Visit to the town of Uewa,

154. Houses of, 155. Visit to tho
Kev. Mr. Carey, 157. Journey of
Mr, Foljanibe up to ^'iria, 157. And
to Naitasiri, 157. Natives of, 158.
The city said to bo dirty, 103. Eleven
villages or towus taken by the King's
warriors, 104. Tho Akaulabii, or
sacred tree, of Mbau, 104. Tliobniiu-
ing stone of, 104. Cruel practices of
tho Fijiaus, 107. Not unparalleled in
civilisation, 107. The strangers' house
at, 172

1 I

482

INDEX.

MBO

Mboli, Gulf of, in Florida Island, 279. Its
harbour named Port Wiseman, 27!)

McFarland, Mr., at Upolu, 65. His com-
plaints against the missionaries, 60

Meade, Lieut., his account of caves on
the coast of Vavau, 97. Transferred to
the ' Esk,' 90, note. Takes comnumd of
an expedition to the town of Rewa,loo

Megapodius, egg of a, 241

Mele, language of the isle of, 225

IMelata, isle of, 276. Position and ex-
tent of, 276

!Mice in Tutuila Island, 60

Miner.als, absence of, in the Samoan
group, 84

Moalo, island of, submits to the Tongan
supremacy, 140

Moore, Rev. Mr., at Ovalau, 149

Moss, Mr., secretary to King George of
Tonga, 109, 118,124

Mota, or Sugar-loaf Island, 234. Popu-
lation of, 241

Mothe, reef of, 144

Moturikir Island, from the sea, lo3

Moulton, Rev. Mr., lOo. His wife, 111,
112

Mu Island, Port-de-France, 330

Murray, Mr. A. W., his visit to tlie
Islandof Nine, 30

"VTABU, god of the Eramangans, 320

-Ll Nairai, isle of, 144

Naitasiri, journey of Mr. Foljamhe up
to, 157. Dense population of, 158

Kakoai, palm nuts, 199

Neau, island of, 144

Necklaces of the natives of Ulakua, 251

Neiafu, village of, 90. Natives of, 02
Chapel at, 03. Townhall at, 94

Nettleton, Rev. Mr., resident missionary
at Kandavu, 176

' Neuba's Cave,' Byron's poem of, 98

New Caledonia. See Caledonia.

Niua, or Immer, island of, 201 ■

Nine, or Savage Island, 17, 18, 24. Na-
tives of, 10. An .A.lbino at, 19. House
of the Rev. Mr. I. awes at the village

of Alofi, 20. The natives, 21, 23, 27,
28, 31. Vegetation of, 22, 23. Roads
in, 24. Birds and .animals of, 25, 26.
Fishes of, 25. Dress of the women, '28.
Language of, 28. Government of, 28.
Morality of the people, 20. Cook's
visit, 29. Why he called it Savage
Island, 29. Misrepresentations oi na-
tive character, 28-33. Jlr. Hood's
testimony, 34

Nobbs, Rev. Mr., 6, 7. His chequered
career. Death of his son, 14

Norfolk I.-^Iand, 3. Piteairn settlers at,
4, 5. The old convict prison and
-barracks 7, 8. Coral reef at Sydney
Bay, 10. Scenery of, 11. Character
of the settlers on the island, 11, 12.
Their amiability and ho.spitality, 11-
13. Th;ir diversions, 13. The Ame-
rican and his flag, 15. Mr. Hood's
testimony, 16, note.

Norfolk Island pine, specimens of, 5, 11

Nnf e ornaments of the natives of Ulakua,
250, : 54

Nowar Tannese chief, adheres to Chris-
tianity, 211

Nukualofa, education of the children at,
131

OCILI, port of, 243
Oportuno, the Samoan chief, 75

Opossum killed in San Christoval, 265.
Death of a pet one on board, 296

Ovalau, visit to, 144. The coast at
the port of Levuka, 144, Absence of
the consul. Captain Jones, 145. Cot-
ton cultivated in the island, 146.
Russell and his wares, 146. Water-
fall at Waitoba, 150. Vegetation of,

150, 151. Method of kindling wood,

151. People of, and their appearance,
151, 152. The island from the sea, 153

Oysters of Tongatabu, 135

PALU ALE, island of, 80
Pandanus trees of Guadalcanar, 275

INDEX.

483

SAN

Pango-Pnngo Bay, anchorage of, 37,
Maimga, tbe chief of, 40. Dines with
his wife on board, 53. Her lilieness,

53. Effect of an ice-cream upon him,

54. Enjoys potted salmon, 54
Papalangi Jonah Poliahorse, the En-
glishman of Vavan, f)0, 05. Appointed
guide to tbe party, 96

Patteson, Bishop, 6. Confirms some of

the settlers on Norfolk Island, 13.

Witnesses a painful affiiir at Santa

Cruz, 14. In the ' Southern Cross,'

235. One of his boys killed at Hada,

271. Comments on the murder of, 305

Patteson, Port, 234. See Vanua-Lava

Paum Island, 233

Paton, Rev. Mr., at Tanna, 104. His

sufferings there, 104
Peruvian pirates at Nine, 20
Philip Island, 3. Colours of the coast,

3. Thronged with rabbits, 4
Philo, on the attributes of the Deity, 181
Pigeon Island, visit to, 293. Immense

numbers of the pigeons at, 293
Pigeon, tooth-billed (Didunculi.s stri-

girostris), 80
Pigs in Niue, 26. In Tutuila, 00. Ee-
served for public festivals, 00, note.
In Tanna, 213
Pine, Eutassa, or Norfolk Island, 5, 11.
Dakua, or Fijian Kauri pine. Era-
mangan name of Kauri pine, 208
Pishi-tali (the Great Cascade), in the

Island of Tutuila, 56
Pitcairn settlers, 4,
Policemen in Niue Island, 27
Potato, the principal food of Norfolk

Island,
Potteiy of Mbau, 158
Pottery, Fijian, best made at the village

of Yawe, 177
Powell, Pev. Mr., his house at Tutuila,

44. His wife, 44. His work, 45
Praslin Bay, in New Caledonia, 320
Presbyterian mission vessel, ' Day
Spring,' at Anatom, 104. At Tanu.i,
201

Pritchard, Mr., at Upolu, 71. Mischief

done by his horses and mares, 72
Protection Isle, 210

QUEEN Charlotte, Cape, in New
Caledonia, 326

KADIATA found on Ysabel Island,
288

Raoul, or Sunday Island, 17

Recherche Bay. l>ce Hada
• Reid's Islands, 144

Reptiles, venomous, imknown on Nor-
folk Island, 11. And on Niue, 20.
In Tutuila, CO. In Upolu, 87. In
Tanna, 213. Found in the South
Sea Islands, 305

Rewa, visit of an expedition to the town
of, 154. Visit to the king, Tui-
Dritkiti, 150

Roman Catholic missions, 121-124

Rossiter, Mr., at Norfolk Island, 5, 7.
His daughter married to an American,
10

Rura-Sua, island of, 277

Russell, an old sailor, and his wares,
140

SAGANA, neatness of, 77
Samaze, M., French missionary at

Tongatabu, 119. Visit to him, 120
Samoau chief in war costume, 73
Samoan houses, Mr. Hood's account of,

42. Villages, 77. People, 78-81.

Deities, 82. Absence of minerals in

the islands, 84
San Christoval, island of, 248. Visit

to, 204. Vegetation of, 264. Coral

beach of, 265. Natives of, 265

Cocoa-nut trees of, 265. Houses of

266. Native carving resembling a
European hat, 266. Canoe-house of,

267. Roads of, 267. Birds of, 267

I 1 -z

484

INDEX.

SAN
Sandal-wood of Eramanga, 298, 320.

Native name for, 298
SandTvich Island. See Vate
Sandwich Islands, wail of the people of,

173, 7iofe
Sandj' Point, anchorage at, 89
San Just, Don Edouardo, 1
Santa Anna, island of, 248
Santa Cruz, painful affair at, narrated

by Bishop Patteson, 13. Island, 243,

244
Savaii, island of, 62, 89
Scorpions and snakes of Tongatabu, 135
Scudamore, Mr., master of the ' Curafoa,'

destroys the Tannese canoes, 203
Sharks devouring drowning men, native

bas-reliefs of, 261. Tiger-sharks, oil'

Niue, 18
Shells found in the South Sea Inlands,

437
Shields of the chiefs of Florida Island,

281
Silver, high value of in Tutuila Island,

58
Sifu, village of, bombarded b_v the

'Curafoa,' 304
Solomon Islands, visit to the, 248
Somo-Somo, how it became tributary to

Mbau, 173. View from the summit,

174
' Southern Cross,' the, 295
Sphyraena, or barracuda, native bas-
relief of, 261
Stalagmites found in Niue Island, 25
Sugar-cane, cultivation of, in the Fiji

Islands, 189
Sydney Bay, 4, 10. Return to, 347

rTANNA, treatment of a missionary
J- tliere, 194. Visit to, 201.
Punishment of the natives of, 202.
Incidents of the attack, 203. Alarm
caused by it, 204. Declaration of the
olfending chiefs, 204. Signification of
the name, 205. Extent and popula-
tion of the island, 20-'). Native mode

TON
of warfare, 205. Climate of, 205.
Woodcut representing the natives
of, 200. Diseases of, 206. Their
burial of the dead, 207. Ornaments ol
the men and women, 207. Low cha-
racter of their morality, 208. Their
cannibalism, 209. Their religion, 209.
Village chiefs, 209. Tlieir maruin, or
place of public meeting, 210. Chris-
tianity • in, 210, 211. Languages
peculiar to, 211. Volcano of Asur,
211. Hot springs in the island, 212.
Natural products of, 213. Vege-
tation of, 213. Animals of, 213.
Fish of, 214. Insects of, 214. Na-
tive barter, 214

Tapa cloths of the people of Niue
Island, 57. Of the natives of Tutuila,
57. Mode of preparing it, 93. Worn
by King Thakumbau, 160

Tapioca of the Fiji Islands, 189

Thakumbau, King, visits the commo-
dore with his queen, 159. His
appearance, 100. His son, 100.
Lieut. Pollard's description of him,
IGl. Gives the great Kava bowl to
the commodore, 162. Takes a con-
tribution of firewood to the strangers"
house at Mbau, 173. His brother
Golea and his wife, 174.

Tie-beam, from the roof of a. public
hall, Uji, 200. Figures represented
on it in relief, 260, 261 Seefrontisjiiece

Tinakoro, Volcano of, 244. Probable
shocks from, 248.

Toa, or ironwood {Acacia heterophyltn),
51

Tobacco, value of, in Tutuila, 58.
Grown in the Fiji Islands, 189

Tombs at Tongatabu, 118

Tona, disease of the natives of Vavau,
so called, 102

Tonga Islands, 94. Under the sway of
King George, 141

Tongatabu, island of, 4. Visit to, 105.
The houses of, 109. The 'Institu-
tion ' at, 109. Corporal punishment

INDEX.

485

of the natives by the niissionavies,
110. Protestant church at, 112.
Tomb of Captain Croker at, 113.
Catholic and Protestant Missionaries,
their mission-houses, 121, Their mu-
tual criminations and recriminations,
123, 124. Plantations of coffee trees
at, 124. Fields of kava at, 125. The
kava ring, and ceremonies in partak-
ing it, 125-129, Public school exa-
minations at, 129, Native diversions,
131. Stone monument at, 132, 133.
Extent of the island, 133. Roads,
1.33. Fertility of the soil, 133.
Vegetation of, 134. Animals of, 134.
Fish and reptiles of, 135. Produc-
tions of, 135. Articles in request
by the natives, 13(3. Double canoe
of, 130. Climate and diseases of,
136. Population of, 137. The race
and its customs, 137. Laws re-
specting the women of, 138. Ef-
fects of Christianity, 1.38, 1.39. Dif-
fusion of primary instruction, 139.
No progress in industrial pursuits,
139. Taxation in, 140. States of
King George, 141. Cutter on its way
to Tongatabu, 144

Tridacnas found on Florida Island, 283,
284

Tree-fort at Ysabel Island, 292. Tree-
house on Ysabel Island, 294

Tuboa, George, king of Tonga, 94. His
house at Tongatabu, 106. His chil-
dren, 100. His queen, her likeness,
107. Likeness of him, 108. Inter-
views with him, 108, 100, 114. Dines
on board the ' Curajoa,' 11.5, 117.
His return dinner, 118. He presides
in the council-house, 124. His states,
141. His royal title, 141. His
successor, 141. His government, 141,
142

Tuikanakubulu, the royal title of King
George of the Friendly Islands, 141

Tuikilakila, chief of Somo-Somo, be-
lieved to be a god, 181

npo

Tui-na-Viria, the chief, the commodore's
letter to, 158

Turtles of Tongatabu, 135

Tutui, or candle-nut {Aleiirites triloba),
40,48

Tutuila Island, 36. View of from the
sea, 37. Natives of, 37, 39, 52.
Lieut. Mead's description of, 38.
Mr. Hood's description, 38. The
commodore declines to hoist the
English flag on the island, 41. Visit
to the island, 42. Cocoa-nut oil of,

46. Language of, 45. Vegetation
and birds of, 46-48, 51. Marshes of,

47. Dances of the natives, 54, 65.
School and church at, 56. Extent
of, 56. Villages of, 56. Population
of, 57. Climate of, 57; Diseases of,

57. Character of the people of, 57,

58, 59, Christianity in, 59. Vege-
table products of, 59. Animals of,
60. Poisonous fishes of, 60

Twelve-foot Rock, not observable, 18
Two-tree Island, view of, 277. Its
shape, 277

UEA, island of, 324. Natives of
324

Uji, or Guelph, or Gulf, Island, ^258.
Birds of, 259, Native girls of, 269.
Pigeon-shooting at, 259. Tie-beam
from the roof of a public hall, 200,
261. A village hall, 202

Ulakua, or Ulana, or Coutraritlfes
Island, 248. Visit to, 248. Natives
and canoes of, 249. Their dress and
ornaments, 249-254. Formation of
the island, 255. Huts of, 250. Par-
rots of, 257

Ulana, island of. See Ulakua

Unga, David, son of King George of
Tonga, his house in Vavau, 91. His
personal appearance and dress, 95.
His children, 05

Upolu, view of, from the sea, 61.
Vegetation of, 02. Effects of a storm

-18U

INDEX.

VAN
at, C4. Baptism in the island, GG.
Sunday at, G7. A native teacher at,
67. Visit to the Roman Catholic
bishop of, 68, 69. Visit to Mr.
Murray, 09. Missionary disputes in,
70. L'nfair treatment of natives, 71,
72. Singular dread of horses, note 72.
Inconsistent appreciations of national
character, 74, 77. Kemarkable testi-
monies in favour of the Samoans, 78,
81. Why called ' Godless,' 81. Po-
pulation of Upolu, 82. Temperature
and climate of, 83. Tokens of virgi-
nity in, 83, 84. Internal communica-
tions in, 84. Absence of minerals in,

84. Natural curiosities of, 84. Vege-
tation of. So. Chief commercial pro-
ducts of, 85. Value of the exports,

85. Articles most in request among
the natives, 85. Animals of, 86

VAXIKOEO Island, visit to, 243.
Natives and canoes of, 245. Their
dress and ornaments, 24.5-247

Vanua-Lava, island of, submits to the
Tongan supremacy, 140. Visit to,
234. Port of, called Port Pattesou,
234. The natives, and their desire for
empty bottles, 235. Vegetation of,
230. Animals, birds, and insects
of, 237, 238. Huts of, ,238. Cu-
riosities obtained at, 239. A hot
river at, 239, 240. Natives of,
241. Population of, 241. Climate
of, 241. Disease and vegetation of,242

Vanua-Levu, or North Fijian Island,
superficies of, 179

Vate, or Sandwich Island, or Fate, or
Efat, visit to, 215. Native house at,

215. Appearance of, from the sea,

216. Vegetation of, 219. Bones of
animals, 220, 221. Natives of, 2i'l,
222. Women and their dress, 223.
Treachery of the men of Vila Island,
224. Discovered by Captain Cook,
who named it Sandwich Island, 225.

VIT
Extent of, 225. Fertility , 22.5.
Population of, 225. Decrease in the
population, 225. Diseases of, 225.
Variety of dialects, 225. Government
of, 226. Cannibalism in, 226. Al-
leged execrable practices of, 226. The
Eev. Mr. Turner's account of the na-
tives, 227. Commendatory notices
by various visitors to them, 227.
Teachers and their extravagant tales,
228-230. Religion of the natives,
230. Christianity among them, 230.
Animals, birds, fish, and insects in the
island, 231. Fruit of, 231. Articles
offered or obtained in barter, 232
Vavau, visit to, 89. Vegetation of, 90,
02. Natives of, CO. Missionaries of,
91. Excursion in, 91. Shells and
birds of, 92. Natives of, 92. Roads
of, 94, 96. Vegetation of, 96, 103.
Prisoners and their punishments in,
96. Soil of, 97. Curious natural
caves of, 07. Population of, 101.
Diseases of, 102. Form of govern-
ment, and laws of, 102. No indi-
genous mammifers, 103. Birds, 103.
Products of the island, 103. Under
the sway of King George, 141

Vegetation of Niue, 22, 23, 25. Of
Tutuila, 46, 59. Of Upolu, 85. Of
Vavau, 90, 92, 96,103. OfAnatom,
193. Of Vate, 219. Of Vanua-lava,
242. Of San Christoval, 264. Of
Guadalcanar, 275

Veitch, Mr., accompanies the cruise, 2

Vila, port of, in Sandwich Island, visit
to, 215

Vila Island, treacherous attack on the
men of, 224

Viiia, in Viti-Levu, journey of Mr. Fol-
jambe up to, 157. Dense populatiou
of, 158

Viti-Levu, outline of the coast of, 144

Viti-Levu, the Wai-Levu, or Great
River of, loo

Viti-Levu, or South Fijian Island,
superficies of, 179

INDIiX.

487

VOL
Volcano Island. Sec Tinakoro
Volcano of Latte, 07. Of niimeroua
small islands, 104. An active one in
the Isle of Tanna, 201. Of Asur, 211

WAI-LEVU, or C4reat River of Vili-
Levu, 1.5.5

Waitoba, waterfall of, 150. Natives
bathing at, 150

Wall, Mr., accompanies the cruise as taxi-
dermist, 2

Wanf^a, visit of the 'Ciirafoa' at, 264.
Vegetation of, 204. Canoes of, 271

Water-snakes of Tongatabu, 135

Weapons, Tongatabu, 135. Group of,
South Sea Islands, 222

Webber, Mr., the Hamburg consul at
Upolu, 05

Wesley an and other missions in the
South Sea Islands, their jealousies of
each other, 121-123

Whales found near the coast of the Fiji
Islands, 189. American whalers call-
ing at Fiji, 190

Whale Island, 193. Whales and whale-
fishing at, 195. Extent of, 195

Whewell, Rev. Mr., 10.5, 110. His wife,
111

TSA
White, Rev. Mr., resident missionary at

Kandavu, 17C
Wilkes, Captain, his account of the

Samoans, 75, 77
Williams, Mr., the British consul at

Upolu, 02. Ilis father's death, 02.

His varied resources, 03. A dinner

at his house, 05. A memorial slab

to his father, 08
Wise, Charley, taken on board the

'Curavoa,'1.53
Wiseman, Port, visit of the ' Curaf oa '

to, 279
Women, cost of one at Dillon's Bay, .304.

Trade in women at Eramanga, 321
Wool of the sheep in Fiji, 192

TT'AHOVE, model farm of, 337. 4 he
J- manager, M. Boutan, 337. Views
from the farm-house, .341. Ooflee-
treesof,.340. M.Boutan'splough at, 3-39
Yankee Sam, 51, 50
Yarabali, isthmus of, 177
Yawe, pottery of the village of, 177
Ysabel Island, visit to, 280, 288. Trees
of, 289. Houses in the trees of, 289,
292. Vegetation of, 289, 290. Tree-
fort at, 292

LONDOX : PniXTED BY

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