of Rewa for the purpose of communicating with the king and chiefs, and of obtaining the services of Thokanauto (Mr. Phillips) as interpreter and pilot. Lieutenant Budd observed much apparent fear among the chiefs and people. The king, Kania, on the approach of the boats, had gone to hide himself in the outskirts of the town, but Mr. Phillips was met on the way coming towards them, and after much hesitation determined to accompany Mr. Budd on board the ship. The natives appeared to entertain the same fears as their chief.

Phillips is about thirty years of age, of middle size, active, and well made; he is more intelligent than the natives generally, and his appearance less savage; he speaks English tolerably well, though it is not difficult to perceive whence he has obtained his knowledge of it by the phrases he makes use of. It was not a little comical to hear a Feejee man talk of "New York highbinders," " Boston dandies," "Baltimore mobtowns." On assurances being given to the natives that we were their friends, they became more reconciled, and after a time the king, Kania, or Tui Ndraketi, was found, and invitations delivered to him to pay a visit to the ship. Lieutenant Budd then crossed the river to the missionaries' houses, where he saw their wives, and found Mr. Jagger, who is one of the mission. The Rev. Mr. Cargill had visited the ship shortly after the Peacock anchored; his canoe was manned by Tonga men. He was on his way to a town fifteen miles distant, where the chief and a few of the people had just embraced Christianity. He was invited to preach on board the next day; he complied, and delivered an excellent discourse.

On the morning of the 18th, Monday, the king and his brother, Ngaraningiou, visited the ship. The king came in a canoe of beautiful construction, about forty feet in length, propelled by paddles, which the king alone is allowed to use. Ngaraningiou was in a much larger canoe, having a large mast and sail, and the chief's pennant flying from the yard, but sculls were used.

Captain Hudson now despatched Lieutenant Budd and Passed Midshipman Davis, with two boats, up the river. Mr. Peale, one of the naturalists, went with this expedition, and Mr. Phillips's services were engaged to accompany and protect the boats in the exploration of the river.

The ship had been prepared for the king's visit; he was received with due ceremony, and was led aft, and seated on the quarter-deck. Tui Ndraketi is about forty years of age, and is a tall, fine-looking man, with a manly expression of countenance, and much dignity. His intellect is not as quick as that of his brother, Mr. Phillips; and his

manner was cold and repulsive. He was without any attendants of high rank. Ngaraningiou shortly afterwards made his appearance, accompanied by six chiefs, and a retinue of thirty or forty men, forming a singular contrast to the unassuming appearance of the suite of the king. Another of the party was a chief of high rank, called Vunivalu, "Root of war:" he is a descendant of the royal family that were dethroned by Kania. His position gives him great influence, and, in case of war, the operations are confided to him. This chief bears, among the foreigners, the title of governor.

Ngaraningiou is equally tall with his eldest brother, the king, and better and more gracefully formed. He may be considered a good specimen of a Feejee man of high rank and fashion; indeed, his deportment struck the officers as quite distinguished: he has, withal, the appearance of a roué, and his conduct does not belie the indications, and he is considered by all, both natives and white residents, as a dangerous man. The young chiefs who were his companions, resembled him in character and manners. They were all shown over the ship, and every thing exhibited that it was thought could interest them; the small-arm men were exercised, the only music on board, the drum and fife, were played. These, together with the firing off the guns, shotted, did not fail to draw forth their usual expressions of wonder and surprise, " "whoo-oo!" the same that was uttered by Tanoa's party, on board the Vincennes. After partaking of some refreshments with Captain Hudson, the rules and regulations, similar to those subscribed by Tanoa, were carefully interpreted to them by Mr. Cargill, and willingly subscribed by the king and chiefs, with the strongest assurances, on their part, that they should be carried into effect, and most strictly observed. Suitable presents were then distributed to the king and chiefs, and they left the ship, apparently highly delighted with their visit.

The surveying operations were now prosecuted, and the naturalists, with as many officers as could be spared, visited Rewa. Captain Hudson describes the passage up to Rewa as tortuous and difficult, even for a boat, on account of the many sand-banks and shoals. Several of the gentlemen embarked with Mr. Cargill in his canoe, which had a high platform, underneath which was a sort of cuddy, with seats. It was a tolerably comfortable conveyance in fine weather; but it was their misfortune to experience a heavy rain, and all were well wetted. The wind being contrary, they were obliged to scull the whole distance, and they describe the canoe as having an uncomfortable rocking motion.

Captain Hudson visited the missionaries, and found them most miserably accommodated, in a small rickety house on the left bank of the river, opposite the town of Rewa, the dwelling-house that they had occupied having been blown down in the tremendous storm* which happened on the 25th of February, 1840.

After Captain Hudson had spent some time with the missionaries, my messenger, Paddy Connel, made his appearance and delivered him my letters. Paddy had a very awkward mishap in rounding Kamba Point, for his canoe had capsized, and he had been obliged to swim for his life. He had thought, as he said, that some ill luck would overtake him, and had, therefore, tied my letter in the handkerchief on his head. By this means he kept it dry, and he believed the important paper, as he called it, had kept him from drowning.

Although it had rained hard, Captain Hudson resolved to fulfil his promise to the king, of showing him some fire-works, and the gunner had been ordered up with rockets, fire-works, &c., for that purpose. He, therefore, proceeded across the river to the king's house, where he found a large collection of natives. The house is large, and in shape not unlike a Dutch barn: it is sixty feet in length and thirty in width; the eaves were six feet from the ground, and along each side there were three large posts, two feet in diameter and six feet high, set firmly into the ground; on these were laid the horizontal beams and plates to receive the lower ends of the rafters; the rafters rise to a ridge-pole, thirty feet from the ground, which is supported by three posts in the centre of the building; they were of uniform size, about three inches in diameter, and eighteen inches apart. The usual thick thatch was in this case very neatly made. The sides of the house were of small upright reeds, set closely together. All the fastenings were of sennit, made from the husk of the cocoa-nut. Some attempts at ornament were observed, the door-posts being covered with reeds wound around with sennit, which had a pretty effect. There are two doorways, one on each side: these are only about three feet in height, and are closed by hanging mats. At the inside of the principal door are two small cannons, pointed across it, which, in the eyes of the king, give it a formidable appearance. A sort of dais was raised at one end, a few inches; this was covered with mats for the king and his wives, while at the other end mats were laid for his attendants; above was a shelf for his property, or riches, consisting of mats, tapa, earthenware, spears, and clubs. On one side of the house, as is usual

*This storm appears to have been coincident with, if not part of, the gale that occurred at New Zealand on the 1st of March.

among the Feejeeans, the cooking-place is excavated, a foot deep and about eight feet square; this was furnished with three large earthen pots, of native manufacture, and two huge iron kettles, obtained from some whaling-ship, such as are used for trying out oil. These were crammed with food.

Some of our gentlemen entered a short time previous to Captain Hudson's arrival, and found the king taking a meal, with his principal wife beside him stretched out on a mat. All those around him were sitting after the manner of the natives, for none presume to stand or lie down in the presence of the king. When he had finished eating and pushed the food from him, a general clapping of hands took place, after which water was brought, and the cup held to his mouth until he nad done drinking, when clapping of hands again ensued. This was repeated whenever the king finished doing any thing-a piece of etiquette always observed with great strictness.

On state occasions this ceremony is carried much farther: the king's food at such times is passed around a large circle, until it reaches his principal wife, who feeds him with her hands. Many of the chiefs always require the ava-cup to be held to their mouths. Notwithstanding all this ceremony, the chiefs, and the people sitting around them, join familiarly in the conversation, and appear otherwise perfectly at their ease.

The king at once ordered provisions for his guests, for whom seats were provided on a sea-chest. The principal article of food was the salt beef he had received as a present from the ship, and which he named bula-ma-kau. The origin of this name is not a little singular, and is due to our countryman, Captain Eagleston, who has been for several years trading among this group. Wishing to confer a benefit on these natives, he took on board a bull and cow at Tahiti, and brought them to Rewa, where he presented them to the king. On being asked the name of them, he said they were called "bull and cow," which words the natives at once adopted as a single term to designate both, and thenceforward these animals have been known as bula-ma-kau. The beef was found to be more savoury than on board ship, perhaps from being twice boiled. The king was asked to join them, which he did, although he had just finished a hearty meal. After the meal was over, a small earthen finger-bowl was brought to the king to wash his hands, and as the attendant did not seem to be prepared to extend the like courtesy to our gentlemen, a desire for a similar utensil was expressed and complied with, although apparently with some reluctance. In like manner, when the jar of water was brought to the king, one of the party seized upon it and drank, and the

rest followed suit, to the evident distress of the attendant. It was afterwards understood that his anxiety arose from the vessel being tabooed, as every thing belonging or appropriated to the use of the king is. The Papalangi chiefs are exempted from these restrictions. When the meal was finished, the whole company seated themselves in a semicircle. The house was now converted into an audience-hall, and the officers and stewards of the king entered to render their report of the day respecting the management of his business. A chief had just arrived to pay his respects to the king, and was dressed in a piece of new tapa, which was wrapped around his body in numerous folds. When he had seated himself, he unrolled it, and tore it into strips of three fathoms in length, which he distributed to the chiefs around him, who immediately substituted it for their own dresses. This chief was the messenger announcing a tribute from Kantavu, and he had come to receive the commands of the king relative to its presentation, which was fixed upon to take place the next day.

Ava was chewing when Captain Hudson and his party entered. They were kindly received by the king, who seated them near him. There is a peculiar ceremony observed among this people in mixing their ava. It having been first chewed by several young persons, on the pouring in of the water, they all, following the ambati, raise a kind of howl, and say "Ai sevu." The people present were arranged in a semicircle, having the chief operator in the centre, with an immense wooden bowl before him. The latter, immediately after the water is poured in, begins to strain the liquid through the woody fibres of the vau, and at the same time sings. He is accompanied in his song by those present, who likewise imitate all his motions with the upper part of their bodies while in a sitting posture. The motions keep time to the song. The king joined occasionally in the song; and when any important stage of the operation was arrived at, the song ceased, and a clapping of hands ensued. As each cup was filled to be served out, the ambati sitting near uttered the same wild howl as before. The first cup is filled from another, that answers both for dipper and funnel, having a hole in it, over which he who brews the ava places his finger when dipping, and then withdrawing it, lets the liquid run out in a stream. They are very particular to see that no one touches the king's cup except the cupbearer.

On the present occasion, a worthless Englishman by the name of James Housman, called Jim or Jimmy, officiated. Few would have distinguished him from a native, so closely was he assimilated to them in ideas and feelings, as well as in his crouching before the chiefs, his mode of sitting, and slovenly walk. On the king's finishing drinking,