which bear the names of the midshipmen of the squadron. Vatulele is well covered with wood, and is inhabited.

After having finished the examination of Vatulele, we shaped our course for Mbenga, and at noon discovered a coral reef extending about three hundred yards north and south, by one hundred and fifty east and west. It is awash, and bears from the south point of Vatulele east-by-north, distant seven miles. After getting angles on Mbenga Peak and Vatulele, and obtaining chronometer sights, we left this small, though dangerous spot, which I have called Flying-Fish Shoal. We passed the night under the extensive reef that surrounds Mbenga, not being able to find the entrance, as the night was extremely dark.

In the morning early we stood over for Kantavu, to survey its north side, and reached it in time to secure the latitude close to the point of its reef off Malatta Bay, which I found to be in 18° 58' 34" S. The distance from Mbenga Reef was found to be twenty-six miles by the patent log, in a southeast-by-south direction. We then anchored in its harbour, formed by the coral reefs, which only exist to any extent about this part, where the island is almost divided in two. So low and narrow is the isthmus, that the natives frequently transport their canoes over it.

Many natives came off, but they were not willing to trust themselves on board when they understood who we were.

The whole length of Kantavu is high and mountainous, with the exception of a small part of its centre, near Malatta Bay. This bay was surveyed; it is small, and offers safety to a few vessels for temporary anchorage, although it is difficult to chose a place for the purpose, on account of several reefs that lie across it. The FlyingFish was anchored in sixteen fathoms, sandy bottom. I now established, from several bases, all the peaks and points for our surveying operations the next day.

Many canoes came off to us before we anchored, but we could not persuade the people to come on board, as long as we were under way; they said we might carry them off; but on our anchoring they came alongside, bringing a few yams, pigs, &c., which they sold cheap.

A chief coming off, we succeeded in getting him on board, and induced him to remain and send his canoe for provisions. He was a remarkably fine-looking man, and extremely intelligent, having strongly marked Jewish features. He counted forty-five towns on Kantavu, which would make its population upwards of ten thousand.

The island is well covered with pine timber, resembling the Kaurie

pine of New Zealand, and most of the large canoes used in the Feejce Islands are built here. The chief informed me that he would for three muskets get me, in three days, trees large enough to make masts for the tender. These were fourteen inches in diameter, and sixty feet in length, or large enough for topmasts of a ship of seven hundred tons. It takes them eight moons to build a canoe.

The people of Kantavu are industrious, and the chief said they had abundance of provisions, of which, if I would stay over the next day, he would bring me any quantity I desired. After making inquiry about Vendovi, he said that the people of Kantavu were glad he had been taken away, for he was continually making exactions on them for all kinds of articles, under his authority of vasu.

The chief said there were no harbours on the south side of the island, and that they sometimes transported their canoes over the narrow neck to visit that shore, but it was a very rough place, and too much exposed to the sea to be safe for canoes. This island, as it has been before mentioned, is tributary to Rewa. Most frequently the annual tribute is paid in canoes, except when the king of Rewa designates otherwise.

Many whale-ships stop here for supplies; these are principally English, belonging to Sydney, who seldom go to the north of these islands. The natives reported that they had seen eight within two moons. The bay they generally frequent is one to the westward of Malatta, called Tabuca. On this bay there is quite a large settlement of the same name, and it was reported by the chief as having ample supplies. Anchorage may be had off the town in fifteen fathoms water, with sandy bottom. It is a very picturesque spot.

According to the pilot's account of the Kantavu people, they are not to be trusted, being prone to acts of violence, which they can commit with impunity, as they have always a secure retreat from their enemies, in the mountain districts. Boats and crews, if not on their guard here, are frequently detained until they are ransomed ; so that it behooves all who visit and wish to deal with these people, to be exceedingly cautious.

Early on the morning of the 3d of August, we got under way, and stood along the island of Kantavu, to its western end. The distance from Malatta Bay thither was found by patent log to be six miles. After reaching this point, we hove about under the Peak of Kantavu, which is a dome of large dimensions, and has the appearance of being an extinct crater, similar to those we have observed at the other groups. Having several remarkable peaks fixed, we were enabled to make a good running survey. The most northern coral shoal is off Malatta

Bay, and it is the only place where there is any detached reef off the whole length of the northern shore of the island. We found the island to be twenty-five miles in length. At one o'clock we had reached its eastern end, off which lies Ono, a round island with two

villages on it.

Ono is about eighty feet high, and between it and Kantavu there is a good and well-protected harbour. It was near Ono that the brig Charles Doggett was cut off by the chief Vendovi.

To the north is a cluster of rocky islets, which, finding without names, I have designated by those of the passed midshipmen belonging to the squadron. They are all situated in the great Astrolabe Reef, called after the name of that ship, in consequence of her remarkable escape from shipwreck on its eastern side. From Ono it trends nearly north. On its east side it is quite unbroken, and extends in a sweep round Ono, until it joins Kantavu; on the west side it is much broken, and has several safe passages through to the Passed Midshipmen Islands. These are eleven in number, and under some of them there is good anchorage. A few of these islands yield cocoa-nuts, but there are no inhabitants except on Ono. The length of the Astrolabe Reef, from Ono to its northern point, is ten miles; near the northern point is a remarkable rock, which is seen very distinctly from all directions. At the northern point of the reef is a clear passage through it. The water inside appears as blue as the ocean, and is doubtless very deep. Whales were seen sporting within the reef.

This reef is not only dangerous from its extent, but on account of the strong currents which prevail here, which for the most part set to the eastward.

From the point of the reef the high land of Vitilevu and Mbenga can be seen. It was just sunset when we left it, and stood on a northby-east course, intending to make the reef off Nasilai Point. After running thirty-one miles, we came up with it, and found that we were obliged to make two short tacks to get far enough to the eastward to clear it, after doing which we arrived off Ovolau at 2 A. M. Notwithstanding the darkness, we passed in and anchored near the Porpoise.

On the 4th, I was engaged until late in the afternoon observing for time, in order to verify the meridian distances between Ovolau and those places at which I had again observed, and to ascertain if any change had taken place in the rates of my chronometers within the last five weeks. The proof of their correct performance was most satisfactory.

Levuka looked almost deserted, in comparison with what it had been during our stay there. Tui Levuka received me with much

hospitality. I took a look at the garden we had planted, and found that many of the vegetables had already gone to sced, which the white man, George, had gathered; but it wanted weeding, which they promised me should be done, under an injunction that they would pull up nothing that they did not know.

On the Observatory Point, Seru, Tanoa's eldest son, had built an mbure for the accommodation of strangers, and the spot is now held sacred. I found he had respected the pile of stones I had left as a mark for the harbour.

The Lebouni people, I was told, would occasionally complain that they had not been sufficiently rewarded for their services at the kitchen. They are a remarkably wild-looking set of fellows, and may be termed wild Feejee men. The wood-cut conveys a good representation of

them.

An anecdote of a noted chief, proves they have some commendable points about them. This man is known by the whites at Ovolau by the name of the "Dog of the Mountains," he was offered a large reward if he would assist in killing them; but this he positively refused to do, or to let any of his people be engaged in so dishonest an affair, assigning as a reason that they had always behaved well and been their friends, and he would in all ways protect them. When he visits Levuka, since this became known to the white residents, he is treated with marked distinction and kindness.

Here I again saw Paddy Connel. He complained of ill health, and imputed it to his being capsized in the canoe off Kamba Point, when proceeding to Rewa with my letters. He said he was now on his way to Ambatiki, to live again with his fourth wife, and his two small

brats, the forty-seventh and forty-eighth, and trusted before he died he would have two more to make up fifty, for his ambition was altogether in that way now. I endeavoured again to find out the cause of Paddy's banishment from Levuka, in order to discover by what secret laws or rules this small community of whites governed themselves; but he would not tell me. He only said that it was as much as his life was worth to remain beyond his time. He appeared perfectly contented, and was more nearly allied to a savage in feeling and taste than any other white man I met with during the cruise.

My observations being completed, I went on board the tender, (leaving the Porpoise taking in yams for the squadron,) and proceeded round the north side of the island, within the reef. The afternoon was a beautiful one, and the water unruffled. As we passed abreast of the valley of Voona, which is one of the most fruitful in the group, Mr. Agate succeeded in getting a sketch of it, which is extremely characteristic of Feejee scenery.

One of those almost inaccessible peaks on which the natives locate their towns for safety, is conspicuous in this view.

Sailing along the north side of the island, we passed many fishweirs formed of reeds, into which the fish are sometimes driven. At other times the fish are lured by food into these traps at high water; the weir is then closed, and the fish taken at low water. The women use the hand-net, which is thrown over the school. They have large seines for turtles, as well as smaller ones, both of which resemble our own, the weights being small bits of coral, while for floats they use the seed of the Barringtonia. These nets are all well made.

They likewise make pens of stones, into which they drive the fish, and capture them either by spearing or when the water runs out at low tide. It is also a custom with them to dam up small streams, and stupify the fish with the Glycine.

Hand-nets are sometimes used in a peculiar manner, thus: when they see a large fish take refuge in the coral shelf, they surround the place with a net and drive the fish out into it.

We passed round the island, in the tender, as far as the island of Moturiki, under which we anchored, intending to proceed the next day to examine the bay of Ambau, and to have communication if possible with that town.

On the 5th, at an early hour, we stood for Ambau. The wind, however, was ahead for the greater part of the distance, and so light that I found we could not reach that place without much detention. Having no business to transact there, I thought it might occasion some delay if I landed, and thus interfere with our other duties, as well as