some hampers of them. As I entered, I found one of his young wives helping him to food, his hands being tabooed since the death of his son.

Requiring some yams for the vessels, I asked him to have a quantity brought. He was all willingness at first, and with those about him appeared very anxious to procure a quantity for me; but I understood this manœuvre, and well knew from other indications that none would be brought. Messenger after messenger in a short time began to arrive, stating one excuse and another, and many more messengers returned than went forth.

The king's orator had, on my first landing, importuned me to exchange some yams for bottles, to which I finally agreed, in order to get rid of him, and sent my cockswain off to the tender for them. About the time the messengers were coming in, the cockswain returned. The orator, it appeared, had now changed his mind, and had no yams to barter. I now began to talk of our "fiery spirits" to the chief, through the interpreter, telling them all the mischief they could do, how they could burn the roofs off the yam-houses, so that one could see whether the Feejee men told lies, and how they could be made to follow a man who did not keep his engagements. To all this they listened with great attention, and I wound up by telling them that I wished to purchase three hundred yams, and that if they were not in a heap before the chief's house before ava could be drunk, I would be obliged to send a spirit to look in, for I was well aware they had plenty of yams, and large ones too. As respected the orator, I said that if he did not at once perform the engagement which he had so importuned me to make with him, I would send a spirit to chase him. It was truly amusing to see this fellow's consternation; he flew about from house to house, begging for yams, (for I do not believe he owned one,) until he got his ten; and these were very fine ones.

In a short time the whole koro was in a stir, and natives of all sizes and sexes were bringing yams to the heap. The largest in size were carefully placed outside of the heap, and one of these measured four feet six inches long, and seven inches in diameter. When the heap was finished, it was presented to me in due form, with a native drum. (lale), which I had desired to have. For all this I sent the chief a musket, the usual price of one thousand yams, and a whale's tooth in token of friendship.

After the drum had been presented to me, I was desirous of hearing them beat upon it. They have several beats or calls to give notice to the koro, one of which was for the calling of the people together to

the feast of human bodies. They were all distinct, and they said quite audible at a great distance.

The Feejee drum is similar to that described at Tonga, and is made of a log hollowed out and placed on one point. It gives out a deep hollow tone when struck with the small and large stick, with which they produce the different sounds.

FEEJEE DRUM.

I now had an opportunity of visiting their upper town, which was not offered me before. This is situated on a bluff rising abruptly behind the lower village, and being strong by nature, is susceptible of being maintained against a large force. There is a trench and palisade around a great portion of it.

The upper town is so much concealed by the trees and bushes growing on the bluff, that one might be at Somu-somu many times without noticing it. The approach to it is through a narrow pass, from which there is a beautiful view.

I also had an opportunity of seeing their manner of trading among themselves. This is entirely conducted by barter. The market is held

on a certain day in the square, where each one deposits in a large heap what goods and wares he may have. Any one may then go and select from it what he wishes, and carry it away to his own heap; the other then has the privilege of going to the heap of the former and selecting what he considers to be an equivalent. This is all conducted without noise or confusion. If any disagreement takes place, the chief is there to settle it; but this is said rarely to happen. The chief has a right to take what he pleases from each heap.

Towards sunset, as was my custom, I went on board.

The missionaries had mentioned to me that the skulls of the men that had been eaten a few days since were lying on the beach. We, in consequence, looked for them, but they were not to be found.

We took leave of our missionary friends, with many feelings of regret, for their situation is a most deplorable one, and I sincerely wished them safely fixed in another and a happier position, and that they had some other protector than the brute Tui Illa-illa, in whose hands their fate seems to be continually precarious.

Here I received information of the wreck of the whale-ship Shylock, on Turtle Island, and felt extremely desirous of sending one of the vessels to the assistance of the crew and preservation of the cargo, if any remained.

I had promised the king and chief that I would show him some of our" fiery spirits" after it grew dark; and when eight o'clock came, the rockets were set off. The loudest shoutings were heard from the beach, where the whole koro had gathered to witness the “ fiery spirits" flying in the air. I had promised that they should do them no harm, as we were friends. A rocket happened to be placed just over one of the guns, which, like the others, was kept primed and with the apron on; but the latter not being fastened, the rocket blew it off and set fire to the charge, which went off at the same time. The gun was loaded with grape and canister. Fortunately the tender was lying so that the shot flew obliquely towards the beach, and fell in the water before reaching it. A point or two nearer, and they would have had a practical illustration of our " devils" by their sweeping the arms, legs, and heads of many of them off. The firing of the gun produced great astonishment both to them and ourselves.

The news of Captain Croker's attack on the town of Bea, at Tonga, reached us here, and excited a good deal of interest, as I had but a few months before been endeavouring to mediate a peace between the hostile parties. It appears that Captain Croker, being desirous of bringing the war and difficulties to an end, espoused warmly the mis

sionary cause, and determined to bring all the natives into acquiescence. The town of Bea being one of the strongest of those belonging to the principal chief of the devil's party, he undertook to capture it, but underrated the strength of its fortification and its means of defence. For this purpose he landed a large party from his ship (the Favourite sloop-of-war), and proceeded to the town of Bea, on reaching which he sent a message to the purport that its inhabitants must come to terms within an hour, and gave them no time to consult or arrange matters, after their own fashion. As soon as the hour was up, he called upon them to surrender, which they refused to do, upon which he at once proceeded to attack the gate. The native warriors resisted and fired upon him. The affair resulted in the loss of his own life, with those of several of his officers and men, and a consequent abandonment of the object. The retreat was succeeded by the expulsion from the island of the missionaries and Christian party. It is supposed that if a longer time had been allowed the chief of Bea, all its inhabitants would have come over quietly to the Christian party, under the fear of the storming and taking of the place, for they had but little idea that they could withstand the attack of a white, or Papalangi force. On the morning of the 8th, we left Somu-somu and stood to the northward for the Ringgold Isles. These are seven in number, and are surrounded by extensive reefs. The highest of the group, called Budd Island was ascended: it is composed of volcanic scoria and large blocks of lava, rising to the height of eight hundred feet, and has an almost perfect crater in its centre. The outside, or rim, of this crater forms the island, and is very narrow at the top; its inner side is quite perpendicular, while its outside is generally inclined at an angle of fifty or sixty degrees, although in places it is almost perpendicular; the climbing is, however, made comparatively easy by the assistance of the roots of the trees that grow upon it, of which some of large size are near its base. The other islands in its neighbourhood we did not land on they are uninhabited, except at the turtle season; they are barren rocks, and too dangerous to be approached by a vessel, the reefs extending as far as the eye can reach.

Having succeeded in making all the requisite observations, we returned to the tender, and left Ringgold Isles, with the intention of anchoring under Rambe; but we were benighted before we reached the reef; and as our pilots did not know where the entrance was, I determined to proceed to Unda Point, off which we arrived near midnight, and lay-to until daylight.

On the morning of the 9th of August, at daylight, we found ourselves

near the island of Chicobea, which is the most northern of the group, We took sights on it, and connected it with Unda Point. The form of Chicobea is oval, and it is formed of two hummocks, of considerable elevation. It is three miles long, southeast and northwest, and one mile and three-quarters wide; is surrounded by a shore-reef, which has no openings, except for boats, and offers nothing to tempt a vessel to land. We then ran down the reef off the northern side of Vanua-levu, and at noon entered the Sau-sau Passage, which is the first that occurs in connexion with the ship-channel within the reef. There, is, however, one tolerably good harbour, called Tibethe, and there are several towns around the bay. Indeed, the north shore of Vanua-levu appears to be well peopled.

At 3 P. M., we were off the island of Mali, which is thinly inhabited. Native villages were seen on the high bluffs of the island. Opposite to Mali is the Mali Passage, through which it was my intention to put to sea with the squadron, which I had, in consequence, directed to meet me. As we proceeded to the place of rendezvous, and before sunset of the 9th August, we met the remainder of the squadron on their way to Mali, when I joined the Vincennes. The wind failing soon after, we cast anchor.

I now received the reports of the operations of the other vessels during the time I had been separated from them.

Under the direction of Captain Hudson, the bay of Mbua had been again surveyed, with all its reefs. The work began on the 16th July, and continued until the 21st. As soon as it was concluded, Captain Hudson proceeded with the Peacock to Muthuata. During his absence a tent was set up at Lecumba Point, for the accommodation of the sick, who were sent on shore. The case which rendered this more particularly needful, was that of J. Baxter, the second mate of the Leonidas, who, as has been stated, had been badly burnt with gunpowder on the 29th June. His wounds were so severe, that from the first the surgeon entertained but little hope of his recovery, and he did not long survive. Before his decease he disclosed his real name, that of Baxter being an assumed one. He was a native of France, about thirty years of age, and his true name was Vincent Boudet.

Our officers and naturalists, during their stay at Mbua, had several opportunities of making short excursions into the country.

They found a considerable difference in the vegetation since their former visit, about five weeks before. Many plants, of which there were then no signs, were now in full bloom. Several of these were very showy, among which were the willow-leaved acacia, a species. of callistemon with scarlet flowers, &c. They also met with a new