18. The Hot Spring of Navakaravi, Natewa Bay.—The coast village thus named lies about one and a half miles north of Were-kamba. The hot spring is about a mile inland and not over 30 to 40 feet above the sea. It is reached after traversing a low and often swampy tract. The spring in August, 1899, issued from a little rise at a temperature of 133° Fahr., and formed a rivulet 18 inches across.
19. The Hot Springs of Vunisawana at the head of Natewa Bay.—Mr. Horne, who was in this locality in 1878, refers to these springs in his book A Year in Fiji. They had at one time, he remarks, a wide reputation for their curative qualities; but the people around became so poor on account of the hospitality that custom compelled them to extend to the numerous visitors that they buried up the springs. Mr. Horne was shown the site at the bottom of a muddy creek. I saw it in 1898. It lies 300 or 400 yards in from the beach and only a few feet above the sea. There were no signs of heat then; but I was told that when the stream close by is very low it sometimes is a little warm.
20. The Hot Spring of Ndreke-ni-wai on the South Coast of Natewa Bay.—This small spring issues between the tide-marks from an old reef-patch close to the shore and is only to be seen at low-water. Its temperature in May, 1898, was 130-135° Fahr.
21. The Hot Spring of Waikatakata on the South Coast of Natewa Bay.—This important spring lies about four miles east of the town of Natewa. It issues on a hill-slope about 400 yards from the beach and is some 25 or 30 feet above the sea; but it is so beset by undergrowth that the source is not easy to reach. Boulders and blocks of a basaltic rock lie about on the slope; and it is from under a huge boulder of five or six tons in weight that the spring emerges at a temperature of 148° Fahr. (April, 1898). There is a good volume of water, and a series of bathing pools of varying temperature could be readily made. Unlike most of the inland hot springs, it is not in connection with a stream or river.
22. The Hot Spring of Ndevo on the Coast opposite to Rambi.—I did not hear of any spring when in the locality; but I learned afterwards that near a stream on the beach there is a hot spring which is covered at high tide.
23. The Hot Spring of Navuni near Fawn Harbour.—This small spring is situated in a hilly district in a region where olivine-basalts prevail. I was indebted to Mr. Pickering for showing me its locality. It lies about three-quarters of a mile inland and about 100 feet above the sea. It issues from the volcanic agglomerate a few paces from the right bank of the Navuni stream and five or six feet above its level. In May, 1898, it had a temperature of 112-113° Fahr.
GENERAL REMARKS ON THE HOT SPRINGS
This island is therefore remarkable for the number of its hot springs. In the list given on page [40] I have enumerated 23 localities where they occur; but, as shown below, their number will probably in time be extensively increased.
On referring to the map it will be observed that the distribution of these springs is fairly general over two-thirds or three-fourths of the island. Taking this area at about 1,500 square miles and dividing it into squares with sides of eight miles, we should, if the springs were quite evenly dispersed, find a thermal system in every square. Even amongst the Fijians and among the white residents the number of hot springs will cause surprise. Only those of Savu-savu, Wainunu, Nukumbolo, Mbatini-kama, and Na Kama on the Wailevu river have been up to this time generally known. The reason of this is that most of them are insignificant, and with a temperature far below the boiling-point, and ooze up in unlikely and out-of-the way places, as by the water-side in little visited river-valleys, on the reef-flats of not much frequented coasts, and in swampy situations where they are likely to be overlooked. The natives only recognise as “Na Kama” the boiling or very hot springs; and it was only after much questioning that I could get them to tell me of some unimportant “wai katakata” (hot water) which they deemed to be far beneath my notice. The natives were keenly interested in my botanical and geological investigations; but they considered it to be beneath the dignity of a man who had seen the wonders of Na Savu-savu to spend some time looking for a half-forgotten thermal spring in a swamp. From this cause alone I no doubt failed to find several springs. All the boiling springs and those of very high temperature are probably known; but as is pointed out below it is more than likely that a large number of unimportant springs remain to be discovered in many a deserted inland valley and between the tide-marks along the very extensive reef-bound coasts.
As above remarked the hot springs did not come under my notice in all parts of the island. They are to all appearance wanting in the western or Mbua portion, and also in the Undu portion north of Natewa Bay. Taking the first-named region, it will be noticed that no hot springs are indicated in the map west of the Ndreketi and Wainunu rivers. I made inquiries wherever I went, but with no result. On my writing to Mr. Wittstock, of Mbaulailai, who is well acquainted with the Mbua peninsula, he informed me that if hot springs existed in that part of the island he would probably have known of them. In that portion of the island which ends in Undu Point I could neither discover nor hear of any thermal springs east of Lambasa on the north side, and of Lakemba on the south or Natewa Bay side; nor could Mr. Bulling, who has resided at Undu Point for many years, tell me of any springs in his neighbourhood.