We were unable to obtain many curiosities in the way of native implements, as according to the calendar of the island it was the Sabbath day, and was as such strictly observed; although with us, keeping eastern time and longitude, it was of course a Saturday. However, by a judicious distribution of a few plugs of tobacco, which I emphatically called "presents," and by bestowing on my native friend a surgical lancet, which he was very anxious to possess, I received—also as "presents"—a few implements, viz., a large wooden shark-hook with rope snooding made of cocoa-nut fibres, a small fish-hook, the stem of which was made of pearl shell and the hook of turtle shell, a fish-hook made of cocoa-nut husk, neatly carved, and the blade of an old native adze fashioned out of a clamshell. I was very glad to get these articles, for since the introduction of iron tools the ancient stone and shell implements have been thrown away and lost sight of, so that it is now exceedingly difficult to procure any of them. No weapons of any kind are used, and the spear is not used even for fishing. I entered one of the better class of native huts, and found it clean and neatly arranged; and as in the hut of the missionary teacher, pictures cut from the London illustrated papers were stuck against the walls, and pointed out to us as objects of special pride. The entire population at this time numbered 260, and was presided over until a few weeks prior to our visit by a king. The late monarch, however, having shown himself to be a good-for-nothing sort of person, was deposed by his subjects, who now get on very well without any form of government excepting that of the missionaries.
There was one white man living on the island, a Scotchman named Adam Mayne, who collects cocoa-nut oil on behalf of the firm of Henderson and Macfarlane, of Auckland. He receives supplies every three months or thereabouts from a trading vessel; but as the latter was now three months overdue, he was very glad to receive from us a present of biscuit and medical stores.
The Christianizing of the island has been undertaken by the London Missionary Society, who send at long intervals a missionary clergyman to inspect the settlement, and confer with their delegate, the native missionary.
The natural products are very limited, consisting solely of cocoa-nuts and fish. The latter commodity abounds. Pearl shell is obtained, but not in sufficient quantities to be an article of commerce.
Adam Mayne told us that sharks were very numerous, and were caught with the hook and line; but no case had ever occurred of a native being injured by them, although they were accustomed to swim in the open sea outside the reef, a fact of which we ourselves had ocular proof. At the same time, curiously enough, many instances had occurred at the Windward Islands, Nukunono and Fakaata, of natives being taken down by sharks. Turtle are occasionally caught, and of these the shell of the carapace is used for making hooks for fishing, which native-made hooks are, by-the-bye, preferred to our English ones. Indeed, they say that the fish will not take our metal hooks at all.
On the afternoon of the same day (September 4th) we again got under way, and continued on our course to the westward, fixing the positions of islands and taking negative soundings frequently. On the 13th of September we obtained soundings on the Lalla Rookh bank in latitude 13° 5′ S., longitude 175° 26′ W., the depth ranging from twelve to seventeen fathoms. With the snap-lead a sample of the bottom was brought up, consisting of a lump of dead coral incrusted with red nullipores, and riddled in all directions by the borings of annelids.
CHAPTER VIII.
FIJI AND TONGA.
The harbour of Levuka, in which we anchored on the 18th of September, is situated on the north-east side of the island of Ovalau, and from its central position in the Fiji Group has for several years been the principal seat of commercial activity and the favourite anchorage for men-of-war. Since the annexation in 1875, Levuka has been the seat of government for the colony, and the official residence of the High Commissioner for the Pacific. During our stay in harbour the ship was refitted and reprovisioned, and our boats were occupied in making some additions to the survey of the port.