viii FLORA OF THE VITIAN ISLANDS. 
he was dismissed the service; and after returning to New South Wales, and accepting 
engagements there for exploring the flora and fauna of several Polynesian islands, he 
joined some sandal-wood traders, and died, still a young man, June 6th, 1867. *  Milne, 
who succeeded M‘Gillivray in his post, did not keep the situation very long, but was 
dismissed as his predecessor, and having returned to Scotland, and engaged once more as a 
plant-collector, died on the West Coast of Africa in May, 1866.7 
In 1859 Mr. W. T. Pritchard, H.B.M. Consul in Viti, arrived in England with a 
document purporting to be the cession of these islands to the Queen of Great Britain ; but, 
though tlie acceptance of the cession was warmly recommended by the Legislative Assembly 
of New South Wales, and by eminent naval authorities, the British Government, before 
coming to any decision, determined to obtain more ample information than was at hand, 
and early in 1860 the Colonial Office dispatched for-that purpose a mission, to which 
I was attached as Naturalist. Leaving Southampton on the 12th of February, 1860, 
by the Overland Mail, I arrived at Sydney, New South Wales, on the 16th of April, and 
thence proceeded in the missionary ship ‘John Wesley ’ to Viti, which was sighted on the 
12th of May. The first island I landed at was Lakeba (May 11); and re-embarking, 
I touched at Wairiki, Island of Taviuni (erroneously termed Vuna in some charts), and 
thence went to Somosomo, in the same island, where I arrived on May 22, and re- 
mained until June 20, making excursions to the lake on the top, and to other parts 
of the island, as well as running over in boats to the southern coast of Vanua Levu, 
and some of the smaller islands in the Strait of Somosomo. On leaving Taviuni in the 
schooner * Paul Jones,’ I touched at the southern parts of Vanua Levu, and on the 22nd of 
June arrived at Levuka, Ovalau, whence I proceeded to the small island of Lado Alewa, 
off the south-west side of Ovalau, where I remained till June 28th, making various excur- 
sions not only on Ovalau itself, but the adjacent islands of Yanuca and Moturiki. On the 
28th of July Mr. Pritchard and myself set out in the consular gig for Navua, Viti Levu, 
touching at Bau, the capital of Viti, and passing through the Rewa River and the Kele 
Musu Canal. Lingering a day or two at Mataisuva, and visiting the island of Naigani 
and various places on the south coast of Viti Levu, we safely reached Navua, where we 
remained until the 9th of J uly, and then returned once more to Lado, which we reached on 
the 15th of the same month. On the 24th of July I again started in company with Mr. 
W. T. Pritchard from Lado, this time in the schooner ‘ Paul Jones.’ We called at Bau; 
made excursions to Namara, Koroivau, and other parts of Viti Levu, and went to Rewa 
by the canal, and afterwards to Kadavu (Kandavu), landing at Tavuki Bay, the northern 
side of that island. An attempt made to land at the foot of the mountain of Buke Levu 
failed, on account of the rough sea; but I was able to pay a visit to Galoa Bay, 
crossing the Isthmus of Yarabali, and botanizing on the islets in that bay. A second 
attempt to reach the foot of Buke Levu was also unsuccessful; and we, therefore, crossed 
over to Viti Levu, ascending the Navua river as far as navigable, a town called Nagadi, 
* Seemann's ‘Journal of Botany,’ 1867, p. 163. T Jbid. 1866, p. 272. 
