316 A NATURALIST ON THE " CHALLENGER 



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project far above the level of the land surface, and thus form at 

 the same time a sort of fence or wall. At intervals, openings are 

 left in the parapet, where the water flows np short channels 

 into the area of made ground, and allows canoes to put in at 

 Irish water into small harbours as it were. 



The top of the hill was formerly used as a general refuse 

 heap by the natives, but it is now occupied by the house of the 

 missionary. The native houses all lie on the flat low tract close 

 to the sea. Mbau has been long a native fortress of great 

 strength. Hence the immense labour which has been spent on 

 its formation. It is now the residence of King Thackombau, 

 and almost everyone in the island is a chief or of high family. 



The whole surface of the island, including the hill -ground, is 

 covered almost everywhere with a thick kitchen-midden deposit 

 of black soil, full of large trochus-shells and cockles (Carclium), 

 which abound on the mud flats all around. Mingled with these 

 are quantities of human bones ; Mbau having been one of the 

 places in Fiji at which cannibalism was most largely practised. 

 There are very few trees growing on Mbau, and the food, such 

 as taro and yams, is all brought from the main land, where there 

 are extensive plantations. 



One of the most interesting features in Mbau is perhaps the 

 stone against which the heads of the human victims destined 

 for the oven were dashed, in the ceremony of presenting them 

 to the god Dense. This stone stands close to one corner of the 

 remains of the foundations of the ancient temple of Denge, the 

 " ISTa Vatani Tawake." The temple itself was destroyed when 

 the Mbauans became Christians, but the mound on which it 

 stood remains, and is of great interest. 



It is a large oblong tumulus of earth, supported by two 

 series of vertically-placed slabs of stone, exactly similar to those 

 used for the sea parapet. The slabs of the lower series are much 

 larger than those of the upper, and the upper series is placed 

 further inwards, a sort of step being thus formed in the tumulus 

 all round. The mound must be about 12 feet high, and some 

 of the stones of the lower series are more than six feet in height. 



Opposite the centre of one side is set up a large column of 

 basalt, and there is another opposite the strangers' house. These 



