FIJI-NEW ZEALAND EXPEDITION 97 
island if a storm should arise; moreover our time in Fiji was be- 
coming too short for the things we wanted to do. 
We had to be transported in boats to the launch, which on ac- 
count of the low tide was anchored perhaps a half mile off the 
shore, so we bade goodbye to our courteous host and departed just 
in time to board the launch before a heavy rain squall struck us. 
The trip back to Suva was rather uneventful, although we were 
stuck in: the mud several times; but this afforded us occasion to 
visit with the inhabitants of the various villages along the bank 
and to see more of the native customs than would otherwise have 
been possible. The channel through which we went served as a 
cut-off to the Rewa river; at low tide it is a very muddy and 
uninteresting stream but we were glad to see the little villages 
tucked away under the shade-trees along the shores. The archi- 
tecture of the houses, however, is quite monotonous in their re- 
semblance to hay-stacks. Of course, the villagers were interested 
in our unexpected visit and came to see the boat and the strangers, 
but our intercourse was greatly hampered by the inability of 
either party to understand the language of the other. One thing 
that struck me particularly was the cleanliness of the Fijians both 
as to their houses and persons. Although very bare and provided 
with simple earthen floors, the inside of every house I saw was 
neat and scrupulously clean; and clothing, although exceedingly 
abbreviated, seemed never to be soiled. 
On our arrival at the Fiji Club we found that Mr. Fell, Wylie, 
Thomas and Glock had returned from their trip to the interior of 
Vitilevu. They reported a highly interesting experience and 
were enthusiastic about the grandeur of the scenery, declaring 
that some of it was comparable to that found in the Yosemite. 
Wylie was delighted with the beauty of the jungle, with its grand 
display of tree ferns and other tropical vegetation. 
The next day Dr. and Mrs. Stoner started on a trip to Levuka 
and the day after, Thomas and Glock left early in the morning 
on a little steamer for the other side of Vitilevu where the 
climate was quite different and notably drier. 
Suva is quite oriental in appearance. The streets are lined 
with little tailor shops, haberdasheries, Indian curio shops and 
some good shops, or stores as we would call them, owned largely 
by Englishmen, and carrying an extensive line of European man- 
ufactures. The people often walk in the middle of the street, 
turning to the left after the English fashion. There are many 
