16 



It being mid- day when I arrived at the village, 

 and finding all the men were at work making a 

 new road, I left my packages to be sent after me 

 the next morning, and then, with a guide, pushed 

 on to Savu-savu, where I arrived at 4 p.m. The 

 distance from Savu-savu bay to Vuni Sawani is said 

 to be only 7 miles ; but by the zigzag way I was taken 

 by the guide from village to village, it was not less 

 than 16 miles. This is vaka vitl, i.e., Fiji custom or 

 fashion. Some fine views of the country were obtained, 

 and several fertile valleys were passed where coffee, 

 cacoa, &c, could be grown. About 1 square miles of 

 fine cane land, consisting of flats and low hills, were 

 observed, — notably in the vicinity of Savu-savu bay, 

 though separated from it by a ridge of low hills. The 

 general character of the country is hilly, steep, and 

 undulating ; but the quality of the soil is fair and 

 good, and water abounds in all the valleys, Most of 

 the land had been cultivated, and afterwards aban- 

 doned, in accordance with the custom of the people, 

 and allowed to become overgrown with rank grass and 

 scrub. The latter appeared to be prevented from 

 growing and spreading by the fires which annually 

 burn the grass. The rocks were sedimentary, agglo- 

 merate, and some columnar basalt was noticed. From 

 experience now gained in travelling in Fiji, in order 

 to avoid delay and annoyance, I henceforth endea- 

 voured to engage the carriers to the village which was 

 to be the end of my journey for the day, as on arriving 

 at a village, situated about half way, the men were 

 absent ; engaged in their plantations or elsewhere, 

 which naturally enough they did not like to leave, 

 ana the men who came with me just as reasonably 

 objected to carry farther than they had agreed to, 

 even when the oiler of double pay was made to them. 



