24 



kosa. As it was dark when we landed the natives 

 made torches of dry bamboos, which burnt well, to 

 guide us down the steep banks and over the fords of 

 two large streams. On the banks of the Kuru-kuru 

 river there is a large area of good cane land. In a 

 small lake near Kali-kosa there is a floating island, 

 in connexion with which the Pijians have some long 

 mythological stories to tell. 



Next day the route was in a south-westerly direc- 

 tion to Nadoga, which was reached about 4 p.m. It 

 was a wet walk all along the banks of the Wai ni 

 Koro, a deep and rapid stream, which was crossed and 

 re-crossed 15 times. The natives are extremely kind, 

 and at the fords insist upon carrying the papalagai, 

 i.e. , the foreigner, across. One soon gets tired of this, 

 besides there is the risk of the bearer slipping, and 

 bringing both down to be carried away by the current. 

 One gets equally tired of changing clothes when fords 

 are frequent, and the result is you plunge into the water 

 with your ordinary costume upon you, even though 

 you may find it up to your shoulders. A considerable 

 extent of fine flat land was noticed on the banks of 

 the stream, and in general the country consisted of 

 low-lying hills covered with grass and brushwood and 

 pasture land. The rocks noticed were principally sedi- 

 mentary and volcanic, and some had the appearance of 

 decomposed granite. The sanitary condition of Na- 

 doga Leaves much to be desired. The mosquitoes 

 were more numerous and troublesome than in any 

 other pari of the group. I left on the following 

 morning, when the path led through the mountains, 

 up the bed of one stream and down the bed of another 

 to Malaka, or Malata, a village on the north- west shore 

 of Natawa bay. During this day's journey the land 



