1 66 Cruise of the ''Alertr 



rather insecure site, and that the next heavy flood in the rainy 

 season would sweep away all his household belongings. 



He pointed out close to his own house the characteristic raised 

 foundations of an old native temple (Bure Kalou), and told us 

 that his workmen, in clearing the ground for his garden and 

 paddock, frequently turned up human skulls and other bones. 

 He also very kindly promised to send me some Kaicolo crania on 

 the first opportunity ; a promise which he amply redeemed some 

 weeks later by presenting me with two excellent specimens. 



After a short stay in his house, and refreshed by a drink of 

 delicious milk, we continued our walk down this valley, following 

 the course of the river, which, as we advanced, rapidly increased 

 in size, and pursued so sinuous a course that we were obliged to 

 cross and recross it five or six times before we arrived at Bureta 

 — a native village on the west side of Ovalau — which we gained 

 just before nightfall. A further walk of about a mile brought 

 us to the residence of a friend of Mr. Parr's (Captain Morne), a 

 retired merchant captain, and now the owner of a large estate, by 

 whom we were most hospitably entertained and lodged for the 

 night. 



This gentleman was doing a large trade in pine-apples, of which 

 he has about twenty acres under cultivation. He sends the 

 produce periodically to Sydney by steamer, packed in wooden 

 boxes, where they fetch about 2 0^-. per dozen. On the following 

 morning we spent some hours in strolling about the estate, and 

 in a creek near the outlet of the Livoni River we saw the curious 

 mud-fish PeriopJithalnms jumping about on the moist beach in the 

 ludicrous manner which has been so well described by Mr. Moseley 

 in his " Notes of a Naturalist," its pectoral fins being used for 

 terrestrial progression. 



We made the return journey by the south side of the island, 

 Captain Morne very considerately sending us on in one of his 

 boats as far as the south-west extreme of Ovalau, from whence a 

 three hours' walk along the seashore brought us back to Levuka. 



