Strajige Caves. 175 



became general. Occasionally one of the girls would rise from 

 her place, and after lighting a cigarette, of which the cylinder 

 was composed of pandanus leaf instead of paper, would give a 

 few puffs from her own swarthy lips, and then present it cour- 

 teously to one of us. The act was looked on as a delicate way 

 of paying a compliment, and was on each occasion loudly ap- 

 plauded, the damsel, as she returned among her friends, seeming 

 as if overcome with confusion at her own temerity. When the 

 time fixed for our departure arrived, a most affectionate shaking 

 of hands took place, and we bade good-bye to the happy little 

 village of Hifo, delighted with the kindness, hospitality, and good 

 nature of these far-famed Friendly Islanders. 



On the last day previous to our departure from Tongatabu, we 

 made an excursion to the south side of the island, under the 

 guidance of Mr. Symonds, the British Consul, and Mr. Hanslip, 

 the consular interpreter, in order to examine some caves which 

 were said to be of an unusually wonderful nature. They had, of 

 course, never been thoroughly explored, and were consequently 

 said to be of prodigious extent, forming long tunnels through the 

 island. One story was to the effect that an adventurous woman 

 had penetrated one branch of the cave, entering on the south side 

 of the island, and threading its dark recesses for many days, 

 until she finally emerged into the light of day somewhere near 

 Nukualofa, on the north side of the island. 



A pleasant drive of about ten miles brought us to the shore 

 of a small bay exposed to the prevailing wind, and receiving on 

 its beach the full fury of the swell of the main ocean. The 

 foreshore was strewn with coral debris, and above high-water 

 mark were quantities of pumice-stone, probably washed up from 

 the sides of the neighbouring volcanic island of Uea. On either 

 side, the bay was hemmed in by bold projecting crags of coral 

 rock, whose faces indicated, by parallel tide erosions, that they 

 had been elevated by sudden upheaval into their present position. 

 About one hundred yards from the beach, and forty feet above 



