22 A MISSION TO VTTI. 



theless became a victim, and had instantly to leave for 

 colder climes, the only known remedy for checking its 

 progress. 



Mr. Joseph Waterhouse, the chairman of the Fijian 

 district of Wesleyan Mission, kindly asked me to take 

 up my residence at his house during my stay in Taviuni ; 

 but, as both himself and Mr. Carey, his coadjutor, were 

 about to proceed to the annual meeting of their brethren 

 in Bau, I declined the offer, and accepted instead that 

 of Captain Wilson, my fellow-voyager from Australia. 

 Mr. William Coxon, the captain's nephew, and manager 

 of the cocoa-nut oil establishment which Captain Wil- 

 son and M. Jaubert, of Sydney, had a few years ago 

 planted at Somosomo, came in his boat to fetch us, 

 bringing with him several Eotuma natives, who had 

 been employed in the establishment, and were willing 

 to work their passage in the ' John Wesley ' to Sydney, 

 thence to watch for a vessel to their island home. 



The distance from Wairiki to Somosomo is only six 

 miles, and a fine breeze soon brought us there. The 

 water off the latter place is shallow, leaving a large flat 

 of rocks at ebb-tide. Captain Wilson warned me not 

 to expect any but the roughest accommodation, as no 

 proper dwelling-house had as yet been erected. I was 

 quite contented with what I found ; two sheds, one con- 

 taining a hydraulic press for making oil, a large house 

 for drying the cocoa-nuts, which also served for dry- 

 ing my plants, and a small dwelling-house, all built in 

 native fashion, and thatched with the leaves of the 

 sugar-cane. A grove of stately cocoa-nut palms diffused 

 an agreeable shade over the place, and trees laden with 



