66 A MISSION TO VITI. 



waters, in order to stop the rolling surf from disturbing 

 the nightly repose of the great Fijian deities. They 

 resolutely set about it; but having, in common with 

 other spiritual beings, a decided objection to daylight, 

 they threw the two enormous rocks collected for that 

 purpose in the middle of Port Kinnaird as soon as 

 they began to " smell the morn ;" or, according to an- 

 other version, their noble selves became changed into 

 rocks, as were the villagers in the Bohemian legend of 

 Hans Heiling, now bearing the names of Lado alewa, 

 the female Lado ; and Lado tagane, the male Lado. 

 The latter version seems to be the most rational, if 

 reason has anything to do with such things, for 

 once transformed into stone the two spirits were 

 unable to stir again, whilst, if they had merely thrown 

 down their burden, they might have been made to 

 resume their labours, like Sisyphus of old. However, 

 be that as it may, the fact is, that we were now on the 

 rock identified with the name of the goddess the 

 larger of the two; and I trust that whatever intentions 

 the Fijian Olympus may formerly have entertained re- 

 specting the two Lados in general, and the one we had 

 landed on in particular, they will reconsider the ques- 

 tion since the British colours wave on the summit of 

 this islet. The rocky slopes have been transformed 

 into terraces of flowers, and a neat European-built cot- 

 tage, with broad verandah, and a roof thatched with 

 sugar-cane leaves, contained the archives of the British 

 Consulate. The natives looked upon this house as a 

 perfect marvel of art ; the windows, papered rooms, and 

 above all, the staircase, the first ever made in Fiji, 



