KELE-MU8U CANAL. 83 



twenty miles by cutting a canal, Kele Musu, across the 

 longest of the deltas. Taking advantage of the tide 

 setting in, we left Ban about noon and soon found our- 

 selves in the canal, probably the greatest piece of engi- 

 neering ever executed in these islands, affording a proof 

 how thickly they must have been populated to allow 

 such an undertaking, at a time when there was nothing 

 but staves to dig the ground, hands to shovel it up, and 

 baskets to carry it away. It has not been ascertained 

 when this canal was dug ; all that can be elucidated is, 

 that it was made long ago, and for the purpose of carry- 

 ing out a military stratagem. It is about two miles 

 long, sixty feet wide, and large canoes pass without dif- 

 ficulty. On a subsequent occasion, our schooner, the 

 ' Paul Jones,' finding it impossible to get from Bau to 

 Rewa by sea on account of a heavy gale, actually made 

 her way through this canal, by taking due advantage of 

 the tide. 



We neared Mataisuva, the mission-station, about sun- 

 set, and passing the mangrove forest, were surprised to 

 see the immense number of Flying Foxes, or Bats (No- 

 toptcris Macdonaldii\ rising from them. They measure 

 nearly a yard from the extreme points of their wings. 

 Mr. Pritchard informed me that at Samoa, the same or 

 a very nearly allied species is a great pet with the natives 

 of that group, and probably the only known instance of 

 a domesticated bat. 



Passing the town of Rewa, we reached Mataisuva at 

 half-past six on the evening of the 29th of June, and were 

 hospitably received by the Rev. W. Moore, who was then 

 the superintendent of an institution for training native 



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