140 A MISSION TO V1TI. 



178 6' 23" east, according to observation taken by Mr. 

 Sedmond, master of H.M.S. Harrier, 17, Captain Sir 

 Malcolm McGregor. Tavuki is an open bay on the 

 northern coast, with no deep water close to the shore, 

 and at ebb tide one has to walk about half a mile 

 over the coral reef before being able to reach the boats. 

 The missionaries had endeavoured to make a pier, on 

 which those whom the chiefs would wish to punish for 

 any petty offences were made to work ; but at the 

 time of our visit little progress had been made, and one 

 could almost have wished that a greater number of 

 petty offences had been committed. 



The island of Kadavu, of which so little is known, 

 and no accurate hydrographical survey exists, is highly 

 cultivated, notwithstanding its being so hilly, and rising 

 on its western extremity four thousand feet high. A 

 strong belief has sprung up that there must be gold, 

 and old gold-diggers from the Australian colonies, judg- 

 ing from the formation of the quartz rocks, maintain 

 that the island is auriferous. Quite recently Kadavu 

 has been examined by two miners from Melbourne, 

 who certainly did find a quartz reef, but not the pre- 

 cious metal they were in search of. The fact of the 

 matter is, that neither of these parties had the means 

 to provide themselves with proper tools for a thorough 

 and final exploration. The discovery of gold has ac- 

 tually been reported from Vanua Levu. The popula- 

 tion of Kadavu, said to number about ten thousand, is 

 a mixture between the Fijian and Tonguese races, all 

 of whom, with the exception of seven individuals, have 

 nominally become Christians. The island is twenty- 



