NO THIEVING. 157 



rejoiced in the name of Vuniwaivutuku, and consisted 

 of about thirty houses, some of which were neatly fenced 

 in with Dracaenas. The place where we had squatted 

 down was in front of the Buri ni sa, an old and not 

 very large building, surrounded by a good many erect 

 stones, indicating the number of dead bodies eaten 

 under its hospitable roof. The grass-plot in front, and 

 several fine leaf plants, gave an air of neatness to the 

 whole ; whilst the extensive view it commanded over 

 the whole valley, proved the situation a well-chosen 

 one for a strangers' house. Kuruduadua informed us 

 that there were two roads from here to Namosi, and 

 that he should take us the longest, and bring us back 

 the shortest, so that we might see as much as possible 

 of his territory. He told us the road would be rather 

 a rough one, and, without any exaggeration, it proved 

 quite equal to the worst roads I traversed in South 

 America. Now we had to climb perpendicular rocks, 

 now creep underneath low bowers formed by reeds, now 

 again w r ade through rivers and rivulets, or pass over 

 swampy ground. Our clothes were torn by brambles, 

 our hands and faces cut by sharp-edged leaves of grasses ; 

 indeed, one was forcibly reminded of the flight of the 

 mechanics through the forests, which Puck relates with 

 roguish delight in the ' Midsummer Night's Dream : ' 



" For briers and thorns at their apparel snatch ; 

 Some sleeves ; some hats ; from yielders all things catch." 



On proceeding, Colonel Smythe discovered that he 

 had left his purse at Nagadi, having placed it last night 

 under his mat, and forgotten to put it in his pocket be- 

 fore starting. " Make yourself perfectly easy about it," 



