OFFICIAL MEETING AT NAMOSI. 165 



vilitabua and the Vasu-ki-lagi. One of our party took 

 down the outline of it, but unfortunately lost it, and I 

 shall not spoil a good story by giving it imperfectly. 



Chief Kuruduadua had proposed to have the official 

 meeting at Namosi, in preference to Navua, his usual 

 place of residence on the coast, and summoned all his 

 tribes, their petty chiefs and landholders for the 25th of 

 August. On our arrival, Namosi was already crowded 

 with visitors, and parties of men, women, and children, 

 generally bringing loads of provisions and property with 

 them, continued to flock in from all directions during the 

 whole of the following day. The meeting took place 

 in the open air, and in the public square or Kara, which 

 is situate on the banks of the river, and before the great 

 Bure ni sa, or strangers' house, a building about ninety 

 feet long, and built on a mound. The weather was 

 beautiful, and the birds were singing sweetly in the 

 numerous shaddock-trees lining the banks. 



When we arrived, the people, with the exception of 

 the women, were squatted on the ground at a respectful 

 distance from the seats placed for our accommodation. 

 None of the influence which civilization and missionary 

 teaching have had on the Fijians were here perceptible. 

 Every native appeared in primitive style, and a stranger 

 sight it has never been my fortune to witness. Every 

 man seemed to have used his utmost efforts to make 

 himself look as singular as he possibly could. Their 

 dresses were merely narrow strips of bark cloth. Some 

 faces were quite black, some only half; again, others 

 half black and half red, or striped in various ways. 

 Nothing could be more curious than the endless variety 



