188 A MISSION TO VITI. 



lation whales' teeth have suffered considerable deprecia- 

 tion, though they have not as yet entirely been reduced 

 to their proper value. In the interior of the great 

 island they maintain their old importance, and Kuru- 

 duadua, on seeing us handling some money, expressed 

 his astonishment that we should prefer coins to whale's 

 teeth. We told him not many years would elapse be- 

 fore he changed that opinion, but he thought that time 

 would probably never come. 



During my stay, one of the days was rainy, prevent- 

 ing me from making an excursion. On expressing my re- 

 gret to that effect, a man was brought to me who may 

 be called the " clerk of the weather." He professed to 

 exercise a direct meteorological influence, and said that 

 by burning certain leaves and offering prayers only 

 known to himself, he could make the sun shine or rain 

 come down, and that he was willing to exercise his in- 

 fluence on my behalf if paid handsomely. I told him 

 that I had no objection to give him a butcher's knife if 

 he could let me have fine weather until my return to 

 the coast, but if he failed to do so he must give me 

 something. He was perfectly willing to risk the chance 

 of getting the knife, but would not hear of a present to 

 me in case of failure ; however, he left to catch eels for 

 me. When returning, the clouds had dispersed and 

 the sun was shining brilliantly, and he did not fail to 

 inform me that " he had been and done it." I must 

 further do him the justice to say that I did not experi- 

 ence any bad weather until I fairly reached the coast, 

 and that no sooner had I set my foot in Navua than 

 rain came down in regular torrents. This man has 



