204 A MISSION TO VITI. 



are here offered. Attention is constantly directed to 

 them, and you have as little chance of remaining 

 ignorant of the great deeds of Degei, Rokoua. and the 

 Vasu-ki-lagi, as you have in the East of the stories of 

 successful magicians, spell-bound princesses, and mighty 

 treasures concealed in obscure caverns. In Kurudua- 

 dua's dominion I could hardly turn without hearing of 

 the doings of the Veli, and the greater part of the even- 

 ing at this place was again devoted to them. My curi- 

 osity had already been so much excited that I deter- 

 mined, come what might, to write their natural history 

 in the very localities most frequented by them. By 

 inquiry and frequent cross-examination, I found the 

 Veli to be a class of spirits in figure approaching to the 

 German gnome, in habits of life the fairy of England. 

 They have been in the country from time immemorial, 

 and live in hollow Kowrie-pines and Kabea-trees. They 

 are of diminutive size, and rather disproportionately 

 large about the upper part of their body. Their hair is 

 thick, and prolonged behind in a pig-tail. Some have 

 wings, others have not. Their complexion rather re- 

 sembles that of the white race than the Fijian. They 

 have great and petty chiefs ; are polygamists, and bear 

 names like the Fijians. They also resemble the latter 

 in wearing native cloth or tapa, which however is much 

 finer and whiter than the ordinary sort. They are 

 friendly disposed, and possess no other bad quality than 

 that of stealing iron tools from the natives. They sing 

 sweetly, and occasionally gratify the Fijians by giving 

 them a song. They feed on the fruit of the Tankua 

 (Ptychosperma) and Boia (Scitaminearum gen. nov.), 



