MEETING AT WAI KAVA. - 257 



in hand as soon as the requisite information could be 

 collected. The exiled chief had found a warm sup- 

 porter in the late Mr. Williams, United States Consul, 

 who called the attention of his Government to the facts, 

 that since Bitova's removal, American whalers had been 

 unable to obtain supplies on the northern shores of 

 Vanua Levu, and that the bSche-de-mer trade of Macu- 

 ata, for years carried on by enterprising American citi- 

 zens, and yielding lucrative returns, had become totally 

 extinct. Mr. Williams's able successor, Dr. Brower, took 

 the same view of the matter. Others were not want- 

 ing who pointed out that any distribution of territories 

 made by the Tonguese leader had become null and void 

 by his publicly renouncing every right of interference in 

 the affairs of Fiji. 



On the 22nd of October, 1860, a meeting was held 

 at Wai Kava (Cakaudrove), to which all the chiefs of 

 Vanua Levu, Ritova amongst them, had been invited, in 

 order to give Colonel Smythe an opportunity to inquire 

 into their views respecting the cession of Fiji, and also 

 to discuss with Mr. Pritchard the affairs of Macuata. 

 Two of the chiefs, Tui Bua and Bete, did not appear; the 

 former being on a journey when the message was sent, 

 the latter pretending that the notice given was too short 

 to enable him to attend. But Bonaveidogo, who deserted 

 Ritova in the hour of trial and was rewarded for his 

 treachery with the whole of eastern Macuata, had made 

 his appearance. Bonaveidogo and Ritova had not seen 

 each other since then, and as it was necessary, for the 

 establishment of a durable peace, that the two should 

 be brought face to face before the public meeting took 



s 



