ADIEU TO THE SOUTH SEAS 239 



accompanied by a weird chanting and clapping 

 of hands. The proceedings were brought to a 

 close by a kava drink, for which the most remark- 

 ably beautiful cups were used. They were made 

 from shells of coconuts polished and re-polished 

 to such an extent that they had become scarcely 

 thicker than eggshells, and had darkened to a 

 deep black colour. We were informed that these 

 cups were very valuable owing to the great amount 

 of labour required for their manufacture ; they 

 were only used on very special occasions. 



On 3rd May, four days after leaving the Samoan 

 Islands, the " Valhalla " came to anchor off the 

 town of Suva, the capital of the Fiji Islands. A 

 very short time was spent here, and we conse- 

 quently saw very little of interest. The town of 

 Suva is as unlike a South Sea Island town as can 

 possibly be imagined. Shops of all kinds are 

 scattered along the whole length of the sea-front, 

 and it is almost impossible to realize that 

 cannibalism was once rampant in this island. 



Sailing from Suva on 6th May, 1903, we bade 

 adieu to the South Sea Islands, amongst which 

 so many delightful and never-to-be-forgotten days 

 had been spent. Every year these islands are 

 more and more visited by ships from all parts of 

 the world, and each year brings to their inhabit- 

 ants the very doubtful blessings of civilization. 

 The people living in the less accessible parts, 

 although quickly becoming spoiled by European 



