198 



Second visit from Tanoa. Districts 

 of Ovolau. Tui Levuka, the 



nVAT A TT principal chief of Ovolau. Town of Levuka. 

 U V U.LAU. Districts of the Feejee Group. 



prevent surprise. It was pleasant to look upon 

 the Tongese, but I felt more interest in the Feejees; 

 the contrast was somewhat like that observable 

 between a well-bred gentleman and a boor. 



After the king got on shore, they had much talk 

 at the mbure-house, upon all they had seen, and 

 among other things, he remarked, " that my men 

 might be good warriors, but they walked very much 

 like Muscovy ducks," a bird of which they have 

 numbers. 



Tanoa sent me word he would like to come and 

 see things without ceremony, to which I readily 

 consented. The next day he came on board, as he 

 said, to look and see for himself ; he stayed some 

 hours. When he entered the cabin, I was pouring 

 out some mercury for my artificial horizon, of 

 which I gave him several globules in his hand. 

 He complained of their being hot, and amused 

 himself for a long time in trying to pinch them up, 

 which of course he found it impossible to do, and 

 showed some vexation on being foiled, nipping his 

 fingers together with great vehemence to catch the 

 metal. His actions resembled those of a monkey ; 

 he kept looking at his fingers, and seemed asto- 

 nished that they were not wet, and could not be 

 made to understand how it could wet a button, 

 (which I silvered for him,) and not his fingers. 

 He talked a great deal of the regulations he had 

 signed. I was desirous of knowing whether he 

 fully understood them, which I found he did. I 

 then asked him if it would not be better for his 

 son Seru to sign them also, as he is understood to 

 be the acting chief^ he said " no," that his signing 

 was quite sufficient, and made them binding on all 

 the dependencies of Ambau. He desired me, 

 when his son Seru paid me a visit, to talk hard to 

 him, and give him plenty of good advice, for he 

 was a young man, and frisky ; but he himself was 

 old, and saw things that were good and bad. He 

 said Seru would visit me in a few days, when he 

 returned, as they could not both leave Ambau at 

 the same tune. 



The observatory duties were now commenced, 

 and Lieutenant Perry and Mr. Eld were ordered 

 to assist me. I had, while thus employed, ample 

 time to get information from David Whippy, who 

 seemed not only to have acquired the language 

 perfectly, but also a good knowledge of the cus- 

 toms, manners, and habits of the natives. 



Ovolau is divided into four districts, viz. Levuka 

 on the east, Fokambou on the south-west, Barita 

 on the south-east, and Vaki Levuka on the north- 

 west; besides these, there is the interior or moun- 

 tainous region, called by the natives Livoni. 

 Levuka is mbati to the chiefs of Ambau ; Fokam- 

 bou and Barita are ygali to the same power, but 

 Vaki Levuka is ygali to Levuka, whilst the moun- 

 tainous regions are independent and predatory. 

 The term mbati signifies allies, or being under pro- 

 tection, though not actually subject to it. Ygali 

 expresses that they are subjects, and compelled to 

 pay tribute yearly, or obliged to satisfy the de- 

 mands of the chiefs, whenever made upon them. 



Tui Levuka is the principal chief of Ovolau; his 

 authority extends over eight towns on the east 

 side. He is very friendly to the whites, and is 

 represented by them to be a kind-hearted and 

 honest chief : he is between forty and fifty years 

 of age, and has a pleasing countenance ; he rules 

 his village with great popularity. It was amusing 



to see his bewilderment in attending to the various 

 duties and offices he had to perform, in providing 

 the large supplies of food, consisting of yams, taro, 

 &c., that were required for our use ; he was, how- 

 ever, very industrious, and by the aid of Whippy, 

 got through very well, though with much fear and 

 trembling, lest he should be held accountable for 

 any theft or depredations committed on our pro- 

 perty, or accident to our men, in the various occu- 

 pations that were all going forward at the same 

 time, consisting of watering, wooding, digging 

 gardens, making enclosures, building, as he said, 

 towns, holding markets, and trading all day long 

 for spears, clubs, shells, &c. ; he had great fears, 

 too, of exciting the jealousy of the Ambau chiefs, 

 who he judged would not like to see the advantages 

 he was reaping from our lengthened stay, which 

 would naturally enough bring their displeasure 

 upon him. I found him of great use, and was in 

 the habit of receiving from him almost daily, visits 

 at the observatory, so that when Whippy was at a 

 loss for any information relative to the islands, Tui 

 Levuka was always at hand to supply it. 



The rest of the island is under the Ambau chiefs, 

 or as they express it, ygali to Ambau, excepting the 

 mountaineers, who are easily brought over to fight 

 on any side, and are, from all accounts, true 

 savages. Tui Levuka has never been properly in- 

 stalled into office, although from his courage and 

 talent as a leader, he is highly respected. The 

 circumstance which has prevented this ceremony 

 from taking place was, that the Ambau chiefs suc- 

 ceeded by stratagem in getting possession of Ovolau 

 about fifteen years ago, or in 1825, before which 

 time it had belonged to Verata, with which Ambau 

 was at war. The Vei-ata chiefs had been always 

 in the habit of installing the chiefs, but since they 

 have lost Ovolau, they refuse to perform the 

 rite, and the Ambau chiefs will not exercise it, 

 on account of religious dread, and the fear of of- 

 fending their gods. 



The islands of Wakaia and Mokungai, near that 

 of Ovolau, are under Tui Levuka ; they have but 

 few inhabitants. Tui Levuka's eldest son is the 

 chief of Wakaia. 



The town of Levuka is much larger than one 

 would imagine on seeing it from the water. Many 

 of the houses are situated on the side of the hill. 

 Its natural position is pretty : it has a fine brook 

 running through it, coming from the gorge in the 

 mountain, the water of which is made great use of 

 for irrigating the taro-patches, which, with their 

 yam-grounds, claim the principal attention of the 

 inhabitants : the natives constantly bathe in it, 

 and are remarkably cleanly in their persons ; the 

 evident pleasure they take in the bath is even 

 shared by those who see them sporting in the 

 water. 



The Feejee Group is composed of seven districts, 

 and is under as many principal chiefs, viz. : 



1st. Ambau. 

 2nd. Kewa. 

 3rd. Verata. 

 4th. Muthuata. 



5th. Somu-somu. 

 6th. Naitasiri. 

 7th. Mbua. 



All the minor chiefs on the different islands are 

 more or less connected or subject to one of these, 

 and as the one party or the other prevails in their 

 wars, they change masters. War is the constant 

 occupation of the natives, and engrosses all their 

 time and thoughts. 



