Nocturnal adventure. 

 Royal breakfast. 



FEEJEE GROUP 



Town of Rewa. Mbure-bouse at Rewa. 

 Ngaraningiou's house. 



219 



spirits they supposed to be let loose and flying in 

 the air. Paddy Connel, alias Berry, told them that 

 nothing but the unwillingness we had to do them 

 injury prevented us from sending them to Ambau, 

 ten miles distant, and he said there was no doubt 

 that they believed that it could be done. This ex- 

 hibition excited the wonder and amazement of all 

 the country round, and induced them to believe 

 that these flying spirits were collected for the de- 

 struction of Rewa, and that they themselves would 

 be the next to suffer. 



After the fireworks they all retired, Captain 

 Hudson taking up his abode with the king, and 

 continuing to talk with him until a late hour. 

 When they retired to their sleeping apartments, he 

 found his place of rest was divided by tapa-cloths 

 and screens from the rest of the apartments of the 

 house, and well furnished with musquito-netting. 

 Ere he got to sleep, he was surprised to find his 

 inusquito-net moving, and still more so when he 

 saw the figure of a woman, one of the king's own 

 wives, of whom he has a large number, endeavour- 

 ing to become his bedfellow. This was to him an 

 unexpected adventure, and an honour of which he 

 was not ambitious. He therefore called loudly for 

 Paddy Connel and Jimmy, the king's body-servant 

 and cup-bearer, and through them very politely 

 declined the honour; but the lady positively refused 

 to go away, saying that she had been sent by the 

 king, and must sleep there; that she durst not go 

 away, for the king would club her ! She was told 

 that she must go, that the matter would be ar- 

 ranged with the king in the morning, and she need 

 have no fears about it. She then left the musquito- 

 net, although with evident alarm as to the conse- 

 quences, and would go no further. Seeing this, 

 Captain Hudson sent Jimmy to the king, to say he 

 did not wish a bedfellow; to which the monarch re- 

 plied it was well, and directed the woman to with- 

 draw, which she did as soon as satisfied that it was 

 the king's command. This circumstance, together 

 with the continued trampling of the mice, with 

 which the palace is overrun, drove away any thing 

 like sleep; and Captain Hudson, in self-defence, 

 was obliged to pass the remainder of the night with 

 Paddy and Jimmy over the fire. 



As soon as the day dawned, his majesty, who is 

 an early riser, called for his ava, and her majesty 

 called out lustily for Jimmy to light a cigar and 

 bring it to her in bed, for she is as fond of cigars as 

 her royal spouse. After the king had drunk his 

 ava and smoked his cigar, they had breakfast of 

 baked pig, taro, and yams. The repast was spread 

 upon a mat; after which Captain Hudson, accom- 

 panied by the king and Paddy Connel, crossed the 

 river, to the missionaries, where they partook of a 

 second breakfast, the king behaving himself with 

 great decorum at the table; and Paddy, too, took 

 his second lunch behind the door, with great enjoy- 

 ment. The king renewed his promises to build 

 their houses, as soon as the weather became fine, 

 and said that then he would not leave them until 

 they were finished. This engagement, I am happy 

 to say, he fully performed. After breakfast, they 

 again crossed the river to Rewa, and the weather 

 having cleared up, the town presented an entirely 

 different appearance. The scenery around Rewa 

 is fine. There are in its neighbourhood many 

 creeks, not unlike narrow canals, bordered on each 

 side with rich and beautiful vegetation, resembling 



that of Oriental regions. Dr. Pickering and Mr. 

 Rich threaded many miles of these creeks, in the 

 canoe of Mr. Cargill, who was kind enough to lend 

 it to them. During this excursion they landed and 

 went to a village, where they saw a well-planned 

 ball-alley, kept in good order, level and clean. Taro 

 and sugar-cane were found to be extensively culti- 

 vated. After wading across several creeks, they 

 finally reached an uncleared wood, consisting of 

 large trees of Inocarpus, Barringtonia, and Uvaria, 

 with palms and pandanus, resembling the vegeta- 

 tion of Ovolau. The country appeared very wet, 

 and was full of mud-holes and small creeks, which 

 rendered walking irksome. They returned to 

 Rewa by dark, and the next day proceeded in an- 

 other direction, when a Feejee dandy offered to be 

 their guide, and was extremely attentive to them 

 throughout their excursion. He refused all com- 

 pensation, until a little girl, who was near, seeing a 

 Jew's-harp, requested to have it. He then accepted 

 it, and gave it to her. This act, together with his 

 civil and attentive behaviour, produced a favourable 

 impression upon them. 



The town of Rewa, though in a low situation, has 

 a picturesque though singular appearance. It ex- 

 tends about a mile along the river, and contains 

 from five to six hundred houses of all sizes, from 

 the lofty mbures with their pointed roofs, and the 

 barn-like edifices of the chiefs, to the rickety shan- 

 tees of the kai-sis, and the diminutive yam-houses, 

 perched on four posts, to protect the yams from the 

 depredations of the rats. It is every where inter- 

 sected by narrow lanes, closely shut in with high 

 reed fences. 



The party visited the most conspicuous houses 

 of the place. The first which they saw was the 

 mbure, situated on the spot where the king's father 

 was murdered ; the mound on which it is built is an 

 artificial one, ten feet high. The mbure is about 

 twelve feet square, and its sides or walls only four 

 feet high; while its high-pitched roof rises to the 

 height of about thirty feet. The walls and roof of 

 the mbure are constructed of canes about the size 

 of a finger, and each one is wound round with sennit 

 as thick as a cod-line, made from the cocoa-nut 

 husk. At a little distance, the whole house looked 

 as though it was built of braided cord, and pre- 

 sented a singular and curious appearance, creating 

 a favourable idea of the skill as well as labour ex- 

 pended in its construction. 



The next building visited was that of the king's 

 women. This is one hundred and eighty feet in 

 length, twenty-four feet wide, and thirty feet high. 

 Here were a number of women engaged in making 

 mats, tapa, and baskets. They were gay and 

 merry, though busily engaged at their work. 



Another large spirit-house was next visited, in 

 which the mountaineers congregate; and on their 

 exit from it they saw a bull near the door, which 

 the natives, in essaying to follow the party, had to 

 encounter. It was not a little amusing to see 

 them spitting at the beast to drive him off. 



Ngaraningiou's dwelling was then visited. This 

 is considered the most elegant house in the Feejees. 

 It is very elaborately ornamented with sennit and 

 braid. Order and decorum reign throughout, for 

 Ngaraningiou is extremely dignified and reserved 

 in his domicile, and is reputed to be somewhat of a 

 tyrant. He will not suffer any of the natives to 

 approach and gaze in at his doors, which is a 



