223 



Fear of an attack on the observatory. 

 ' Return of the Flying- Fish. 



FEEJEE GROUP. 



Tova Reef. Islands of Totoia, 

 Maluku, and Moala. 



tilings. I, therefore, sent off word that he should 

 he kept on board as a kind of hostage, and ordered 

 forty men to reinforce the observatory, after dark, 

 for the si lip was not near enough to use our guns 

 in defending it. The night, however, was quiet, 

 and there were no signs of the natives moving 

 about on shore. Indeed they are extremely averse 

 to go out after dark, from a fear of meeting kalous, 

 or spirits. Seru was amused with rockets, &c., on 

 board, and passed his time to his satisfaction. 



On the 2lst, the ship was moved up abreast the 

 observatory point, in order to protect it, and moored 

 so that her gtms might rake each side of the point 

 in case of an attack. The knoll on which I had 

 erected the observatory was a strong position, and 

 we now set to work to make it more so, by clearing 

 it of all the rubbish and brushwood that might 

 afford cover to assailants. Signals were arranged 

 with the ship in case of attack, to direct the fire of 

 the guns, and all things made ready to give any 

 hostile force a warm reception. About eight 

 o'clock in the evening, Whippy told me that a 

 report had reached Tui Levuka that there was 

 trouble at Rewa, and that the king and chiefs were 

 prisoners ; but to this we gave no credit at the 

 time. In the morning, however, I learned through 

 him, that one old chief had got information that 

 Vendovi was a prisoner, and that the king and 

 queen would be released; in fact, nearly the whole 

 story that has been related in the preceding chapter, 

 reached Levuka before the day on which it occur- 

 red had passed. On inquiring of Tui Levuka, 

 through Whippy, after I had heard the particulars, 

 and learned how nearly they corresponded with 

 the report, how he obtained his information, his 

 answer was, " Did you not tell me to bring you the 

 earliest news, and have my spies out ?" The news 

 must have been brought a distance of twenty miles 

 in less than six hours, for I can scarcely believe 

 that any native could possibly have invented the 

 story, or could have surmised what was to take 

 place. 



Early on the morning of the 22nd, Seru left the 

 ship and proceeded to Ambau, although I had been 

 informed that it was his intention to go to the dif- 

 ferent islands, to bring us hogs and yams. Tui 

 Levuka called my attention to this, and also to the 

 fact that a messenger had brought Seru intelligence 

 of what had happened at Rewa during the stay of 

 the Peacock there, and of the sailing of that ship 

 with Vendovi on board. 



During this time many things occurred to keep 

 us on the alert. On the night of the 23rd, the 

 usual number of men were landed at the observa- 

 tory, and in the night a musket was accidentally 

 fired, which, of course, created some stir, but it 

 proved a false alarm; it, however, served to keep 

 up our vigilance in case of attack. 



On the 26th the Flying- Fish returned, entering 

 through the reefs after dark. Lieutenant Carr had 

 executed the greater part of the duties pointed out 

 in his instructions. 



Lieutenant Carr reached Lakemba on the morn- 

 ing of the 17th; and on leaving Lakemba, proceeded 

 with the tender to Vanua-vatu, where they began 

 their surveys. The tender's boats were launched, 

 and the island was circumnavigated. It rises gra- 

 dually, on all sides, to the height of several hundred 

 feet, and is covered with foliage; it is six miles in 

 circumference, and is encircled by a reef, through 



which there are two entrances for boats, but nei- 

 ther of them is sufficiently wide for the entrance of 

 a vessel. This island is not inhabited, but the na- 

 tives resort there for the purpose of fishing. 



Lieutenant Carr next surveyed the Tova Reef, 

 which was found about equidistant from Totoia, 

 Moala, and Vanua-vatu. He represents it as one 

 of the most dangerous outlying reefs in the group ; 

 it is a mile in diameter, and nearly circular : the 

 two former islands are in sight from it, but the 

 latter, being low, was not seen. At low water this 

 reef is quite dry, and it then forms a snug basin, 

 into which there is a shallow passage for boats. 

 The soundings within the reef were found extremely 

 irregular, varying from two to fourteen feet. At 

 high water the reef is entirely covered, and the sea 

 breaks on it at all times. 



The next island that claimed Lieutenant Carr's 

 attention was Totoia. Here he discovered a pas- 

 sage leading through the reef, into which he went 

 with the tender, and anchored in fifteen fathoms, 

 half a mile distant from the shore. They found here 

 a canoe from Vavao, manned by Tongese. Totoia 

 is high and much broken; it resembles the rest of 

 the group in its volcanic formation; it is covered 

 with luxuriant foliage, and has many fertile valleys. 

 Lieutenant Carr thinks that this harbour can be 

 useful only as a temporary refuge. It is filled with 

 broken patches, has very irregular soundings, from 

 three to thirty fathoms, and the passages between 

 these patches are quite narrow and tortuous. The 

 weather setting in bad, they were obliged to forego 

 the examination of a small part of the southern 

 portion of the reef for openings: it is believed, how- 

 ever, that none exist. 



Matuku was the next island. Of this they began 

 the survey on the south-eastern side, whence they 

 passed round the southern shore. On the western 

 side they discovered an opening through the reef, 

 through which they passed, and anchored in one of 

 the best harbours in the group. This I have called 

 Carr's Harbour. Its entrance is, perhaps, too 

 narrow for a ship to beat in, which the prevalence 

 of easterly winds would generally require to be 

 done : but the channel to it is quite clear of patches, 

 and the passage through the reef is a good one, 

 though long. Within the reef there is a circular 

 basin of large extent, in all parts of which a ship 

 may select her berth with good bottom. Wood and 

 water are to be had here in plenty. The natives 

 resemble those of the other islands, and are con- 

 sidered as possessing skill in the use of their 

 arms. 



Moala was next visited. It is a high volcanic 

 island. There is an opening through the reef, on 

 the- west side, that leads to an inferior harbour, 

 which the boats sui'veyed. . They found here a 

 white man, calling himself Charley, who was of 

 some use to them in pointing out the localities. 

 Lieutenant Carr sent him, the next morning, with 

 the boats, to examine a supposed harbour, into i 

 which, in consequence of the light winds, the ten- 

 der was unable to enter. The reef on the north 

 side of Moala resembles that of Totoia, being a 

 collection of sunken and detached patches. The 

 reef on the north-east makes off to the distance of 

 two and a half miles. After passing it, there is a 

 deep indentation in the island, with a broad passage 

 through the reef, leading to a safe and very fine 

 harbour, and, what is unusual, the passage is sufifi- 



