2JO 



Peacock at Vatulele. 



FEEJEE GROUP. 



Suva Harbour. 

 Island of Mbenga. 



and Mr. De Haven, that there would be no diffi- 

 culty in taking the ship through, which I accord- 

 ingly did. This channel has shoals in it, some with 

 but a few feet of water over them, while others 

 have sufficient for any class of vessels. The least 

 water we had was nine fathoms. I believe we 

 were enabled to locate all the shoals in it, and I 

 think it a safe passage. With the sun in the east, 

 and steering towards the west, the dangers are 

 distinctly visible. 



Beyond Buia Point the passage becomes still 

 more intricate, and opposite Rabe-rabe Island it is 

 quite narrow, though there is ample water for any 

 vessel. We, however, went brisldy on, having a 

 fine breeze from the eastward. After getting 

 sight of the Lecumba Point Reef, there is but a 

 narrow channel into the bay, which we reached at 

 half-past 3 P.M. The Peacock had just arrived 

 from the north side of Vanua-levu, and anchored. 



Mbua or Sandalwood Bay, though much filled 

 with large reefs, offers ample space for anchorage. 



The holding-ground is excellent, and the water not 

 too deep. The bay is of the figure of a large seg- 

 ment of a circle, six miles in diameter, and is 

 formed by Lecumba Point on the east and that of 

 Dimba-dimba on the west. The land immediately 

 surrounding it is low, but a few miles back it rises 

 in high and picturesque peaks. That of Corobato 

 is distinguished from the Vitilevu shore, and has an 

 altitude of two thousand feet. The shores of the 

 bay are lined with mangroves, and have, generally, 

 extensive mud-flats. There are few facilities here 

 for obtaining either wood or water, as the anchor- 

 age is a long distance from the shore. Several 

 small streams enter the bay in its upper part, flow- 

 ing from some distance in the interior. This was 

 the principal place where the sandalwood was for- 

 merly obtained, but it has for some years past been 

 exhausted. I shall defer speaking of this district 

 until I have given an account of the operations of 

 the Peacock. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



FEEJEE GROUP (CONCLUDED). 



PEACOCK AT VATtJLELE SUVA HARBOUR ISLAND OF MBENGA HARBOUR OP NDRONGA ISLAND OP MALAKI 

 SURVEY OP SANDALWOOD BAY DEMBA-DEMBA POINT NALOA BAY TOWN OP MUTHUATA PEACOCK LEAVES 

 MUTHUA.TA JOINS THE VINCENNES IN MBUA BAY STATE OF THE SURVEYS CAPTURE OF THE PIRST CUTTER 

 BY THE NATIVES IV SUALIB BAY MEASURES TAKEN IN CONSEOUENCE ATTACK ON THE TOWN OP TYE, ITS 

 DESTRUCTION REMARKS THEREON RELEASE OF PRISONERS FRESH SURVEYS MADE ANOANGA ISLAND THE 

 PORPOISE JOINS THE TENDER AND BOATS BOATS REJOIN MELANCHOLY NEWS MURDER AT MALOLO OF 

 LIEUTENANT UNDERWOOD AND MIDSHIPMAN HENRY HISTORY OF THE MASSACRE BURIAL OF THE SLAIN 

 PREPARATIONS FOR AN ATTACK ON MALOLO ATTACK ON MALOLO ARRO BURNT SUBMISSION OP THE CHIEFS 

 AND PEOPLE REFLECTIONS THEREON PREPARATIONS FOR LEAVING THE FEEJEE GROUP. 



ON the 26th of May, the Peacock was off Vatulele. 

 Leaving Mbenga to the north, Kantavu on the 

 south, and passing through the sea of Kantavu, 

 they had surveyed the south-west side of Vatulele, 

 and afterwards stood for the opening in the reef off 

 the west end of Vitilevu, through which they passed 

 after sunset, anchoring on the inside of the reef of 

 Navula, in thirteen fathoms water. This is the 

 limit of the king of Rewa's authority. 



On the morning of the 2?th, they coasted along 

 the land inside of the reef. The shores of Vitilevu 

 art here low ; but the land within a short distance 

 rises to the height of one thousand feet, and has 

 a brown and barren appearance. It is destitute of 

 trees, except on the low points along the shores 

 which are covered with mangrove (rhizophora) 

 and cocoa-nut groves. 



Towards sunset the vessel ran upon a coral lump, 

 which gave her a considerable jar ; but, on getting 

 out a kedge, they very soon hauled off, when Cap- 

 tain Hudson anchored for the night. 



In the evening, partly as a signal for the absent 

 boats that were appointed to meet the ship here, 

 and partly for effect on the natives, they fired an 

 evening gun, burnt a blue-light, and set off three 

 rockets, or as the natives term them, " fiery spirits." 

 These brought forth many shouts from the land, 

 which were audibly heard on board, although the 



vessel was at a great distance from the shore. 

 These signals were soon answered by a rocket 

 from the boats, which joined the ship early the 

 next morning. 



Lieutenant Emmons, his officers, and boats' 

 crews, were all well. No accident had occurred to 

 them, and he reported that he had finished his 

 work. After leaving the ship at Rewa, he passed 

 outside the reef for several miles, until he came 

 to a narrow and deep passage through the reef, 

 which led to a spacious harbour, on which lies the 

 village of Suva. The natives of this village told 

 Mr. Emmons' interpreter, that they were subjects 

 of the king of Rewa, and that they had lately be- 

 come Christians. This is the village where the 

 Reverend Mr. Cargill had been the Sunday pre- 

 ceding, and its inhabitants were the first prose- 

 lytes he had. 



Suva Harbour was surveyed and found to be an 

 excellent one, free from shoals, well sheltered, and 

 with good holding-ground, easy of ingress and 

 egress, with an abundance of wood and water. It 

 lies ten miles west of Rewa Roads. 



On the 20th, the boats stood over for Mbenga. 

 They found the current setting very strong to the 

 eastward, which made a disagreeable short sea, 

 obliging them to keep two hands bailing to prevent 

 the boat from swamping. Towards night they 



