NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 507 



as the available surface was rendered extremely irregular by the various articles 

 necessarily stowed upon it, such as provision boxes and beer cases. We all slept with 

 our shooting-boots on, to ensure mutual respect, as we lay packed like herrings in a 

 barrel. On the whole the trip was pleasant enough, and the inconveniences were nothing 

 compared with the interest of a visit to such places as Mbau and Viti Levu." 



The ship left Levuka Harbour at dusk on the 1st August, steaming out of the passage 

 between the reefs and then far enough to get an offing, when sail was made for Kandavu 

 Island, to complete the survey of Ngaloa Harbour. The 2nd (Sunday) was calm nearly 

 all day, so the vessel steamed during the night, and arriving off Ngaloa Harbour at 8 a.m. 

 on the 3rd, despatched the boats to proceed with the survey, whilst the ship obtained 

 some soundings and dredgings off the reef, anchoring in the evening in Ngaloa Harbour 

 (see Sheet 30). 



Kandavu. — Ngaloa Harbour, which at the time of the visit had already acquired 

 some importance as a port of call for the mail steamers running between Sydney and 

 San Francisco, is an indentation in the south coast of Kandavu Island, protected to 

 seaward by a line of coral reefs rising to the surface, and forming a natural breakwater, 

 through which is a deep narrow channel into the anchorage. The harbour is divided 

 into two parts by Ngaloa Island, and the anchorage on the west side of the island is 

 again divided by reefs, occupying a considerable area, into an inner and outer harbour, 

 both of which are perfectly safe in all weathers. The anchorage ground on the east side 

 of Ngaloa Island is named North Bay, and this also is well protected, and is capable of 

 affording shelter to a large number of vessels. At the head of the harbour is a narrow 

 isthmus named Tavukie, which separates Ngaloa from Malatta Bay, and on the west side 

 a range of high hills, culminating in Koroh-to-Sarra, a conical peak covered with trees, 

 1643 feet above the level of the sea. 



Inside the harbour, more particularly in the immediate vicinity of the barrier reef, 

 are numerous coral knobs ; they can, however, be readily seen by a look-out from aloft, 

 and with the chart as a guide, no difficulty should be experienced in entering or leaving 

 this port. During the survey of Ngaloa Harbour several marks on the shore were 

 noticed which appeared to indicate that either the level of high water was different at 

 other seasons of the year, or that the land is now more elevated than formerly. On the 

 side of the small rocky islet, 15 feet high, in the passage between the North Bay and 

 Inner Harbour, is a water mark 4 feet above high water, and other points showed 

 these water marks, though not so distinctly as the small islet. These marks cannot 

 be caused by the sea in bad weather, for the reef protects the harbour from any 

 such swell. 



The native chief at Kandavu on two occasions sent off a large Green Turtle as a 



