CH APTE R VIII. 



FIJI AND TONGA. 



THE harbour of Levuka, in which we anchored on the iSth of 

 September, is situated on the north-east side of the island 

 of Ovalau, and from its central position in the Fiji Group has for 

 several years been the principal seat of commercial .activity and 

 the favourite anchorage for men-of-war. Since the annexation in 

 1875, Levuka has been the seat of government for the colony, 

 and the official residence of the High Commissioner for the Pacific. 

 During our stay in harbour the ship was refitted and reprovisioncd, 

 and our boats were occupied in making some additions to the 

 survey of the port. 



A few days after our arrival I received a visit from the youngest 

 son of the redoubted King Cacobau, a fine-looking man, twenty- 

 three years old, whose proper designation is the " Ratu Joseph 

 Celua" (" Ratu" meaning prince), but who is more generally 

 known in Fiji as " Ratu Joe." It seems that soon after we had 

 anchored, he came on board accompanied by some other native 

 sight-seers, and as I had then shown him some slight civility, 

 he now came to express his gratitude by presenting me with a 

 large mat, made from the split leaves of the screw-pine. He 

 surprised us all by speaking exceedingly good English, and 

 possessing an intimate knowledge of the ways and manners of 

 civilized life. It appears that when Fiji was ceded to Great 

 Britain in 1875, he was taken to Sydney, in H.M.S. Dido, to be 



