VAVAU. 99 



water was still for a second, becalmed by the boats, or 

 wlien the fierce glare of the sun being kept off the glancing 

 surface of the Avaters by the overhanging rocks made the 

 sea transparent, then a darker patch than usual among these 

 coral covered rocks was seen some eight or ten feet deep. 

 This was the entrance. One of the natives — skilled divers — ■ 

 who accompanied the chief, went overboard from the galley 

 with the end of the boat's lead-line. The first time he 

 seemed to fail, and rose again almost immediately ; the 

 second time he disappeared in the direction of the cavernous 

 darkness, arid remained out of sight for eight or ten 

 minutes, when he returned after having made fast the end 

 of the line in the cavern, and rose again to air and day- 

 light. The chief (David), who had talked so glibly of 

 taking down one of us in each hand, now did not seem 

 very anxious to distinguish himself in that line ; so the 

 captain, who, whether in the hunting field or elsewhere, is 

 always " to the front," persuaded two of the most expert to 

 take him down into the cave.' After entering the passage 

 the skipper became unable to withstand the natural tendency 

 of his body to rise, thereby repeatedly striking against the 

 sharp projections which form the roof of the passage, and 

 the natives grasping him, one by each arm, had to keep 

 forcing him down through nearly all the length of the 

 passage, which the lead-line showed to be about 30 feet. 



' The officer referred to was Captain Luce, of H.M.S. ' Esk,' to wliich 

 sbip LieutenaBt Meade was transferred soon after tlie arrival of the 

 ' Cura(,'oa ' at Sydney. 



H 2 



