MBAU ANT) VITI-LBW. 155 



benefit of more frequent changes at the oars. The night 

 being dark and rainy, we for some time could steer only by 

 the lights of the ' Cura^oa,' and when we lost sight of these 

 we had recourse to the spirit compass, which was so thick 

 that we found it necessary to take out the screws, and clean 

 the glass. We grounded for an instant on a reef, and were 

 apprehensive that we should be obliged to remain in this 

 very awkward position till the flood tide. We pushed back 

 and got off the reef, and then took a large circuit round, 

 after running aground several times. We at length reached 

 a bay, which is the Wai-ni-ki or Kaba mouth of the Wai- 

 Levu, or Great Eiver of Viti-Levu. We tlien entered tlie 

 Wai-ni-ki, both sides of which were covered with man- 

 groves, and were rather flat. We met about 4 A.:\i. a boat 

 with six oars, and a number of people in it. They were 

 under tlie bank of the river, and we did not see tliem at 

 first. But they hailed us, and said they were ten white 

 men going down to see the Commodore, for the purpose of 

 presenting a petition to him, referring to the object of the 

 expedition. Creelman, who had been beaten by tlie natives, 

 was on board together with his witnesses. After a short 

 parley they were desired to proceed on tlieir course, and 

 not return with us as they proposed. On our way we saw 

 some ducks a little after daybreak, and, as they happened to 

 be on Meade's side of the boat, he got all the shooting. 

 These ducks appear to be the same as the common brown 

 duck which is found in Australia. I shot a hawk, which 

 fell in the cotton plantation of a white man, who had a 



