THE FIJIS 327 



ing songs of the country, shyly, at first, but warming up 

 as they proceeded, clapping their hands to the rhythm, 

 and swaying to and fro with all kinds of graceful mo- 

 tions of the arms and bodies. When the song was ended the 

 men would be given tobacco — the women a few trinkets 

 or a little money, some of the boys looking-glasses, and 

 with mutual good feeling the party would break up. 



At night, when the ship came to her anchorage, the 

 chances were that a canoe load or two of natives from 

 some neighboring village might put off. They would 

 be shown all over the ship, whose various wonders they 

 saw with the greatest astonishment, while the kindly 

 treatment they received evidently filled them with de- 

 light and surprise. 



The following is an extract from Agassiz's journal 

 written shortly before returning to Suva : — 



" Have been working pretty hard ever since I left 

 Suva, getting up at 5 a.m. to see what there was to be 

 seen in going in and out of lagoons or anchorage ; used 

 to have a cup of coffee and run round in pajamas till time 

 to get ready for breakfast — to make up went to bed 

 early, generally 8.30, and have never felt better in my 

 life — sleep well as usual. Generally spend time after 

 coffee measuring distances for the day's work or run, so 

 as to make a programme and find shelter for the night ; 

 everybody joins in and finally we get the most time 

 available for work at any place, and only twice have we 

 been scrimped for time, the two days when we made two 

 long stretches dead to windward against a huge ocean 

 swell, which cut us down to less than seven miles. This 

 boat is an excellent sea boat against the wind, but rolls 

 more than I like when going broadside to the sea." 



