66 A MISSION TO VITI. 
waters, in order to stop the rolling surf from disturbing 
the nightly repose of the great Fijian deities. They 
resolutely set about it; but having, in common with 
other spiritual beings, a decided objection to daylight, 
they threw the two enormous rocks collected for that 
purpose in the middle of Port Kinnaird as soon as 
they began to “smell the morn;” or, according to an- 
other version, their noble selves became changed into 
rocks, as were the villagers in the Bohemian legend of 
Hans Heiling,—now bearing the names of Lado alewa, 
the female Lado; and Lado tagane, the male Lado. 
The latter version seems to be the most rational,—if 
reason has anything to do with such things,—for 
once transformed into stone the two spirits were 
unable to stir again, whilst, if they had merely thrown 
down their burden, they might have been made to 
resume their labours, like Sisyphus of old. However, 
be that as it may, the fact is, that we were now on the 
rock identified with the name of the goddess—the 
larger of the two; and I trust that whatever intentions 
the Fijian Olympus may formerly have entertained re- 
specting the two Lados in general, and the one we had 
landed on in particular, they will reconsider the ques- 
tion since the British colours wave on the summit of 
this islet. The rocky slopes have been transformed 
into terraces of flowers, and a neat European-built cot- 
tage, with broad verandah, and a roof thatched with 
sugar-cane leaves, contained the archives of the British 
Consulate. The natives looked upon this house as a 
perfect marvel of art; the windows, papered rooms, and 
above all, the staircase,—-the first ever made in Fiji, 
