KELE-MUSU CANAL. 83 
twenty miles by cutting a canal, Kele Musu, across the 
longest of the deltas. Taking advantage of the tide 
setting in, we left Bau about noon and soon found our- 
selves in the canal, probably the greatest piece of engi- 
neering ever executed in these islands, affording a proof 
how thickly they must have been populated to allow 
such an undertaking, at a time when there was nothing 
but staves to dig the ground, hands to shovel it up, and 
baskets to carry it away. It has not been ascertained 
when this canal was dug; all that can be elucidated is, 
that it was made long ago, and for the purpose of carry- 
ing out a military stratagem. It is about two miles 
long, sixty feet wide, and large canoes pass without dif- 
ficulty. On a subsequent occasion, our schooner, the 
‘Paul Jones,’ finding it impossible to get from Bau to 
Rewa by sea on account of a heavy gale, actually made 
her way through this canal, by taking due advantage of 
the tide. 
We neared Mataisuva, the mission-station, about sun- 
set, and passing the mangrove forest, were surprised to 
see the immense number of Flying Foxes, or Bats (Wo- 
topteris Macdonaldit), rising from them. They measure 
nearly a yard from the extreme points of their wings. 
My. Pritchard informed me that at Samoa, the same or 
a very nearly allied species is a great pet with the natives 
of that group, and probably the only known instance of 
a domesticated bat. 
Passing the town of Rewa, we reached Mataisuva at 
half-past six on the evening of the 29th of June, and were 
hospitably received by the Rev. W. Moore, who was then 
the superintendent of an institution for training native 
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