OFFICIAL MEETING AT NAMOSI. 165 
vilitabua and the Vasu-ki-lagi. One of our party took 
down the outline of it, but unfortunately lost it, and I 
shall not spoil a good story by giving it imperfectly. 
Chief Kuruduadua had proposed to have the official 
meeting at Namosi, in preference to Navua, his usual 
place of residence on the coast, and summoned all his 
tribes, their petty chiefs and landholders for the 25th of 
August. On our arrival, Namosi was already crowded 
with visitors, and parties of men, women, and children, 
generally bringing loads of provisions and property with 
them, continued to flock in from all directions during the 
whole of the following day. The meeting took place 
in the open air, and in the public square or Rara, which 
is situate on the banks of the river, and before the great 
Bure ni sa, or strangers’ house, a building about ninety 
feet long, and built on a mound. The weather was 
beautiful, and the birds were singing sweetly in the 
numerous shaddock-trees lining the banks. 
When we arrived, the people, with the exception of 
the women, were squatted on the ground at a respectful 
distance from the seats placed for our accommodation. 
None of the influence which civilization and missionary 
teaching have had on the Fijians were here perceptible. 
Every native appeared in primitive style, and a stranger 
sight it has never been my fortune to witness. Every 
man seemed to have used his utmost efforts to make 
himself look as singular as he possibly could. Their 
dresses were merely narrow strips of bark cloth. Some 
faces were quite black, some only half; again, others 
half black and half red, or striped in various ways. 
Nothing could be more curious than the endless variety 
