BECHE-DE-MER TRADE. 227 
We found Bete sitting in his rouse surrounded by 
councillors. My. Pritchard informed him that his pre- 
sence was required at Waikava at the meeting of chiefs, 
and his absence might prove disadvantageous to him- 
self; but his mind seemed to be made up, and he gave 
us to understand that he did not mean to go, as the time 
was too short. His Tonguese advisers had probably in- 
duced him to act in this way. 
I went some distance up a rivulet to bathe, and on my 
return met a number of Naduri people, who complained 
bitterly of the way in which they were ground down by 
the Tonguese, and how wretchedly poor they were in 
in comparison with formerly, when déche-de-mer traders 
visited the coast, and they were kept well supplied with 
foreign articles of barter in exchange for the sea-slugs they 
collected. They said there could be no revival of this 
lucrative trade until their old chief Ritova was restored 
to power, as Bete was so weak, and so little respected, 
that he could not get the requisite number of hands to- 
gether to make up a cargo. They were most anxious to 
know when Ritova was likely to come back, and asked 
repeatedly, but I turned off the conversation. There 
were a great number of sail-mats in Bete’s house, and 
the people assured me that they were some of the tri- 
bute which the Tonguese extorted from them. 
The sea-slugs, or béche-de-mer (several species of the 
genus Holothuria), collectively termed “ Dri” by the na- 
tives,* are found in great abundance on the reefs, espe- 
* The different species bear the following native names :—1. Dri voto- 
voto; 2. Dri alewa; 3. Dri batibuli; 4. Dri tarasea; 5. Dri damu; 
6. Dri valadakawa; 7. Dri daidairo; 8. Dri lokoloko ni qio, ete. 
To show the profits of the béche-de-mer trade, I extract from Wilkes, of 
Q 2 
