298 MEMOIR OF DR. HAR VEY. 



but will not bear rain. I took up my quarters at the Mission- 

 house, where we were hospitably received by Mr. and Mrs. 

 Davis. Soon after we had got settled, Mr. Thomas proposed a 

 visit to an old chief named Abraham, uncle to the King, and 

 who acts as Governor in his Majesty's absence. We found him 

 at home, but not being well, he received us in his bed-room. 

 The house was a rude shed, consisting of two rooms, the inner 

 one being the sleeping apartment. He was squatted on the 

 floor, dressed in a web shirt and drawers, and with cotton gloves. 

 He was a pleasant-faced old gentleman, with frank manners, 

 but not ill-bred. We stood in the outer room, and he sat in the 

 doorway of the bed-room. Pigs, dogs, and people (his retainers) 

 had free access to the outer room, in the middle of which was a 

 tire. There was but little furniture — a sieve, a Cava bowl, and 

 a pot or two. We afterwards visited Shadrach (the chief justice), 

 who bears a high character for worth and talent. His house 

 was much more comfortable than Abraham's, and better fur- 

 nished, and there were more European luxuries. The inner 

 room had glass windows. In the outer was a frame hung with 

 coloured glass bottles (of scented oil) ; there were also other 

 ornaments. The house itself was neatly built in native 

 fashion ; that is to stiy, like a very large basket turned bottom 

 upwards ; the walls reeded, and the framework of the roof 

 supported by cocoa-nut pillars. There is no good water on the 

 island, so those who are particular are obliged to catch the rain 

 in troughs and tanks. As we went along from house to house, 

 the children of the village ran after us, every now and then 

 coming up to shake hands with us, and smiling in very friendly 

 fashion. Such was my first day's experience of the Friendly 

 Islauds ; and I may add, that so far I have found the natives 

 wonderfully well-behaved and civil, not crowding on you or 

 teazing you as in Ceylon, but keeping back as soon as they 

 understand that you wish to be alone. 



27th. I walked out on the coral reef opposite the landing- 

 place. It fringes the whole north side of the Island, in some 

 places extending a mile or more from the beach. A great part 

 of the surface was worn and dead, but in the pools the coral 

 was alive. Near the outer margin of the reef, these pools were 

 numerous and deep, and in them many beautiful corals were 

 growing luxuriantly. They were various: some. .branching or 



