304 MEMOIR OF DR. BAR VET. 



numerous outlying coral reefs. I employed myself on deck 

 with cleaning shells. We passed Hunga Tonga and Hunga 

 Habai, and by sunset were near the volcanic Tofua, which was 

 smoking. 



August 1st. About sundown we got under shelter of the little 

 island of Haafeva, about thirty miles from Lifuka, which was 

 our destination. The night was very fine, the stars most 

 lustrous : Venus at one side of the ship, and Jupiter at the 

 other, cast broad bands of light across the sea. 



August 2nd. Our navigation became intricate, having to wind 

 our way amid innumerable coral reefs, often passing so close as 

 to see the corals in great beauty in the deep sea reefs, with fishes 

 swimming among them. We at last succeeded in entering the 

 harbour of Lifuka before sunset, but we remained on board for 

 the night. Some canoes visited us, in one of which was a 

 schoolmaster, by name Eliezar, a pleasant-faced, robust native. 



On the 3rd we landed, and were kindly received by Mr. West. 

 Although it was raining heavily, I was so anxious not to lose 

 time, that I started with an umbrella to visit the south coast of 

 the island. It yielded little except common shells and drifted 

 Algae. Where the coral rocks were somewhat elevated, they 

 had become partially changed into porous limestone, not unlike 

 that seen at Rottenest, West Australia. 



On the 7th I went with Eliezar in his canoe to the little 

 island of Ooaleva, which is connected with Lifuka by a reef, on 

 which I landed, and sent the canoe round to meet me. I found 

 it bare of living corals, and deeply sanded. The chief Algae 

 were Calothrices and Li/ngbya, which covered the rock in wide 

 patches. In some of the deeper pools near low water I found 

 abundance of a beautiful red Alga (Desmia), previously seen at 

 Ceylon, and in some of the shallow ones I collected another of 

 my Ceylon Algae, which I had then named Valonia Forbesii, in 

 compliment to Mr. Forbes of Matura. Now when I again met 

 with the plant I could not but associate it with poor Edward 

 Forbes, which set me sadly thinking. I have also gathered a 

 very curious and new Alga which, if not a new genus, is a very 

 distinct new species of the singular genus Dictijosphteria. This 

 is my first discovery at the Friendly Islands ! I picked some 

 shells, and on the whole had a very pleasant morning's work. 

 I had come prepared with a few Tonga sentences written on 



