48 O V O L A U. 



Ringgold might proceed to carry into execution the orders which will 

 be found in Appendix II. 



We continued our course, with the Peacock and Flying-Fish in 

 company. I had compiled a chart of the comparatively unknown sea 

 we were about to traverse ; but the weather was threatening, and 

 from the specintn we had had in the morning of its dangers, I 

 thought it would be prudent to haul off, which I did, at 2 p. m. At 

 five, land was reported ahead, and on the lee bow ; it proved to be the 

 island of Totoia, which I now found was thirty miles out of the 

 position assigned it by former navigators. I at once came to the 

 determination of running into the group, feeling assured we should 

 thus save much time, and probably find smoother water : the dangers 

 we had to encounter in either way were about equal. It was now 

 blowing a fresh gale, which obliged us to take three reefs in the top- 

 sails ; and it is by no means a pleasant business to be running over 

 unknown ground, in a dark night, before a brisk gale, at the rate of 

 seven or eight miles an hour. The sea was unusually phospho- 

 rescent, and the night was disagreeable with rain and mists. The 

 Peacock and Flying-Fish followed us. The morning proved fine, 

 and at daylight we were within a short distance of the Horse- 

 shoe Reef, unknown to any of us but Tom, who thought we must be 

 at least twenty miles from it. We found ourselves in the midst of a 

 number of beautiful islands, viz.,* Goro, Vanua-levu, and Somu- 

 somu on our right ; Nairai, Ambatiki, and Matuku, on the left ; whilst 

 Ovolau, Wakaia, and Mokungai, were in front; they were all girt by 

 white encircling reefs. So beautiful was their aspect, that I could 

 scarcely bring my mind to the realizing sense of the well-known fact, 

 that they were the abode of a savage, ferocious, and treacherous race 

 of cannibals. 



Each island had its own peculiar beauty, but the eye as well as mind 

 felt more satisfaction in resting upon Ovolau, which, as we approached, 

 had more of the appearance of civilization about it than the others ; 

 it is also the highest, most broken, and most picturesque. In conse- 

 quence of light winds, we did not succeed in reaching the harbour 

 of Levuka that evening, and passed the night under way, between 

 Ovolau and Wakaia. At daylight on the 8th of May, we were 



* In the orthography of the names of the Feejee Group, I have followed the pronuncia- 

 tion, and not the true construction of the language, which will be explained in a subse- 

 quent chapter. 



