5S OVOLAO. 



kinds of happiness and prosperity. This ceremony being over, Tanoa 

 despatched David Whippy on board to inform me of his arrival, when 

 I immediately sent Lieutenant Carr to call upon him and inform him 

 that my boat would be at the shore in the morning for him. Food 

 was then brought by the Levukians, according to their native custom : 

 it consisted of two large baskets containing each a roasted pig, yams, 

 taro, bread-fruit, &c, which were placed before the company ; this 

 present was accompanied by another speech, to which the prime 

 minister again replied ; then came clapping of hands, and the feast 

 ended with ava drinking. 



On the following morning, when the boat landed, the three chiefs 

 were waiting on the beach, and all came on board, the large canoe 

 following the boat ; every thing was prepared to give them a most 

 marked reception, excepting the salute. Tanoa was the first to 

 mount the side of the ship, where I was ready to receive him, with 

 the officers at the gangways. When he reached the deck, he was 

 evidently much astonished, particularly when he saw the marines, 

 with their muskets, presenting arms, and so many officers. The novel 

 sight, to him, of my large Newfoundland dog, Sydney, who did not 

 altogether like the sable appearance of his majesty, the noise of the 

 drum and boatswain's pipe, combined to cause him some alarm, and 

 he evinced a disposition to retire, keeping himself close to the ship's 

 side. He was, after the fashion of his group, almost naked, having a 

 small maro passed around his loins, with long ends to it, and a large 

 turban of tapa cloth in folds about his head, so as almost to hide the 

 expression of his countenance ; his face was bedaubed with oil and 

 ivory-black, as were also his long beard and mustaches, the natural 

 hue of which I understood was quite gray. From his begrimed look 

 he has obtained the sobriquet of " Old Snuff," among the whites ; he is 

 about sixty-five years old, tall, slender, and rather bent by age ; on his 

 breast, hanging from his neck, he wore an ornament made of mother- 

 of-pearl, tortoise-shell, and ivory, not very neatly put together, and as 

 large as a dinner-plate, (called diva ndina); on his arms he had shell 

 armlets, (called ygato,) made of the trochus-shell by grinding them down 

 to the form of rings ; his countenance was indicative of intelligence 

 and shrewdness, as far as it could be seen ; his mind is said to be 

 quite active ; he is about five feet ten inches in height, and of small 

 frame ; his features are rather inclined to the European mould, and 

 not the least allied to the negro ; his hair is crispy ; he speaks through 

 his nose, or rather as if he had lost his palate ; his body is like that of 



