192 LAKE MBA AND SAVU-SAVU. 



caused him to take offence at the missionaries, who he supposed pre- 

 vented the supplies from heing sent. I well knew, however, that 

 they were guiltless. He likewise broke out into strong invectives 

 against the chiefs, declaring that it was impossible they could under- 

 stand the rules, &c, although the whole proceeding showed they 

 were not only conversant with their meaning, but also with the 

 power they had in their hands of compelling the visiter to pay. The 

 following native letter to the missionary, received a few days before 

 from Tui Ndraketi, king of Rewa, by the Rev. Mr. Cargill, will 

 show the character of this people, and the light in which they viewed 

 the visit of H. B. M. ship Sulphur. The king of Rewa, it is neces- 

 sary to say, is a heathen, and has been much opposed to the mission- 

 aries making proselytes. The messenger presented Mr. Cargill with 

 three reeds of different lengths, the longest of which signified that he 

 thought the Feejee fashions and customs bad ; the second, that it was 

 wrong to injure white men, and that any Feejee man who did so 

 hereafter should be punished ; the third, that Captain Belcher was a 

 wrongheaded and bad man; that he did not wish to see his ship 

 there again, or have any thing to do with him, as he only came 

 to make trouble, and look at the sun, and consequently they be- 

 lieved him to be a foolish fellow. The letter was to condole with 

 the missionary, Mr. Cargill, whom he supposed the captain had 

 maltreated. 



After finishing my observations, we returned to the schooner, and 

 a chief of Rewa brought us a present of pigs, for which he received 

 an ample return. We saw but few natives, and they all behaved 

 civilly. 



Nukalau is a low, sandy island, well covered with wood. On the 

 eastern side it has an extensive coral reef; but the western is clear, 

 and may be approached closely. There is a pool of water on the 

 island, but no one could water a ship there without the risk of causing 

 sickness on board. During the night we were awakened by a great 

 noise on deck, and some alarm was experienced. It proved, however, 

 to be the chief's pigs that had jumped overboard, and the look-out 

 endeavouring to take them ; and before steps could be taken to recap- 

 ture them, they had reached the island and effected their escape. 



The Rev. Mr. Hunt here left us for Rewa, and in the morning, 

 before daylight, we got under way, on our return to Ovolau. The 

 day having proved calm, we were at sunset yet some distance from 

 the island. I concluded, therefore, to lay under Ambatiki for the 

 night, and by 10 a. m. on the 18th, we again anchored at Levuka. 



