LAKE MBA AND SAVU-SAVU. 201 



with the instruments. Here I was soon engaged in my occupation, 

 and took no note of what was passing around me, except that after 

 a time I observed several natives sitting around, and was a little 

 annoyed by David fidgeting about me. Finally, I got through all 

 that I desired, and now found the cause of the anxiety felt by David. 

 A number of natives had collected, and he thought, to use the ex- 

 pression of white men, they were after mischief. He at once ordered 

 them to go beyond club distance, and with three men, Whippy, and 

 myself, well armed, passed down safely to the boat, where we found 

 the rest of the crew, with their arms in their hands, and under no 

 small anxiety to see us safely back. Whippy's great care was to get 

 me out of the reach of accident ; and he told me after we shoved off 

 that he never expected to get to the boat without killing some of 

 those rascals. He expected the attack on the rock, and thought they 

 would have endeavoured to throw me headlong down. This incident 

 will serve to show how little these natives are to be trusted at any 

 time, and how unaware one may be of the danger that is at all times 

 impending. 



The Rev. Messrs. Cargill and Hunt reached Levuka from Rewa. 

 Mr. Hunt was to remain with me until an opportunity offered in our 

 surveying operations to send him to Somu-somu. Mr. Cargill offered 

 me every information in his power relative to the group, and I here 

 take occasion to acknowledge his liberality in this respect, as well as 

 that of the rest of the missionaries. Mr. Cargill was about to return 

 to England, having recently lost his wife, and been left with five 

 young children. For this purpose, he intended proceeding to Sydney 

 in the Currency Lass. 



Ngaraningiou, the brother of Vendovi, who, it will be recollected, 

 played so important a part in his capture, visited the ship. He is a 

 remarkably fine-looking chief. He requested that his likeness might 

 be taken, and, to his great delight, after it was finished, it was pre- 

 sented to him. He was attended by a white man, an Englishman 

 by the name of Wilson, who lives with him, and is a partner of 

 Houghton, the owner of the Currency Lass. Ngaraningiou was 

 accused of having robbed, with the connivance of Wilson, the house 

 of the latter, and possessed himself of all the property ; but it ap- 

 peared to me, on an investigation of the business, that it was a com- 

 plication of roguery all round ; I therefore left it for them to settle 

 among themselves. 



The officers at the observatory, whilst at dinner, were one day 



VOL. III. 51 



