208 LAKEMBA AND SAVU-SAVU. 



appearance of boiling before, rapid ebullition ensues. It gurgles up 

 to a height of eight or ten inches, with the same noise as is made by 

 a cauldron when over the fire. Taro, yams, &c, that were put in, 

 were well done in about fifteen minutes. The mouths of the springs 

 are from eighteen inches to two feet in diameter, and have apparently 

 been excavated by the natives for their own purposes. The account 

 they give of them is, that they have always been in the same state 

 since the spirit first took up his abode there. They are convinced 

 that he still resides there, and the natives say that one spring is kept 

 pure for him, which they do not use. There is one ambati or priest 

 who has communication with the spirit, and there was a small mbure 

 building between the springs and the beach. A chief amused me by 

 saying that " the Papalangi had no hot water, and that the natives 

 were much better off, for they could go to sleep, and when they woke 

 up, they always found their water boiling to cook their food in." 



From the accounts of the natives, this place was formerly very 

 populous, but constant wars have destroyed or expelled the dwellers. 

 At present there are but few, and none reside nearer than the town 

 of Savu-savu, which is two miles off. 



On the hills behind the springs, there has been one of the strongest 

 forts in the Feejee Islands. It has two moats, and in the centre was 

 a high mound, that had evidently cost much labour in its construction. 

 These hills were bare of trees. 



On my return I stopped on a coral rock, one-third of a mile from 

 the springs, through which boiling water was issuing in several 

 places. This rock is one hundred and fifty feet from the beach, and 

 is covered at high water, but at low tide rises about three feet above 

 the surface; it is ten feet wide by twenty long. Mixed or embedded 

 in this coral rock is a large quantity of comminuted shells. One 

 hundred and fifty or sixty feet further in the woods there is another 

 boiling spring, from which a large quantity of water is thrown out; 

 indeed the whole area, of half a mile square, seems to be covered with 

 hot springs. The coral rock was so hot that the hand could not be 

 kept upon it. A considerable quantity of the water was procured, 

 and has been analyzed by Dr. Charles T. Jackson, of Boston. It 

 gives the following results. 



ANALYSIS. 

 Sp. gr. 1-0097 ; Temperature, 57° F. ; Barom., 30-89 in. 

 A quantity of the water, equal in measure to one thousand grains 



