210 LAKE MBA AND SAVU-SAVU. 



so much broken as the others, and, from appearance, would be sus- 

 ceptible of cultivation to its very top. It is ygali to Ambau, by 

 which it is constantly looked to for supplies. It is surrounded by a 

 reef, which is, for the most part, a shore-reef, and affords no harbour ; 

 there is, however, anchorage on the northwest side. The island is 

 nine and a half miles long, by four miles wide. The produce of Goro 

 is oil and tortoise-shell, and exceeds in quantity that of any other 

 island of the group ; its population is two thousand. 



The Horseshoe Reef lies between Goro, Nairai, and Wakaia : it is 

 an extremely dangerous one. The name is derived from its shape, 

 and its opening is on the north side ; it is even with the water, which 

 after stormy weather may be seen breaking on it, from the heights of 

 Ovolau; it is one mile in diameter; there are no other dangers nearer 

 to it than the north reef of Nairai. 



On the 4th of July, I suspended work, and gave the crew liberty 

 to go on shore, which they enjoyed greatly, and amused themselves 

 with playing at ball and other exercises. Many of them scalded and 

 cleaned their pork in the hot water at the coral rocks. 



On our first arrival here, few natives made their appearance, but 

 we soon had a number of them around us from all parts of the bay. 

 Some of these from the west side were savage and wild-looking fel- 

 lows. There were, in all, about two hundred, and the females were 

 much better looking than those we had heretofore seen. The latter 

 danced for us ; if the motions of their arms and legs, and clapping of 

 their hands to a kind of chaunt, resembling that of the Jews in their 

 synagogue, deserve to be so denominated. Their mode of dress is 

 much the same as in the other parts of the group. 



Among all this number we did not see one man over forty years 

 of age ; and on asking for the old people, we were told they were all 

 buried ! 



The district of Savu-savu, from the best estimate I could obtain, 

 contains about two thousand three hundred inhabitants. This dis- 

 trict includes the part of the south coast of Vanua-levu, from Fawn 

 Harbour, in the Tukonreva district, to Nemean Point, about eight 

 miles west of the town of Savu-savu ; it contains seventeen koros or 

 towns. 



To the westward of Savu-savu district is Wailevu, which extends 

 beyond Kombelau, where the chief resides. He is said to have one 

 hundred towns under him. This is, undoubtedly, an exaggeration, 



