MBUA BAY AND MUTHUATA. 219 



with thunder, lightning, and much rain. From the frequent occur- 

 rence of these squalls every thing in the boats became wet, compelling 

 them to sleep in their wet clothes. 



On the 20th, the boats stood over for Mbenga. They found the 

 current setting very strong to the eastward, which made a disagree- 

 able short sea, obliging them to keep two hands baling to prevent 

 the boat from swamping. Towards night they entered the reef that 

 surrounds Mbenga through a shallow passage, and anchored off a 

 deep harbour, where they remained for the night. The next morning, 

 Lieutenant. Emmons examined Peacock Harbour, which he found 

 two miles deep and one wide, contracting at the entrance to a quarter 

 of a mile ; it has good anchorage in from four to ten fathoms water, 

 on a muddy bottom. This harbour enters from the north, and nearly 

 divides the island in two. 



Mbenga rises on all sides towards two very prominent peaks, 

 which were found by triangulation to be twelve hundred and eighty- 

 nine feet in height. The land round the harbour of Sawau rises in 

 most places from one to two hundred feet. At the head of the har- 

 bour a few huts were seen perched upon a perpendicular craggy rock, 

 about five hundred feet higher than the surrounding land. The natives 

 were very civil, and laid aside their arms at some distance from the 

 party, before they approached ; they brought bread-fruit, yams, &c, 

 to trade. The island appears in many places burnt, the natives 

 setting fire to the tall grass before planting their crops. Another har- 

 bour was found on the west side, which I have called Elliott's. This 

 is not so deep as the one on the north, but is more open at its entrance, 

 and is surrounded by equally high land. On the left of the entrance 

 is a white sand beach, and a neat village of about thirty huts. There 

 are two small islands in the neighbourhood of Mbenga, one of which 

 lies to the south, and is called Stuart's, and the other to the east- 

 ward, to which Lieutenant Emmons gave the name of Elizabeth. 



The island of Mbenga has suffered severely of late years from the 

 tyrannical power of the Rewa chiefs, and is now ygali to Rewa. 

 Formerly, its inhabitants had a high idea of their importance, styling 

 themselves "Ygali dura ki langi" — subject only to heaven; but of 

 late years, in consequence of their having offended the king of Rewa, 

 he sent a force which finally overcame them, and butchered nearly 

 all the inhabitants. 



Ngaraningiou is said to have been the bloody executioner of this 



