MBUA BAY AND MUTHUATA. 229 



a sprit, and broken his leg. The boat was again despatched, with an 

 extra quantity of provisions, to make up for that consumed by the 

 delay the accident had occasioned. 



On the 9th, many natives were on board, and gave an exhibition of 

 a war-dance (dimba) on deck : many of the officers thought it bore a 

 striking resemblance to the war-dance of New Zealand. The per- 

 formers held a paddle in one hand, while with the other they struck 

 their thighs, keeping time to a song from the whole. They moved 

 slowly forward and backward, in a bending posture. On the finish- 

 ing of the chorus they stopped simultaneously and stood upright, the 

 leader repeating, in a hurried loud tone, a short recitative, which the 

 rest answered by their usual guttural shout, huh! huh! huh! flourish- 

 ing their paddles in the air in great excitement. 



On the 10th, Mr. Spieden, purser of the Peacock, visited the shore 

 for the purpose of purchasing provisions, and notice was given that 

 all the produce they would bring would be purchased. In conse- 

 quence of this the natives brought a quantity of yams, taro, papaws, 

 shaddocks, lemons, &c, together with an abundance of crabs, of 

 which, all that the boat could carry were purchased. Hatchets, 

 knives, plane-irons, scissors, beads, fish-hooks, looking-glasses, red 

 cloth, and red paint were given in return, of which the two latter 

 articles were preferred. As Mr. Spieden was not able to carry away 

 all they had collected, their expectations of a market were not 

 realized, and they threw the remainder into the river, saying they 

 had been told, "the white men never told lies, but they now saw 

 they had two faces." 



In the afternoon Captain Hudson got under way, although nearly 

 all the officers and men were still at work on the survey, and anchored 

 the ship off the northern point of Mbua Bay. This point is called 

 Dimba-dimba, and is considered by the natives as sacred ground ; it 

 is kept strictly from any kind of disturbance, for it is supposed to be 

 inhabited by the spirits of the departed, and to be the place where 

 they embark for the regions of Ndengei. It is a most beautiful spot, 

 and in strong contrast with the surrounding country, which is in 

 many places devoid of trees, while here they flourish as nature has 

 planted them. The ground gradually rises from the shore for a short 

 distance, then succeed abrupt precipices, of forty or fifty feet in 

 height ; and the land, as it recedes from the water, forms a kind of 

 hanging garden, on which is seen a beautiful growth of large forest- 

 trees, with here and there clumps of shrubbery of the tropical cli- 



vol. in. 58 



