23fi M B U A BAY AND MUTIIUATA. 



The town of Votua lies about a mile from the shore. It contains 

 about fifty buildings, including temples, houses, and yam-houses, 

 which are all built after the plan of those at Mbua Bay ; the rafters 

 being planted in the ground, and curved towards the ridge-pole, 

 which is supported from within. The rafters are about one foot 

 apart, and are covered with reeds, upon which the thatching is laid. 



The chief's house was situated on a small square, on the opposite 

 side of which were two temples, and between them was a kind of war- 

 trophy, consisting of five of the large earthen jars, (used for cooking 

 human flesh,) placed in a row. Beside each of these, some spears 

 and clubs were firmly planted in the ground, crossing each other at 

 the top, about three feet from the ground ; on these a basket was 

 suspended, and long strips of masi or tapa were wreathed about and 

 hung upon them. These five jars proved to be the vessels in which 

 five of their enemies, whom they had killed in battle about two 

 months before, had been cooked ; the baskets were those which had 

 been used at the feast to convey the food about to the cannibal eaters; 

 the masi, spears, and war-clubs were those belonging to the slain. 

 At a little distance there was another pot, in which a chief had been 

 boiled, and behind these again was a basalt column* serving as a 

 sepulchral monument to one of their own chiefs. The top of the 

 latter was tied around with rolls of masi, and was surrounded by his 

 spears, clubs, &c. There were a number of other columns lying 

 about, all of which were taken from the same basaltic quarry between 

 the landing and the village. These columns are very distinct and 

 perfect. 



The river that runs up near the village may be entered by boats, 

 ascending through the mangroves some three or four miles, and has 

 very much the character of those emptying into Mbua Bay. The 

 river above the town is about seventy yards wide, and there has been 

 a bridge over it, of which there are, even now, remains. The bridge 

 appears to have been built on piles made of cocoa-nut trees, of which 

 there is still a single row left, supported by stakes on each side. 



Some of our gentlemen, in their wanderings under the guidance of 

 the natives, were desired to come close to them, as a party was 

 approaching ; and shortly afterwards, a troop of native women and 

 children were seen moving along in single file, some of them labour- 

 ing under excessive loads. The women, in fact, are their beasts of 



* These stones they call sava. 



