M B U A BAY AND M U T H U A T A. 



237 



burden, and are every where considered as an article of trade. Many 

 of the natives were seen with gunshot wounds, received in the late 

 war. Word was brought in that a native of another village had been 

 killed, which created but little excitement. 



FEEJEE WOMAN CARRYING WATER. 



The soil of the islands around Naloa Bay is gravelly and barren ; 

 it is covered with a growth of small trees and bushes, among which 

 Casuarina was most abundant. The scenery was quite pretty : the 

 deep green of the mangi'oves at the beach rising gradually into the 

 distant peaks, with here and there some lofty blocks of basalt, joined 

 with and toned down by a tropical sky, give an impression little in 

 accordance with the savage habits of these horrid cannibals. Some 

 of our gentlemen were struck with the number of the singing-birds, 

 and the variety of their notes, some of which resembled those of the 

 songsters of our own country. 



At the village of Vatea was the largest collection of canoes they 

 had seen in the group, and the natives being fishermen, take par- 

 ticular pride in them. 



Here the officers saw the operation of making the pottery, which is 

 described in another place. Several women were also seen preparing 

 mandrai, of unripe bananas, and packing it, after stripping off the 

 rind, in large unbaked earthen jars. These are afterwards buried, 



vol. in. 60 



