276 TYE AND SUALIB. 



series of observations for latitude and meridian distances, and also 

 taking a round of angles. 



At about half-past three, just as we were about getting under way, 

 a large fleet of canoes was seen approaching the island from Waia. 

 Vomo is usually their place of stopping, being about half way to the 

 Vitilevu shore from their island. They are always very cautious in 

 their descent on the large island, although it is supposed that many 

 of its towns hold communication with them, and the original inhabi- 

 tants of the Naviti and Waia Islands are said to have been renegades 

 from the larger islands. 



Tom told me they must be after some mischief towards us, as they 

 seldom left their island with so large a force. However true this 

 might have been, we were soon under way, standing towards the 

 Vitilevu shore, for the wind did not permit us to lay our course for 

 Malolo. We passed through narrow passages in reefs, and over 

 patches of rock, where there was little more water than the tender 

 drew. 



Our pilots had never been over this ground, and thought the 

 natives, who are well acquainted with it, must have calculated upon 

 our meeting with some accident, and intended to be near, to take 

 advantage of it. 



Vomo, the island just spoken of, is famous for its turtles, more being 

 caught here than on any other island of the group ; the time for 

 taking them is from December to March. During this season every 

 place to which the turtles are in the habit of resorting is occupied by 

 the natives, who remain in these haunts of the animal for the whole of 

 the above time, engaged in taking' them. At other seasons turtles are 

 occasionally taken in nets, made of cocoanut-husk sennit, among the 

 shoals and reefs. 



We have seen that the chiefs keep turtles in pens ; and I have been 

 informed, by credible witnesses, that when they do not wish to kill 

 them, and have an opportunity of disposing of the valuable part of the 

 shell, they will remove it from the living animal. They do this by 

 holding a burning brand close to the outer shell until it curls up and 

 separates a little from that beneath ; into the gap thus formed a small 

 wooden wedge is inserted, by which the whole is easily removed from 

 the back. After they have been thus stripped, they are again put 

 into the pens, and although the operation appears to give great pain, 

 it is not fatal. 



