340 FEEJEE GROUP. 



with violent gusts. They let go a third anchor, and sent down the 

 topmasts and lower yards. On the 24th, the gale was the same, 

 attended with much rain and wind, hauling to the westward at mid- 

 night of the 25th. It became northwest in the morning, when it 

 began to moderate, the wind hauling gradually to the southward, 

 when it cleared off. The missionaries could give me no further 

 information, than that the gale had lasted four days. This gale was 

 not felt at Tonga, although they had strong winds there at that time. 

 It is much to be regretted that the foreign missionary establishments 

 should not be furnished with a few instruments to aid them in 

 making observations upon the climate. I have found some of them 

 without even a thermometer. 



The tides throughout the group appear to be very irregular, until 

 they are closely studied. The flood sets in opposite directions on the 

 eastern and western sides of the group. Thus, on the south side of 

 Vanua-levu, it flows from the east as far as Buia Point, where it is 

 met by the flood coming from the west. It is high water at Ovolau 

 at 6 h 10'", on the full and change of the moon. At Muthuata, 5 h 30 m . 

 The manner in which the tide flows will be better understood by 

 reference to the map of the group, on which it is exhibited. 



From the observations of the Porpoise, and information obtained 

 from the natives, there appears to be a continual current setting to 

 the eastward, at the rate of about half a mile an hour. This current 

 we observed to exist both on the north and south sides of the islands ; 

 and I am disposed to think it would be found to prevail for the most 

 of the year. 



The greatest rise and fall of the tide is six feet. The currents set 

 strongly in and out of the passages, until the water rises above the 

 level of the reefs, when it flows over in all directions, and its force is 

 much decreased. 



Earthquakes are not unfrequent : according to the white residents, 

 they generally occur in the month of February. Several shocks 

 are often felt in a single night. The only place where there are 

 any visible signs of volcanic heat, is Savu-savu ; but several islands 

 in the group exhibit signs of craters. One of these is at the west end 

 of Kantavu. There are others at Nairai, Goro, and in the Ringgold 

 Isles. The peaks, however, are usually basaltic cones or needles, 

 some of which rise to the height of several thousand feet, and no run- 

 ning stream of lava has been seen occurring on any of these islands. 

 It may consequently be inferred, that the date of the formation of 



