148 FEJEE ISLANDS. 



June 29 th. Nothing of much interest has transpired during 

 the past four weeks. We have been engaged most of the time 

 in surveying the islands and reefs in the vicinity of Ovalau. 

 One day some thirty of Tanoa's wives visited the ship ; they 

 were rather good-looking and quite young, excepting one. 

 She, I should judge, was about fifty years of age, and Whippy 

 told me that she was the only one of all the king's wives who 

 bore the title of queen. Her attire Was like that of the other 

 females. She wore the " leeku." She had a profusion of 

 shell-ornaments upon her neck and arms, and her body was 

 smeared from head to foot with a mixture of oil and turmeric. 

 Her hair was dressed in a very grotesque manner, and dyed 

 black, white and red — its natural hue being gray. 



They made a long visit, and told us that they were coming 

 again next day, but, fortunately for us, they scarcely reached 

 the shore when they received orders from the old king to 

 return to Ambou immediately. Their curiosity was so great 

 as to be very annoying after a little while ; they wanted to 

 handle and examine everything they saw. 



On the 27th we broke up the Observatory, and proceeded 

 to make preparations for going to sea. 



July 3d. We reached Savu-Savu Bay on the Island of 

 Venua-levu.* It is a fine sheet of water, affording a number 

 of good anchorages ; among others, the one in which we are 

 now lying, called by the natives, Waicama, (harbor of hot- 

 springs.) from the circumstance of there being springs of that 

 character in its vicinity. It may be described as being a deep 

 cove, surrounded by a highly picturesque country, and so well 



* This is one of the largest islands in the Group. It is upwards of a hundred 

 miles long, and from thirty to sixty in breadth, its general character is mountain- 

 ous, but the soil is fertile, especially in the valleys. Bread-fruit, cocoa-nut trees, 

 and many others affording food for man, are abundant. Yams and taro are the prin- 

 cipal crops. 



