OVOLAU. 59 
activity both of mind and body; this may be owing, in a great measure, 
to their constant wars, and the necessity of their being continually on 
the alert, to prevent surprise. It was pleasant to look upon the Ton- 
gese, but I felt more interest in the Feejees; the contrast was some- 
what like that observable between a well-bred gentleman and a boor. 
After the king got on shore, they had much talk at the mbure-house, 
upon all they had seen, and among other things, he remarked, “ that 
my men might be good warriors, but they walked very much like 
Muscovy ducks,” a bird of which they have numbers. 
Tanoa sent me word he would like to come and see things without 
ceremony, to which I readily consented. The next day he came on 
board, as he said, to look and see for himself; he stayed some hours. 
When he entered the cabin, I was pouring out some mercury for my 
artificial horizon, of which I gave him several globules in his hand. 
He complained of their being hot, and amused himself for a long time 
in trying to pinch them up, which of course he found it impossible to 
do, and showed some vexation on being foiled, nipping his fingers 
together with great vehemence to catch the metal. UHis actions 
resembled those of a monkey; he kept looking at his fingers, and 
seemed astonished that they were not wet, and could not be made to 
understand how it could wet a button, (which I silvered for him,) and 
not his fingers. He talked a great deal of the regulations he had 
signed. I was desirous of knowing whether he fully understood them, 
which I found he did. I then asked him if it would not be better for 
his son Seru to sign them also, as he is understood to be the acting 
chief; he said “no,” that his signing was quite sufficient, and made 
them binding on all the dependencies of Ambau. He desired me, when 
his son Seru paid me a visit, to talk hard to him, and give him plenty 
of good advice, for he was a young man, and frisky; but he himself 
was old, and saw things that were good and bad. He said Seru would 
visit me in a few days, when he returned, as they could not both leave 
Ambau at the same time. 
The observatory duties were now commenced, and Lieutenant Perry 
and Mr. Eld were ordered to assist me. I had, while thus employed, 
ample time to get information from David Whippy, who seemed not 
only to have acquired the language perfectly, but also a good know- 
ledge of the customs, manners, and habits of the natives. 
Ovolau is divided into four districts, viz., Levuka on the east, 
Fokambou on the southwest, Barita on the southeast, and Vaki 
Levuka on the northwest; besides these, there is the interior or moun- 
tainous region, called by the natives Livoni. Levuka is mbati to the 
chiefs of Ambau; Fokambou and Barita are ygali to the same power, 
