REW A. 123 
growth of reeds. Beyond them are well-cultivated fields of taro, yams, 
and bananas, as before described; all giving evidence of the over- 
flowing of the banks. Islets were continually passed, and many towns 
containing from two or three hundred to a thousand inhabitants. 
Numerous creeks disembogued on both sides. 
The town of Nou Souri was next passed. Here the chief Cornu- 
balavoo sent presents to them—he is the cousin of Phillips—and after- 
wards accompanied them up the river in a canoe. 
About seven miles up from Rewa is a creek leading to Ambau, 
which is passable for canoes at high water. The town of Natacallo 
is here situated, and the first rise of hills takes place. This is one of 
their great battle-grounds, and was, according to Phillips, the scene of 
many of his deeds, which he recounted. 
About a mile above this there is a bar which extends nearly across 
the river. ‘The channel lies close to the hills, which are two hundred 
feet in height. Below this bar the banks of the river are all alluvial. 
There is here an elbow in the river, above which is the town of 
Capavoo, of four hundred inhabitants, which was the scene of one of 
the bloody attacks of the Ambau people under the notorious Charley 
Savage. It is said that he was afterwards killed near Mbua or 
Sandalwood Bay, and so great was the enmity of the natives towards 
him, that he was not only eaten, but his bones were ground to powder 
and drunk in their ava. Phillips mentioned that a daughter of this 
notorious villain is now married to one of the king’s brothers, at Rewa. 
Stopping in the evening for the men’s supper, they saw many fine 
shaddock trees in full fruit along the banks, and Mr. Peale shot a 
beautiful parrot, with very gay blue and red plumage; he also obtained 
two ducks. Phillips says the low islands have been formed in the 
river by the frequent floods from the mountains, “ since he has had 
whiskers.” His age is supposed to be thirty-five years. 
The native houses hereabouts are constructed with a solid basement 
surrounded with piles, to prevent their being washed away on the 
occurrence of the floods. 
At night they stopped at the town of Coronganga, about eighteen 
miles above the mouth of the river. Here they took possession of the 
mbure, and with the assistance of Mr. Phillips’s white steward, they 
made themselves quite comfortable. The same deference and respect 
were paid Phillips here as they had before observed; but, notwith- 
standing this, Lieutenant Budd and party took every precaution to 
prevent surprise, to eonvince the natives that their watchfulness was 
never asleep. 
The banks showed a rise and fall of the water during the night. It 
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