LAKEMBA AND SAVU-SAVU. 187 
often committed by the stronger on the weak tribes of this group. 
There is a remarkable shelf formed near the centre of the island of 
Wakaia, which goes by the name of the Chief’s or Chieftain’s Leap. 
Near this there is now a small town, at which the former inhabitants 
for some time defended themselves from their savage enemies, but 
being hard pressed, and finding they must be taken, they followed their 
chief’s example, threw themselves off the precipice, several hundred 
feet in height, and were dashed to pieces, to the number of a hundred 
and more. 
Mokungai fell under the displeasure of the Ambau chiefs, and the 
whole population was exterminated after a bloody battle on the beach 
of its little harbour. Some of the whites witnessed this transaction, 
and bear testimony to the bloody scene, and the cannibal feasting for 
days after, even on those bodies that were far gone to decay. They 
are both, as 1 have before said, under the rule of the chief of Levuka. 
Wakaia now contains only about thirty inhabitants, whilst Mokungai 
has only one or two families. 
While the schooner was at Wakaia, a man by the name of Murray, 
swam on shore, assisted by one of the air-mattrasses to buoy him up and 
carry his clothes; it was two or three days before he was taken, which 
was done by surprising him in the village; he was found surrounded 
by a number of the natives, who had not time to conceal themselves. 
All the villages, or koros, are very desirous to have a white man living 
with them, and are anxious to procure one if they can. 
These islands are in sight from Ovolau, from which they are 
separated by a strait of ten miles in width. Although several miles 
apart, they are situated within the same reef. There are several 
openings leading through the reef near Wakaia, on its eastern side, 
but they cannot be recommended except for small vessels. I passed 
through one of them, but found it much blocked up with coral knolls. 
The entrance on the southwest side, leading to Flying-Fish Harbour, 
is quite narrow. On the west side of Mokungai there is also a small 
harbour, formed partly by reefs and partly by the little island of 
Mekundranga. 
Finding, on examination, that there was a reef that had not been 
surveyed, orders were sent for the tender to return to Levuka, 
which she did on the following day, and on the next I sent her, with 
Lieutenant Underwood, to examine the reef off Angau. This reef is 
called Mumbolithe, and is situated fourteen miles to the south of Lobo 
Hill, the southeast point of Angau; it is oval in shape, and three-fourths 
of a mile in length; the sea breaks on it at all times. 
In returning from this service, when off Nairai, they had a narrow 
