196 LAKEMBA AND SAVU-SAVU. 
to a height of eight or ten inches, with the same noise as is made by 
a cauldron when over the fire. Taro, yams, &c., that were put in, 
were well done in about fifteen minutes. The mouths of the springs 
are from eighteen inches to two feet in diameter, and have apparently 
been excavated by the natives for their own purposes. The account 
they give of them is, that they have always been in the same state 
since the spirit first took up his abode there. They are convinced that 
he still resides there, and the natives say that one spring is kept pure 
for him, which they do not use. There is one ambati or priest who 
has communication with the spirit, and there was a small mbure build- 
ing between the springs and the beach. A chief amused me by say- 
ing that “the Papalangi had no hot water, and that the natives were 
much better off, for they could go to sleep, and when they woke up, 
they always found their water boiling to cook their food in.” 
From the accounts of the natives, this place was formerly very 
populous, but constant wars have destroyed or expelled the dwellers. 
At present there are but few, and none reside nearer than the town of 
Savu-savu, which is two miles off. 
On the hills behind the springs, there has been one of the strongest 
forts in the Feejee Islands. Jt has two moats, and in the centre was 
a high mound, that had evidently cost much labour in its construction. 
These hills were bare of trees. / 
On my return I stopped on a coral rock, one-third of a mile from 
the springs, through which boiling water was issuing in several places. 
This rock is one hundred and fifty feet from the beach, and is covered 
at high water, but at low tide rises about three feet above the surface; 
it is ten feet wide by twenty long. Mixed or embedded in this coral 
rock is a large quantity of comminuted shells. One hundred and fifty 
or sixty feet further in the woods there is another boiling spring, from 
which a large quantity of water is thrown out; indeed the whole area, 
of half a mile square, seems to be covered with hot springs. The 
coral rock was so hot that the hand could not be kept upon it. A 
considerable quantity of the water was procured, and has been ana- 
lyzed by Dr. Charles T. Jackson, of Boston. It gives the following 
results. 
ANALYSIS. 
Sp. gr. 1:0097 ; Temperature, 57° F.; Barom., 30°89 in. 
A quantity of the water, equal in measure to one thousand grains 
of distilled water, was evaporated to entire dryness, and the weight of 
the salts amounted to 7:2 grains. 
