CHAPTER IV. 
R EW A. 
1840. 
Wuen the Peacock left the harbour of Levuka for Rewa, it was 
for the purpose of visiting that town and inducing the King of Rewa 
to sign the Feejee regulations, and also to carry on the surveys in 
that quarter. (The instructions will be found in Appendix VI.) The 
Peacock left Levuka on the 15th May, and reached Rewa at noon the 
next day. The harbour of Rewa is formed by two small islands, 
called Nukalou and Mukalou, with their attached coral reefs, and has 
three passages into it. The two southern ones are safe, though nar- 
row, but the northern one is much obstructed with coral lumps. The 
port is a secure one, and the anchorage, which is off the island of 
Nukalou, is about three miles from the mouth of Wailevu, or Peale’s 
river, and six from the town of Rewa, which is situated on a low 
piece of land, which the river, passing on each side of it, has formed 
into an island. The east point of Vitilevu is low, and is divided by 
several small and unimportant streams, which we had not time to exa- 
mine; there is, also, at high water, a passage for canoes through one 
of them to Ambau, which lies ten miles to the northward. 
The launch and first cutter of the Peacock, under Lieutenant Em- 
mons and Passed Midshipman Blunt, were found here, having ad- 
vanced thus far in their surveying operations. They had passed 
around the bay of Ambau, stopped at the town, and met with rather 
an uniriendly reception there; the chiefs refused to give them any 
water unless paid for, on account, as they said, of our trade-master 
not paying a higher price for the yams they carried him. For this 
reason the chiefs were in a bad humour, and had refused a supply of 
water to the boats. 
Ambau is a singular-looking place. It occupies a small island, 
which is entirely covered with houses, among which the mbure stands 
(109) 
