RE W A, 113 
Captain Hudson visited the missionaries, and found them most mise- 
rably accommodated, in a small rickety house on the left bank of the 
river, opposite the town of Rewa, the dwelling-house that they had 
occupied having been blown down in the tremendous storm* which 
happened on the 25th of February, 1840. 
After Captain Hudson had spent some time with the missionaries, 
my messenger, Paddy Connel, made his appearance and delivered him 
my letters. Paddy had a very awkward mishap in rounding Kamba 
Point, for his canoe had capsized, and he had been obliged to swim 
for his life. He had thought, as he said, that some ill luck would 
overtake him, and had, therefore, tied my letter in the handkerchief on 
his head. By this means he kept it dry, and he believed the impor- 
tant paper, as he called it, had kept him from drowning. 
Although it had rained hard, Captain Hudson resolved to fulfil his 
promise to the king, of showing him some fire-works, and the gunner 
had been ordered up with rockets, fire-works, &c., for that purpose. 
He, therefore, proceeded across the river to the king’s house, where 
he found a large collection of natives. The house is large, and in 
shape not unlike a Dutch barn: it is sixty feet in length and thirty in 
width; the eaves were six feet from the ground, and along each side 
there were three large posts, two feet in diameter and six feet high, set 
firmly into the ground; on these were laid the horizontal beams and 
plates to receive the lower ends of the rafters; the rafters rise to a 
ridge-pole, thirty feet from the ground, which is supported by three 
posts in the centre of the building; they were of uniform size, about 
three inches in diameter, and eighteen inches apart. The usual thick 
thatch was in this case very neatly made. The sides of the house 
were of small upright reeds, set closely together. All the fastenings 
were of sennit, made from the husk of the cocoa-nut. Some attempts 
at ornament were observed, the door-posts being covered with reeds 
wound around with sennit, which had a pretty effect. There are two 
doorways, one on each side: these are only about three feet in height, 
and are closed by hanging mats. At the inside of the principal door 
are two small cannons, pointed across it, which, in the eyes of the 
king, give it a formidable appearance. A sort of dais was raised at 
one end, a few inches; this was covered with mats for the king and his 
wives, while at the other end mats were laid for his attendants; above 
was a shelf for his property, or riches, consisting of mats, tapa, 
earthenware, spears, and clubs. On one side of the house, as is usual 
* This storm appears to have been coincident with, if not part of, the gale that occurred 
at New Zealand on the Ist of March. 
VOL. III. 15 
