200 LAKEMBA AND SAVU-SAVU. 
toise-shell, and exceeds in quantity that of any other island of the group; 
its population is two thousand. 
The Horseshoe Reef lies between Goro, Nairai, and Wakaia ; it is an 
extremely dangerous one. The name is derived from its shape, and 
its opening is on the north side; it is even with the water, which after 
stormy weather may be seen breaking on it, from the heights of 
Ovolau ; it is one mile in diameter; there are no other dangers nearer 
to it than the north reef of Nairai. 
On the 4th of July, I suspended work, and gave the crew liberty to 
go on shore, which they enjoyed greatly, and amused themselves 
with playing at ball and other exercises. Many of them scalded and 
cleaned their pork in the hot water at the coral rocks. 
On our first arrival here, few natives made their appearance, but we 
soon had a number of them around us from all parts of the bay. Some 
of these from the west side were savage and wild-looking fellows. 
There were, in all, about two hundred, and the females were much 
better looking than those we had heretofore seen. The latter danced 
for us; if the motions of their arms and legs, and clapping of their 
hands to a kind of chaunt, resembling that of the Jews in their syna- 
gogue, deserve to be so denominated. Their mode of dress is much 
the same as in the other parts of the group. 
Among all this number we did not see one man over forty years 
of age; and on asking for the old people, we were told they were all 
buried ! 
The district of Savu-savu, from the best estimate I could obtain, 
contains about two thousand three hundred inhabitants. This district 
includes the part of the south coast of Vanua-levu, from Fawn Har- 
bour, in the Tukonreva district, to Nemean Point, about eight miles 
west of the town of Savu-savu; it contains seventeen koros or towns. 
To the westward of Savu-savu district is Wailevu, which extends 
beyond Kombelau, where the chief resides. He is said to have one 
hundred towns under him. This is, undoubtedly, an exaggeration, 
although his district is populous, and from information I received, the 
number of people under his rule may be set down as nearly seven 
thousand. These two districts are entirely independent of the great 
chief of the Feejees. The inhabitants are a fine-looking race of men, 
and we were told that they are well disposed towards the whites. The 
young women are the best-looking of any I have met with in the group, 
and are treated with more consideration and equality than is usual 
among these islands. 
The natives about Savu-savu evinced much greater curiosity re- 
specting us than we had heretofore remarked, and those from the bay 
