MBUA BAY AND MUTHUATA. 231 
island not only protects the harbour from the north wind, but adds 
much to its beauty by its high and luxuriant ap- 
pearance. It is a little over a mile in length. It 
appears to have been for a long time a_burial- 
place for both chiefs and common people. The 
graves are scattered in groups along the shore, 
those of the chiefs being apart from the rest, and 
distinguished by having small houses built over LTE Ge lleg 
them, from two to six feet high. The fronts of NAS 
these houses were of a kind of lattice-work, formed 
of braided sennit, of which the cut will give an 
idea. These houses were entirely vacant. Before some of them 
spears or poles were crossed in the form of an X; before others a stick 
was planted in the ground, with its top tied around with sennit; near 
others were long pieces of tapa, suspended from poles, with clubs, 
spears, and a canoe, laid beside them. The natives said that the 
deposit of these articles was (soro soro ni kai viti) a religions cere- 
mony. 
The graves of the common people (kai-si) had merely stones laid 
over them. On the natives who accompanied Messrs. Hale and Agate 
being told that they had permission to take a skeleton, which they call 
“kalou mate,” they showed no reluctance whatever to assist, and took 
them to a grave where they said two Ambau men were buried, who 
had died from eating poisoned fish. Though the grave was not deep, 
some difficulty was experienced in removing the gravel and stones 
with which the bodies were covered. The natives were playing and 
making sport while at their work, and seemed at a loss to know at 
which end to look for the head. There was no covering found on the 
bodies, which had been laid naked in the grave; the bones were clear 
of flesh and whole, but were brittle and decayed. 
On the 27th, they had a visit from the king’s son, who came in full 
costume, with his long seavo pendent both from before and behind, 
and a full turban. His visit was for the purpose of obtaining a small 
pennant that was making for his canoe, consisting of a yard or two of 
red bunting with a white star in it. With this he went off in great 
glee. He was on his way to Somu-somu, to invite the chiefs of that 
place to the feast about to be given at Muthuata. 
Captain Hudson was now informed that the messengers had re- 
turned without the murderers. The report they brought back was 
that they had fled into the mountains, and joined the chiefs there for 
protection, at the time the Peacock passed the town. This was not 
credited, and the king was desired to make another attempt, which he 
FRONT OF HOUSE, 
