234 MBUA BAY AND MUTHUATA, 
all were engaged in dressing their hair with ashes and a white clay, 
each striving to vie with and outdo his neighbour. 
On the 2d of July the Peacock sailed from Muthuata, and the king 
seemed very happy at the departure of the ship. In the evening they 
anchored in Naloa Bay, off the village of Fokasinga. A fleet of canoes 
came off to the ship the next morning, from which they learned that 
the war had again begun in earnest, and that Tui Mbua’s party had 
killed three of the people of the opposite party, in revenge for the 
death of the one who had been killed during the former visit of the 
Peacock. One human body had already been brought over and just 
feasted upon. Shortly afterwards a canoe came alongside, bringing 
the skull yet warm from the fire, much scorched, and marked with the 
teeth of those who had eaten of it. The brain had been roasted and 
taken out, as well as the eyes and teeth. Another canoe came along- 
side with some roasted flesh in it. 
While Mr. Spieden and others were agreeing with the natives for 
the purchase of the skull for a fathom of cloth, a native stood near him 
holding something in his right hand, which he soon applied to his 
mouth, and began to eat. ‘To their utter astonishment they discovered 
it to be the eye of the dead man, which the native had plucked from 
the skull a few moments before. So revolting and unexpected a sight 
produced a feeling of sickness in many; this ocular proof of their 
cannibal propensities fully satisfied them. The native was eating it, 
and exclaiming at the same time, “ Vinaka, vinaka,” (good, good.) 
Another was seen eating the last of the flesh from the thigh-bone. 
This was witnessed by several of the officers and men, who all testify 
to the same facts. 
Previous to this occurrence, no one in the squadron could say that 
he had been an eye-witness to cannibalism, though few doubted its 
practice, but the above transaction placed it beyond all doubt, and we 
have now the very skull which was bought from those who were 
picking and eating it, among our collections. 
Tui Mbua came alongside with his family, and asked permission 
to remain all night, which was granted him. Mr. Agate succeeded in 
getting a good likeness of him. 
Lieutenant Budd, and the boats under his charge, came alongside in 
the evening, and left the ship again the next morning to complete the 
survey and bring it down to Mbua Bay. 
The next day being the 4th of July, they beat through Monkey-Face 
Passage, and on reaching Ruke-ruke Bay, Captain Hudson anchored, 
after which the crew kept the 4th of July by feasting on a turtle, and 
enjoyed themselves with their double allowance of grog. 
