308 MALOLO. 
Captain Hudson having furnished his first lieutenant with written 
instructions, returned to bring the Vincennes round from Mbua Bay. 
Hugh M’Bride was afterwards found at Muthuata, secreted by natives, 
and strong suspicion existed that it was with the full knowledge and con- 
currence of the king. Many surveying signals were also stolen, even 
in sight of the ship, and in broad daylight. It therefore became 
necessary to put a stop to these thefts, which not only impeded the 
operations, but could not be overlooked without the risk of further 
depredations. Captain Hudson visited the king, and told him distinctly 
that the articles must be returned in a day, or he must take the conse- 
quences. The king made many promises, and kept them better than 
those he had before given, for he set about effecting the recovery of the — 
signals in earnest. 
On the 26th July, the king’s son Ko-Mbiti, returned from Somu-somu 
in state, without bringing any guests to the famous féte they were pre- 
paring. Instead of them he presented his father with a large whale’s 
tooth, and a request that he would take part in the war about to take 
place against Seru, who headed the Ambau warriors. The son, it was 
understood, favoured the Somu-somuans, but the old king more pru- 
dently desired to observe a strict neutrality. 
The observations at Lecumba Point having been finished, and 
Captain Hudson having returned from Muthuata to take the Vin- 
cennes, every thing was embarked in her, and on the 29th they got 
under way for Muthuata. In the evening they anchored in Naloa 
Bay, where the next morning they took in a quantity of wood, and 
visited the town of Tavea on the island of that name. Here Mr. 
Drayton witnessed the making of pottery by women. ‘The clay used 
is of a red colour, and is obtained in quantities on the island, and the 
vessels are formed by the women with the same instruments that are 
described in another place. Some of their work appeared as round 
as though it had been turned in a lathe. The pots are dried in the 
open air, and for baking or burning them, they use a common wood 
fire, without any oven. ‘The vessels are of various shapes, some of 
which are quite pretty. The tenacity of the clay is such, that even 
without baking the pottery is quite strong. 
The islands from Naloa Bay to Muthuata, are for the most part low, 
and covered with tiri (mangrove) bushes. There is one within a few 
miles of Muthuata, called Nucumbati, which is remarkable in shape, 
as well as picturesque in appearance. On this is a deserted town of 
about sixty houses, situated in a beautiful grove of cocoa-nut trees. 
The account obtained of it from our interpreter was, that its chief and 
