146 



PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



b. Feejee Islands. 



On the morning of the 4tli of May, 1840, the Squadron left Tonga- 

 taboo ; and towards the evening of the following day, we came in sight 

 of Turtle Island; which is small and unimportant, except as a 

 guide to the navigator. We rested on our course for the night ; but 

 by daylight we had drifted among the other outermost Feejee Islands. 

 Those in sight, were small and moderately high; and according to 

 our European pilot, were "destitute of yams, although permanently 

 inhabited." 



On the 7th, we reached Ovolau ; a small island, that from its central 

 position, and from its being the place of residence of some White men, 

 has become a convenient rendezvous for vessels. The broken and 

 mountainous land, in great part covered with woods, and situated in 

 a moderately rainy climate, presented a varied and most inviting as- 

 pect ; and we felt that we were now in a part of the world, which, 

 except to a few traders, was very little known. 



On the 8th, we entered the reef, and dropped anchor before the vil- 

 lage of Levuka; and our first greeting, was a shout of admiration from 

 the shore, when the sailors suddenly ascended the rigging. Canoes 

 soon made their appearance, moving in different directions, and by 

 a singular method of propulsion : a man standing in the centre of the 

 canoe, held an upright oar, and as he threw his weight upon it from 

 side to side, seemed actually to walk over the water, and at a surpris- 

 ing rate. At length three or four canoes approached us, one bearing 

 upon an elevated platform the chief of Levuka; who introduced him- 

 self to our acquaintance, with the accustomed present of yams. 



Independently of the texture of the hair, the people differed 

 strikingly from the Australians in their stoutness of limb, and in the 

 entire absence of graceful forms. At first indeed, we did not distin- 

 guish them from Negroes ; and this resemblance was even recognised 

 by Negroes on board : one of whom made use of the expression, 

 "people at home would hardly believe that these were natives." But 

 it was soon perceived, that a Negro in the midst of a party of Fee- 

 jeeans, presented a marked distinction in colour. 



I obtained other evidence of the lightness of the Feejeean com- 

 plexion ; for on scanning with a glass the crowd of natives on the 

 shore, I had supposed one half of them to be Polynesians ; whereas, 



