Thokunnulo't hoiue. rrrirr Kxpcilllinn tinder Ltautcitnnl Build. 



Tribute frntu the pcopte of Kantavu. ■ WW ,L 1 - Night with Thokanauto. or Mr. PhUftftt. 



common practice with them; an J when, on one 

 occasion, a stranger took tin? lilnsrty to peep in nt 

 hi* door, he is said to have asked him if his head 

 was made of iron that he dared thus to presume. 



Thokanauto's house was occupied by several of 

 our gentlemen during their stay. It is quit** a 

 large establishment, and wns one of the noisiest 

 that ran well he imagined; for Phillips himself 

 being absent with the boats, his wife did not pos- 

 se** the requisite authority to maintain order. On 

 t hi- first night of their bulging there, about fifty 

 persons, men, women, and children, were collected, 

 feasting, drinking ava, and maintaining a prodigb 

 ous racket. They were apparently engaged in 

 ih tailing and discussing the events that had taken 

 place nn hoard ship, and the narrative was con- 

 stantly interrupted by jokes, laughter, expressions 

 of astonishment, and arguments leading to sharp 

 words, until the shrill voice of the young mistress 

 of the mansion was heard in earnest expostulation. 

 The eloquence of Phillips's orator, and his many 

 barbers, was not to he bo easily repressed; and 

 after a few moments' silence, nu altercation arose, 

 tliat gradually grew into a quarrel and terminated 

 in a furious fight, in which one of the combatants 

 was thrown against the musquitn-har serving as a 

 screen tit rmr gentlemen, breaking down one end 

 of it. They now sought their anus, and placed 

 themselves on their guard for self-protection, nnt 

 knowing w hat Feejee ferocity and treachery might 

 bring about. The hostess at last interfered with 

 Home effect, and put down the commotion, and the 

 house was quieted for the night, excepting the 

 rats and mice, which during the nocturnal hours 

 took full possession. Little win one imagine the 

 noise of these rat races; Whittington's cat here 

 would indeed be worth her golden price. 



M r. Agate made good use of his short stay at Re wa. 

 While wandering about, he was met by a priest, 

 who came l" him ami signified by signs lie wished 

 him to sketch something, and at the same time 

 pointing to a house. Air. Agate followed him in. 

 There were a large number uf retainers present, 

 and shortly after liis entrance a man was aroused 

 from his mat, who said he wished his likeness 

 taken. 11 is head was dressed in the must elabo- 

 rate ami extravagant fashion of Rewa, ami from 

 llie number of his retainers he appeared to he a 

 big 1 1 chief. A day or two after he proved to bo 

 the notorious Vendovi, brother to the king, and lite 

 person whom we desired to capture. He had bis 

 face smeared with oil and lamp-black. 



From his head-dress uur gentlemen recognised 

 him as the individual who hail been their guide in 

 cue of tlm short excursions they bad made in the 

 neighbourhood, and with whom they had been so 

 mueh plrneed when they offered him a reward for 

 his services. 



Mr. Agate Aba obtained good likenesses of the 

 king and queen. 



Whilst he was employed in sketching these, he 

 witnessed the delivery of their tribute by ihe people 

 of Kantavu. When the king was seated in state, 

 with his principal officers around him, the chiefs of 

 Kantavu appeared, each encircled with many folds 

 ..I tapa and mats. After leaving their clubs, «Vc, 

 near the doer, they entered, crouching up-i» their 

 hands and feet, and thus passed round the semi- 

 circle to their appointed places. Their chief eou- 

 tinued to proceed towards the king, and when 



near, presented his majesty with a whale's tooth, 

 neatly slung in the manner of a powder-hom. 

 The king, on receiving it, answered, il Eudina." 

 The chief then retired, and was followed bv 

 another, who, after disburdening himself of the 

 ta|ia in which he was enveloped, gave place 10 

 another, and so on to the last. Each offering 

 was acknowledged by the king in the same tone of 

 voice and manner. When all had been received, 

 they retired in the same order they had entered, 

 and the king took especial care to place the new 

 acquisitions annrng his valuables. This was un- 

 derstood to be the tribute for a year. 



These presents are usually received in the square 

 before the king's house, and a dunce generally fol- 

 lows. But owing to the heavy rains, which had 

 converted not only this spot, but the whole of 

 Rewa, into a mud-puddle, the*, wets- deprive! of 

 an opportunity of witnessing one of these tribute 

 dances ; a deprivation which they much regretted, 

 for foreigners seldom have an opportunity uf seeing 

 them. 



The expedition under Lieutenant Budd, that 

 went to explore the river, had now returned, 

 after having proceeded forty-five miles above 

 Rewa, which is ten miles farther than it had been 

 before ascended. The parly consisted of Lieute- 

 nant Budd, Fussed- Midshipman Davis, and Mr. 

 Feale, with two boats. They left the ship at one 

 o'clock, and in consequence of ruin took refuge in 

 an mhure at the town of Vatia. There they found 

 a hu ge quantity of arms, collected by a tax on each 

 male, of a spear, club, &c. These being kepi in a 



consecrated pi: , the wounds made by them are 



considered as always fatal, while the same kind of 

 injury by a new or nn consecrated spear would beak 

 They had here nu opportunity of seeing the rever- 

 ence paid to Phillips, who is a very high chief. 

 Whenever the natives saw htm, they invariably 

 dropped on their hams until ho passed; when he 

 spoke to them, ihey clapped the palms of their 

 hands together; and in bis presence none presumed 

 to walk upright. 



In the village they saw quantities of the cyrenua 

 ami Eingula shells, the tenants of which had been 

 eaten by the inhabitants. They found subsequently 

 on their trip, that the former made excellent soup. 

 This village is famous for its pottery, and some 

 earthen jars were seen that would hold a barrel of 

 water. The clay of which they are made is yellow, 

 and is dug out of the banks of thcriver. The mode 

 of modelling these vessels is described in another 

 place. The pots are very light, and of many fanci- 

 ful shapes; but they are quite fragile. 



They reached Rewa before dark, and took up 

 their lodgings in Phillips's house, which is one ,,f 

 the largest in Rewa, aud built in the same manner 

 as the king's. Screens of ornamented tapa were 

 used to divide it into apartments, aud the floor was 

 neatly covered with mats. The furniture consisted 

 of a hand-organ, table, benches, seven I arm-chests, 

 and a closet. To crown all, the supper-table was 

 laid with a cloth, dishes, plates, knives, and forks, 

 aud they were waited on by Wis white steward 

 (an Italian), who was left here sick by The Cur- 

 rency Lass under his charge. He has also a white 

 carpenter. 



The night was passed uncomfortably, in conse- 

 quenceof the many noisy natives who assembled to 

 drink ava. Thcava-bowl of Phillips was three feet 



