FIJI ISLANDS. 
93 
“The glassy ocean hushed forgets to roar, 
But trembling murmurs on the sandy shore 
and, as a background, the dense masses of the tropical forest, compose a scene never to be 
effaced from his memory, and which still awaits the painter who can transfer it to canvas. 
MATUKU ISLAND. 
In the course of the day’s dredging, amongst other wonders of the deep, a live nautilus 
was brought up. The gracefully-shaped delicate shell of this creature is familiar to every one ; 
but naturalists have seldom had an opportunity of observing the animal in its living state. 
The specimen was watched with much curiosity as it swam about in a tub on the bridge 
amidships, apparently propelling itself by ejecting water from a large tube. On the following 
NGALOA HARBOUR, KANDAVU. 
day the long ridge of the island of Kandavu rose above the waves, and, passing inside the 
reef, the “Challenger” anchored in the beautiful harbour of Ngaloa. 
On the 28th we proceeded for Levuka, the residence of the British Consul and of the 
ministers of King Cakobau. It is situated on the island of Ovalau, an island off the east 
coast of the mainland of Viti Levu. The whole Fijian Archipelago, comprising more than 
200 islands of all sizes, forms a ring of an average diameter of from 200 to 250 miles, and 
enclosing a sea, studded with islands and coral reefs, by no means easy of navigation. The 
two largest islands are placed, one—Vauna Levu—in the north, the other—Viti Levu—in the 
west. The longest diameter of each, though they look mere specks upon the charts of 
the Pacific Ocean, is about 100 miles. The port of Levuka, which we reached in the 
afternoon of the 27th, is one of those natural harbours, above described, formed by a coral 
reef. It has two entrances accessible to large vessels, both of which we used—one in coming, 
the other at our departure. Levuka is composed of a modern town, containing the hotels, 
shops, and private dwellings of the white man, and of the ancient town still inhabited by the 
