From Narai we had a fine run over to this isle, which is a land of high hills, deeply scored with valleys, wooded on one side, grassy on the other (at least apparently so, really covered with tall reeds). They look golden green as light misty showers pass over them while the sun shines. A gusty wind sprang up just as we made the passage, and entailed a good deal of beating before we could reach our anchorage off Sawaieke, which is the chief town on this island. We had some difficulty in landing, as the tide was low, leaving a broad expanse of mud; and the shore is fringed with mangrove, which always implies rather a swampy situation. We found cosy quarters in the house of Ratu Hosea, the native minister, a chief by birth, and a fine man (at present suspended from his office because he was so unfortunate as to box the ears of a very aggravating wife, who happened to die soon afterwards; so of course evil tongues gave him credit for having caused her death). In the church at Sawaieke all the beams are covered with _tappa_, with a pattern of large stars—very effective; and I was reminded of the “mortification boards” in Scotch kirks by seeing a regular churchwarden’s record, stating that “the doors and windows of this church cost 3000 yams!” I greatly enjoyed strolling along the shore here. A lovely path leads under great _eevie_ trees and through groves of cocoa-palms, with young palms growing up so thickly under them as to form a network of fronds, with an undergrowth of tall grasses, casting a light shade, through which the sunlight flickered. All along the shore are little streams with muddy banks, perforated with holes made by tiny crabs, prettier than those we saw at Suva. Besides those with the one large scarlet claw, we saw some with black back, green-spotted, others with scarlet back and black body, some black and green, with all their claws and legs scarlet, and some with bits of blue and white—most fascinating little creatures. We caught some, in spite of the marvellous rapidity with which they vanished.