Here Mr Gordon found an empty house, save for the presence of Mr and Mrs Abbey, the excellent major-domo and his admirable wife, who have nursed him with tenderest devotion, and are now rewarded by seeing him steadily amending. But for some days he was so very ill that an express was sent to Suva, in Viti Levu, to summon the Governor, who, with Captain Knollys and Baron von Hügel, had gone there, on their way back, to see Lady Gordon and her children, who are staying there for change of air. Just at this moment, I, knowing nothing of all this, returned unexpectedly from a three weeks’ cruise round Vanua Levu with my friends the Langhams, with whom I have now travelled for thirteen weeks in districts which otherwise would have been to me wholly inaccessible. But I have not time now to tell you anything about our cruise, so you must be content with this letter for the present. I forgot to tell you that we have a new inmate in the house—a remarkably nice young cannibal. His father is one of the worst cannibal chiefs captured by Captain Knollys, to whom both father and son have quite a romantic attachment! _Note._—On the 28th October 1876 the Governor issued a proclamation of free pardon to all the mountain-tribes who had fought against Government, granting free permission to all who had been carried as prisoners to other districts, and to those who might still be concealed in the bush or in caves, to return to their own districts, and rebuild their towns and cultivate their lands, only stipulating that the fortified places must not be reoccupied, but that sites should be selected more suitable to the peaceful inhabitants of a quiet land. Even at the date of this proclamation, he found that the disturbed districts were assuming an aspect of security and civilisation hitherto undreamt of. New towns were rapidly springing up by the rivers and in the plains, and cultivation was carried on in perfect security, in places which hitherto could not be worked at all, or only by armed men. Formerly constant distrust reigned between the different tribes—especially between the Christians and heathens; and not without good cause, as four hundred inhabitants of one Christian town had been treacherously clubbed by their heathen neighbours, having been induced by false pretences to leave their town. Now the wild tribes had all adopted the kilt of native cloth, and cut their hair to a reasonable length—sure proofs of general respectability. They had also welcomed the native Christian teachers, who had come to live in almost every village.