An express arrived yesterday from Levuka with English mails, and brought me a letter from Janie. Tell her I nearly lost my rings last Monday. We had been lunching up the inner harbour; the gentlemen had all gone off expeditionising, and Lady Gordon and I were sitting by the river with only Jack and Nevil, when a native woman came and crouched beside us. We gave her cakes and biscuits to encourage her, as we could not exchange words. Then she pointed admiringly to our rings, wishing to try them on; so I put mine on her hand, little dreaming that Fiji custom sanctions asking for anything you happen to fancy, and that it is an unheard-of breach of manners not to give it. So a moment later I looked up from my drawing just in time to see the proud woman disappearing in the bush with her prize! Of course I rescued my treasures, but fear she will think we were very ill bred! On Sunday we walked along the shore, and then by a path through the abandoned sugar-fields, till we came to the little native church, where, much to our amusement, the teacher told us that he regulates the hour of service by the opening of a Bauhinia blossom. He has no clock, but when the flower opens he beats the wooden _lali_, or drum, and then the people assemble. We watched this floral timepiece expand its blossoms to the early light; and then the congregation came trooping in to a quiet, earnest service, with singing, prayer, and preaching—all very devout. Of course the words spoken were to me only a sound, but rich and musical, full of vowels, and very like Italian. There is a great charm in such a scene; and as we sat on the mats during the sermon, it was pleasant to look out from the cool shade of the church, through the many open doors, to the calm blue sea and sky, seen through a frame of golden-green sugar-canes, the leaves just rustling in the faint breeze. Now I must stop; so good-bye. * * * * * NAVOUNINDRALA,[20] ON THE REWA _Monday, 13th Dec._ DEAREST EISA,—In my last letters home I mentioned that we were just starting for Rewa, where there is a great meeting of chiefs to welcome Sir Arthur and Lady Gordon, and it was arranged that I was then to join the Langhams on a voyage far up the river, where they are going to visit several new mission stations, among tribes who only a few months ago determined to become Christian, and requested that teachers might be sent to them. Native teachers were accordingly sent, and it is partly to judge of their progress that this expedition was planned.