The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-03-10
main six months longer to complete his

We also here fell in with the schoone
Currency Lass. trading for tortoise-shell
or anything else that she could pick up, II
the way of trade. She belonged to Tahiti
and was owned by the master. Ii ha'
been so long since we had fallen in with I
vessel, that we all had quite jubilatiol
between the different crews. visiting bacl
and forth from vessel to vessel-extra duff
extra, or more properly, unusual grog, ant
general holiday We were of Livouka
where most of the foreigners on the islands
then lived, the chief of which place hat
always been firm friend to white men, and
from his rank as "vasu" of Mbau, was able
to protect them.
We anchored at Livouka, and lay there
for two weeks. The entrance to the har
Dor resembles that of Honolulu, the pas
sage being between two points Of coral
reef, on which the surf breaks furiously
Once inside, however, and you are in a
smooth basin, and vessel lies as quietly
at anchor as if she were on the land Du-
ring the day, the wind blew gently from
seaward. ccol and refreshing. At night il
came off from the land, laden with all the
pleasant odors Of the forests, and bringing
the sounds of the wild cocks, and the
sweet tinkling sound of the tree-snail-
known here in Hawaii. as the "pupu-ka-
moe the sounding shell.
Tui-Livouka. the chief, was on board
about every day, aud kept us well supplied
with fruits and fish. The varieties of the
latter were most extensive, and of great
many different colors and formations,
some of the colors were truly splendid and
dazzling in hue. One day, Thakombau
came along in his fine single canoe, hun
dred and more feet in length. with about
one hundred men on board, and passing
the brig swiftly, with a spanking breeze
our natives on board giving him the usual
salutation of "ndua woh !"-and landed on
the beach of Llvouka BE had come to
receive the annual tribute of the people of
0valau. Seated on the veranda of the
'vaie mb1le'-house of prayer-situated
in the "rara," or square of the town, the
various contributions were brought anu
laid down before him. These consisted of
great bales OF sinet, four and FIVE feet high,
and thirty-six inches through, variagated
in black, red and yellow colors; immense
piles Of tapa; fine and coarse mats; hogs !;
turtle; breadfruit; cocoanuts; bananas; taro;
yams, and various other vegetables and
fruit, in great profusion. As each contrib
utor brought forward his offering. he came
on his hands and knees, not daring even to
look upon the face of the great chief, but,
placing down before him what they had
brought, gave three resounding claps with
their hands, which were responded to by
Thakombau by two slaps on his thigh, in
token of acceptance, whereupon his sub
jects would retire from his presence, re-
treating backwards, in the same attitude
in which they had advanced. Tui-Evouka
sat on the same divan with Thakombau,
but little in the rear of him, but we for
egners-the mate and myself-were sta
toned on each side Of the great potentate.
After the ceremony Of paying tribute was
over, great feast was spread, consisting
of baked pig, fish, turtle. etc, preceded of
course, by the indispensable "angona," or
ava, and followed by the equally indispen-
sable "seleuka." or cigarette. Then Tui-
Livouka brought forth his present to the
lord to whom he confessed to owe tribute.
This was large whales-tooth, yellow with
age and repeated anointings with cocoa
nut oil 1t was presented to Thakombau
by the priest of Tui-Livouka, with very
long speech, winding up with general
clapping of hands all round, and shouts of
.'ndina, ndina lei;" and 'vinaka" "yinaka"-
true. very true; and good, good. The royal
reception was then at an end, and the Mbau
chief, embarking in his canoe, went on
board Of the brig to make call on Capt.
Wallis. He was received by the captain
at the gangway and as he was proceeding
aft to the quarterback, perceiving the crew
making ready to fire a salute, he begged
that the nantikai yenua great guns
should not be let off while he was on board.
This request was granted. and the already
lighted match-ropes were extinguished
We did not have percussion-locks 10 big
guns in those days.] Proceeding to the
cabin, His Majesty of Fiji drank half a
tumbler full of New England rum, and then
ate heartily of "bull-a-me- kaur-as they
call salt beef-and ship-biscuit, and wound
up with smoke out Of the captains pipe.
Returning to the deck, he went into busi-
ness, and sold US six bales of sinet, and a
number of the hogs that he had little
while before received as tribute from the
people Of Ovalau. For these he got three
muskets, keg Of powder, and some cloth.
and then. as the captain said "sa lago"-
you are going-and he responded. "sa tigo"
-vou are sfavinr-he sailed awav for