s the Viceroy of Vavau, and begged
to know the object of our visit. Harry replied that he had come to
refit the schooner, but should be happy to trade if we could procure any
of the articles we required. The old chief said that the people would
be ready to receive money as payment for any of their produce, that they
had cotton, and palm-oil, and Beche-de-Mer, cocoanuts, native cloth, and
various other articles, and that they could supply us with an abundance
of hogs and goats, and vegetables of all sorts at a cheap rate.

We were received, as we had been at Samoa, by the white inhabitants in a
very kind way, but as Harry was anxious to refit the schooner as soon as
possible, the two ladies, under the escort of Charlie Tilston, could
alone be much on shore. We, however, managed to see something of the
country--the roads in course of construction in all directions across
it, the cotton plantations and well-cultivated gardens, and many other
signs of the industry of the people. The greatest novelty was the
manufacture of the native cloth, or Tapa, formed out of the bark of the
paper-mulberry tree. The natives universally wear it for clothing, and
as it cannot stand any amount of wet and is easily spoiled, there is a
constant demand for it. It is manufactured entirely by the women. The
young tree is first cut down and the bark is stripped off; it is then
steeped in water for a couple of days, when the inner is separated from
the coarse outer rind. This is then beaten by a mallet, resembling a
square razor strop with small furrows on the under side, till it becomes
almost as thin as silver paper, and of course is greatly increased in
size. Even then it is scarcely a foot wide, but the edges are
overlapped and stuck together with arrowroot melted in water; it is then
again beaten till all the parts are completely joined. Pieces are thus
made of many yards in length. A mucilaginous dye is then used, both to
colour the cloth, and further to strengthen it, until large bales are
formed of a single piece, from which portions are cut off as required
for use. Some of those we saw were fifty yards long and four yards
wide. When thus formed, it is called Tapa or Taba, a name by which it
is generally known among all the islands of the Pacific. It is
afterwards beautifully coloured, sometimes by a stamp, at others by
painting it by hand, when it is known as Gnatu. A coarser kind, worn by
the common people, is made from the