that was the author of the noise, and I soon brought it down
with a load of dust-shot, and to my great delight it proved to be
the golden dove, a bird which I had hunted for in vain in the other
islands. It was of a very fine metallic golden-yellow colour, and
the feathers being long and narrow, gave it a very odd appearance. I
could only mutter "venaka, venaka" (good), and in spite of the heavy
rain reverently and slowly rolled it up in cotton wool and paper, to
the great amusement of my three Fijians. Among the most interesting
features of bird life in the Samoan and Fijian Islands were the various
members of the dove family, which looked wonderfully brilliant with
their metallic greens, and their orange, crimson, purple, yellow,
pink, cream and olive green. The latter part of the journey was through
bushy country dotted about with many large orchid and fern-laden trees.

We arrived toward dusk at the large village of Serea, on the Wainimala
River, which is a branch of the Rewa River, and I put up in the large
hut of the "Buli." I began to feel like an ordinary mortal again,
as the people here did not exhibit any great surprise on seeing me,
no doubt because, being in the Rewa district, they see a few Europeans
from time to time. After a change into dry clothes and a supper off
one of the large pigeons I had shot _en route,_ I had a large and
interested crowd to watch me skin my dove, and there were roars of
laughter during the process, especially when Masirewa told them it
would be made to look like a real bird with glass eyes. Masirewa at one
time spoke sharply to the "Buli" who, I thought, looked a bit annoyed,
so I asked Masirewa what he said. "Oh," he said airily, "I told him
to keep his pig of a child away from the white chief." Masirewa, was
a character, and evidently had no respect for chiefs and princes,
etc., as he treated all the "Bulis" as his equals, which was very
different from the generally cringing attitude of the Fijians to
their chiefs. Even the high and mighty "Buli" of Nabukaluku [10]
seemed to like his cheek. Masirewa liked to show off his English,
though no one understood a word, and his favourite way of addressing
them when he was annoyed was "You all black devil pigs." Whilst I
was skinning my dove, the people brought in a horrible-looking carved
figure with staring eyes. It was about five feet high, and they waxed
very merry, whenever I looked up at it from my skinning.

I left early next mo