Islands far away; Fijian pictures with pen and brush . range in value from threeto five pounds or so ; I have priced them myself in shopsfrequented by Fijians. They are still a necessity for nativecustom, and are getting rare, so many are being carried offout of the country. The natives are too free and generous :soon they will have none of their interesting old things left. After the yangona-drinking, before going to bed, all the 2l6 Islands Far Away. chiefs joined together in singing in parts some sweet hymns,and I enjoyed once more Ratu Mbolos rich bass voice. Itwas very pleasant, and our l
Islands far away; Fijian pictures with pen and brush . range in value from threeto five pounds or so ; I have priced them myself in shopsfrequented by Fijians. They are still a necessity for nativecustom, and are getting rare, so many are being carried offout of the country. The natives are too free and generous :soon they will have none of their interesting old things left. After the yangona-drinking, before going to bed, all the 2l6 Islands Far Away. chiefs joined together in singing in parts some sweet hymns,and I enjoyed once more Ratu Mbolos rich bass voice. Itwas very pleasant, and our last true Fijian evening. Rewa used to be the best place for pottery in Fiji, and asno pottery was made in the Pacific, by natives, except in Fiji,it was interesting to find works still in existence here ; and,although the really beautiful and strange shaped vessels whichwere the glory of the old Fijian pottery are no longer made, thework that is done is carried on in the old way. Such a simpleway 1 Nothing but a heap of water-worn stones picked up on. POTTER AT WORK. the shore, no wheel, nothing else, except a kind of oven inthe ground to bake the things, much the same as that used forcooking. Yet fine vessels are made, wonderfully symmetricaland sometimes very large. A lump of clay is taken up, aboutthe required size, and turned on one hand, while the otherhand fashions it with a stone from the heap, the stone beingselected according to the shape that is required. The neckis done after the hand has been withdrawn from inside, byrolling the clay into a long worm between the two hands, andtwisting it spirally round the top, till the desired length isattained. Any marking is effected by means of sharks orrats teeth, and a glaze is put on with a hard resin from thebread-fruit tree ; and any variety of colour with vegetableor mineral dyes. Good bye. 217 I was even more delighted to find a large canoe in processof construction, because they are rarely made now. Ratu Jonitook me to s
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