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0:00:23 > 0:00:26FIJIAN FOLK SONG
0:00:42 > 0:00:44When we arrived in Fiji
0:00:44 > 0:00:48and said that we'd come to look for old customs and rituals,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51everyone said to us, "The place you should go are the Lau Islands."
0:00:51 > 0:00:55The Lau Group lies 100 miles or so to the east of Fiji,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59and between us and the main island lay this sea,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03which has a bad reputation for sudden storms and hurricanes.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07We decided we'd cross it in two goes, so late one night, we left Fiji
0:01:07 > 0:01:09and sailed towards the island of Koro.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23There are over 300 islands in the Fiji group,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26and nearly all of them are surrounded by reefs,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29so that as you approach one, you can see, in the crystal waters
0:01:29 > 0:01:33beneath the bows of your boat, clumps of many coloured corals.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Once past the reef, you are in the lagoon,
0:01:38 > 0:01:42and ahead of you lies a beach of brilliant silver sand.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53Along the beach, a line of swaying coconut palms.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58In fact, this is the South Seas paradise of everyone's imagination.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Beyond the palm trees stands the village.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06A group of thatched huts in between pawpaw trees,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08mangoes and banana palms.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10We had come to this particular island, Koro,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14for a very special reason, for the people of Koro are reputed to possess
0:02:14 > 0:02:18an astonishing power over the creatures of the sea.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22The tribal priest took me up to a cliff to demonstrate it.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24He claimed that at his call,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28a turtle and a white shark would appear from the depths of the sea.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32According to legend, the turtle is the embodiment of Tui Naikasi,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34the ancient founder
0:02:34 > 0:02:37of the tribe, and the shark is his wife, for when he died,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40he promised that he would stay close to his island,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and whenever his people wished to see him,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44he would appear at their call
0:02:44 > 0:02:48in the shape of a turtle to show that he still watched over them.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55HE CALLS OUT IN FIJIAN
0:03:04 > 0:03:07TRANSLATION: Tui Naikasi, who lives by the shore of our beautiful island,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11who comes when called by the people of Nacamaki,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14come to the surface, come to the surface.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29HE REPEATS CALL
0:03:41 > 0:03:43There was no doubt about it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47There, dimly in the waters below us, was the ghostly outline
0:03:47 > 0:03:51of a large white shark cruising slowly in the bay.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01HE CONTINUES TO CALL OUT
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Remarkable though this was, I was not yet entirely convinced,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17for the turtle had not yet appeared.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26I was astonished.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31The turtle floated lazily in the waters 300 feet below us,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33gulping in lungfuls of air.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40An obvious explanation for the extraordinary behaviour
0:04:40 > 0:04:43of the turtle would be that perhaps it was trained
0:04:43 > 0:04:47by rewards of food to come at the call of the priest.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51But I'm fairly sure that isn't true, that isn't the correct explanation.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54The people said they never gave it food, and I believe them.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Another explanation occurred to me the day after.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59After the turtle had been called,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03I went up to the cliff with the priest just to have a look
0:05:03 > 0:05:05at the place. It's a very beautiful place.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09And he said to me halfway up, "I think I'll call the turtle."
0:05:09 > 0:05:11And I said, "No, don't bother, don't tire it out,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13"I don't want to see the turtle today,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15"I just want to look at the place."
0:05:15 > 0:05:18And we walked on, and when we were closer, he said,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20"I think I will call it."
0:05:20 > 0:05:22And I said, "No, please don't bother."
0:05:22 > 0:05:25We walked on, and just before we got to the top, he ran ahead of me
0:05:25 > 0:05:29and he started calling, and sure enough, up came the turtle.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32And it did occur to me that maybe the turtle just lived there,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36maybe this bay was a very good place with a lot of food for turtles
0:05:36 > 0:05:40and, after all, turtles aren't fish, they have to come up to breathe.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42But that didn't explain the big shark.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46And there was another extraordinary happening which I heard about.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49The turtle flesh is taboo for the people of Koro.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51They're not allowed to eat it.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54A few months before we got there,
0:05:54 > 0:05:59the women wading in the lagoon had accidentally in their nets
0:05:59 > 0:06:01caught a very large turtle.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02And they were struggling with it,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05trying to get it on board their dugout canoe
0:06:05 > 0:06:07which was floating nearby,
0:06:07 > 0:06:12when suddenly a great white shark turned up and began to attack them.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14They kicked and they shouted and they splashed,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17but this shark wouldn't go away, and they became very frightened.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Then they took the turtle and threw it back in the sea.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22And as soon as the turtle was back in the sea, it swam away,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25and the great white shark swam with it and they never saw it again.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27That's what they told me.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Well, after we'd spent a little time in Koro,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35we continued onwards towards the island of Vanua Mbalavu.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38And we were going to stay there for a month or so,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and on the second day that we were there,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44we were greeted with a special dance.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54THEY CHANT IN FIJIAN
0:07:32 > 0:07:35In the old days, these were war dances,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38performed either before the men went into battle,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40to give them courage,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43or else after the event, as a dance of triumph.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47The words of the songs told of famous victories.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50In fact, they were the means of passing on the tribe's history
0:07:50 > 0:07:53from one generation to another.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57But these chants have changed with the times.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01And although there are still many which tell of the old battles,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05there are now others which deal with more recent events,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08with the sinking of a Japanese submarine in the last war,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11or the exploits of the Fijian battalion in Malaya.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44'We lived on this island for over a month, and one of
0:08:44 > 0:08:46'our particular friends was the chief of the village.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48'Whenever you visit a Fijian household,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50'the first thing you are offered is a drink of kava.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54'And there are several rules which govern how you must drink it.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58'Before you accept the cup, you must clap as a sign of respect.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00'You must drain it at one gulp.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06'Throw out the muddy sediment at the bottom - that's optional -
0:09:06 > 0:09:10'and then clap several times as a sign of thanks.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14'The chief and I often talked about the old times and the ancient wars,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17'for the Fijians were not only great warriors,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19'but also notorious cannibals.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21'The chief's grandfather had fought in these wars,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24'and he still had some of his grandfather's weapons.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30'This was a war club, and I asked him what the pointed end was for.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32'Although his English was limited,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35'he was able to make it quite clear that it was a very efficient
0:09:35 > 0:09:38'instrument for knocking a hole in someone's skull,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41'quite apart from its use in belabouring your opponent
0:09:41 > 0:09:42'round the body.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45'But he had an even more impressive club to show me.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50'This one was extremely heavy.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57'It was also obviously a lethal weapon.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02'In the old days, big clubs like this one were famous,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05'and, particularly if they belonged to a great warrior,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07'they were given special names.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10'The Disperser, the Damager Beyond Hope.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15'The chief told me that up in the hills behind the village,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18'there were some other relics of the old times -
0:10:18 > 0:10:20'caves full of skeletons.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22'If I wanted to see them,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26'he said he'd get a guide for me who could take me up and show me.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34'Although the islands are quite small, there are nevertheless
0:10:34 > 0:10:37'mountains several hundred feet high in the centre of many of them.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40'These mountains are of coral limestone
0:10:40 > 0:10:43'and are usually covered in thick forest.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46'The people themselves seldom go there,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50'for it is much more convenient to have their vegetable gardens,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54'banana plantations and coconut groves down on the flat lands
0:10:54 > 0:10:57'by the edges of the lagoon, close to the villages.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01'Indeed, our guide didn't seem to be very sure of the way.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14'Eventually, we came to this cliff with a crack leading up its face.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35'The crack ended on a ledge.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40'And at the back of the ledge, we found a cavern which seemed to go
0:11:40 > 0:11:43'deep into the heart of the limestone mountain.
0:11:47 > 0:11:53'Inside, it was cool and dank and a little eerie.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56'And at first, I could see no signs of any skeletons
0:11:56 > 0:11:59'or any human or animal remains of any sort.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48'And then at last we found what we had come for.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58'Whatever else these skeletons were, they were certainly very old,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00'for no-one in the village had been able to tell us
0:13:00 > 0:13:02'exactly how they got there.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11'I thought it was therefore worthwhile trying to find out
0:13:11 > 0:13:14'what sort of people these had been.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17'Maybe there were some pieces of pottery
0:13:17 > 0:13:20'or something else which could give us a clue.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30'This cave could hardly be a cemetery,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34'for the Fijians these days bury their dead in the ground.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37'In addition, these bones had been much disturbed,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40'lying as they did in a jumbled heap,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43'something which the islanders would scarcely have allowed
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'had this been the grave of their recent ancestors.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51'It was more likely that I was looking at the remains
0:13:51 > 0:13:53'of the old tribal wars,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55'for when there was an invasion,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58'the warriors of the tribe would engage in battle
0:13:58 > 0:14:02'while the rest of the people fled to the caves in the mountains
0:14:02 > 0:14:04'for shelter and safety.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06'If the invaders won,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10'then they would seek out these caves and slaughter the survivors there.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13'Perhaps these were the relics of such a massacre.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26'And then I did find two objects which suggested that these skeletons
0:14:26 > 0:14:28'were at least 100 years old.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40'Two small axe heads, one of stone and the other - the white one -
0:14:40 > 0:14:42'of whalebone ivory.'
0:14:47 > 0:14:52And I don't suppose anyone for 50 or 100 years in Fiji
0:14:52 > 0:14:54can have made any of these beautiful things,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57for now they are all being replaced
0:14:57 > 0:15:00by the much more efficient iron and steel.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03In the mountains just beyond that cave,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06there lies a very curious still lake.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10It's a lake is associated with an odd legend.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15The story is that if you go up there and perform the right rituals,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19the fish that live in the lake are compelled to give themselves up.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22And the story which explains it is this.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26A long time ago, there was a goddess living in Tonga
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and she was in love with a man in Fiji.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31And one day she decided she would go and see him
0:15:31 > 0:15:33and take him a present of a fish.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35So she got a leaf with some water in it
0:15:35 > 0:15:37and put the fish inside and set off.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Now, of course, all goddesses can fly.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44And she started flying this way towards Fiji,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48and when she got over Vanua Mbalavu, this island that we were on,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52one of the men working down in the mountains saw her go by.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54And he looked up and he said, "Where are you going?"
0:15:54 > 0:15:57in a perfectly friendly way. And she ignored him.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00So he asked her again. He said, "Where are you going?"
0:16:00 > 0:16:03And she refused to reply, which annoyed him.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07So he picked up a stick and he threw it at her, trying to knock her down.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10But all he succeeded in doing was knocking the fish in the water
0:16:10 > 0:16:12out of her hand, and it fell into the mountains,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14and the water formed the lake,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18and the fish multiplied until now the lake is full of these fish.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23But the privilege of fishing in this lake rests with the descendants
0:16:23 > 0:16:25of this man who threw the stick,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28and he is the priest who governs the ritual.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31So, with all the islanders who lived in the villages
0:16:31 > 0:16:35close by the lagoon, when the time for fishing had come -
0:16:35 > 0:16:38which only comes every six years or so, we were very fortunate -
0:16:38 > 0:16:40we went up together
0:16:40 > 0:16:44and we camped on the shores of this strange black lake in the mountains.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48The people had built themselves
0:16:48 > 0:16:51a complete little settlement of shelters
0:16:51 > 0:16:53in the forest on the shores of the lake.
0:16:53 > 0:16:54And at noon on the second day,
0:16:54 > 0:16:59the rituals began with the ceremonial presentation of kava roots
0:16:59 > 0:17:00to the senior chief.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04It seems that it's impossible anywhere in Fiji
0:17:04 > 0:17:06to have any sort of a ceremony
0:17:06 > 0:17:08which doesn't start with kava.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11The chief himself was an old man, now blind,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14and after he had received the kava and given his approval
0:17:14 > 0:17:16for the beginning of the ceremony,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19more kava roots were taken and presented,
0:17:19 > 0:17:24this time to the head priest, who governs the fishing ceremonials.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29He had his own small hut slightly away from the main settlement.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32The root having been presented to him,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35and he also having given his approval,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38the kava was taken away to be pounded.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48The broken root was then mixed with water in a special wooden bowl.
0:17:48 > 0:17:53The bundle of shredded fibres is used as a strainer to retain
0:17:53 > 0:17:55the broken pieces of kava and prevent them
0:17:55 > 0:17:57from getting in the drink itself.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07The first cup was served to the priest.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23Then, all the men sitting in the ring around him were given a cup each.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25The first time you drink kava,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29it tastes rather like some sort of gritty mouthwash,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32but by now we've got used to it, and I'd come quite to enjoy it.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36While all these ceremonies were going on, the women were making
0:18:36 > 0:18:39these special skirts which must be used in the ceremony.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45The leaves they use are those of the ngaio tree, for it was
0:18:45 > 0:18:48a stick of ngaio wood that the man in the legend had hurled
0:18:48 > 0:18:51at the Tongan goddess flying above
0:18:51 > 0:18:54and had knocked the water and the fish from her hands.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16The kava presentations having been completed,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19the priest's assistant made a public announcement.
0:19:19 > 0:19:20HE SPEAKS FIJIAN
0:19:22 > 0:19:25TRANSLATION: The fishing of the lake will now begin,
0:19:25 > 0:19:26but respect the taboos.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Every man and every woman who is here today must go down
0:19:30 > 0:19:32and swim in the lake.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34The only clothes that may be worn are the skirts
0:19:34 > 0:19:37of the ngaio leaves that the women have prepared for you.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Anoint your bodies with coconut oil,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43for if you do not, the waters of Lake Masomo will bite you.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47You must swim in the lake all today, throughout this night
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and the next day. No-one must attempt to catch any fish
0:19:50 > 0:19:54until the proper moment has arrived and the fish rise to the surface.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58When I tell you, take spears down to the lake and gather in the fish.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03ATTENBOROUGH: By now, most of the men had put on the skirts
0:20:03 > 0:20:07and the girls were anointing them with sweet-smelling coconut oil,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10perfumed with crushed flower buds.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Each man took with him a log which he had cut in the forest
0:20:26 > 0:20:28and which he will use
0:20:28 > 0:20:32as a float, so that he can swim for many hours on end without tiring.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10THEY LAUGH AND SHOUT
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Soon, all of us were in the lake.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54The water was very warm and the lake was really quite shallow,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56but if you tried to stand up,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00your feet sank up to your knees in a sticky ooze
0:22:00 > 0:22:02which covered the bottom of the lake.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07So, kicking slowly, we swam in lines across the lake,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10chanting and singing.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18THEY SING IN FIJIAN
0:22:34 > 0:22:37After an hour or so, however, things began to liven up.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17The swimming and the laughing, the chanting and the horseplay
0:23:17 > 0:23:20continued throughout the whole of that day.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24No-one swam for more than two or three hours at a time,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28but went ashore for a rest and refreshments
0:23:28 > 0:23:29whenever he wanted to,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31for there was a gay holiday atmosphere
0:23:31 > 0:23:33about the whole proceedings.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Nonetheless, there were people in the lake at all times throughout the day,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41kicking and splashing.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14As the night fell and the moon rose,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17so many of the people came in from the lake.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Fires were lit outside the huts and dances began.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23THEY SING IN FIJIAN
0:24:53 > 0:24:56This sitting dance tells a comic story
0:24:56 > 0:25:00about a mischievous water sprite who kept playing tricks on people.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Each one of the gestures of the dancers meant something
0:25:04 > 0:25:06to everybody in the audience.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Everybody, that is, except me.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46All night long, the singing and dancing continued.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Occasionally, people would get up and go back to the lake
0:25:50 > 0:25:53to continue swimming, and others would come in, either to sleep,
0:25:53 > 0:25:57to carry on dancing, or more likely still, to drink some more kava.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08When morning came, there were still people swimming in the lake.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11And, at midday, the priest gave the order
0:26:11 > 0:26:13to take down bundles of fish spears,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15for the time had now come
0:26:15 > 0:26:17when, according to legend and custom,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20the fish would rise to the surface of their own accord
0:26:20 > 0:26:22to be taken by the swimmers.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31And indeed it was true.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Some were floating belly up, almost dead, others were swimming
0:26:35 > 0:26:38so close to the surface that they were easily speared,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41and some were leaping high into the air.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16The people harpooned them with such enthusiasm
0:27:16 > 0:27:20that it was quite a hazardous business, swimming there
0:27:20 > 0:27:22with spears flying in all directions.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35The explanation of the death of the fish was quite clear.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37This lake is normally very still, and the leaves
0:27:37 > 0:27:40and other rotting vegetation sink to the bottom,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44where they normally lie undisturbed by any current.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46As a result, the sulphurous gas
0:27:46 > 0:27:49produced by the decomposing vegetable matter
0:27:49 > 0:27:51is entrapped by the mud.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54But when 200 people swim in the lake,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58stirring up the ooze at the bottom, then this gas is released.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01It dissolves in the water and partially poisons the fish
0:28:01 > 0:28:03so that they come up to the top.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Indeed, some of them were so asphyxiated
0:28:05 > 0:28:08that you could pick them up by hand.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11I suspect that this gas can't be absolutely lethal,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15for if it were, then all the fish would soon be exterminated,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18and there would be none to gather at the next festival.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Even so, the proportion of survivors must be very small.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25So it was obviously important that this ceremony should not take place
0:28:25 > 0:28:29too often, to allow the population of fish to recover,
0:28:29 > 0:28:34which explains why, by tradition, the priest controls the festival,
0:28:34 > 0:28:38and only allows it to be held every four or five years,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40and why there is a taboo against fishing here
0:28:40 > 0:28:43unless the priest has given permission.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47Indeed, the whole ceremony was governed by taboos and rituals,
0:28:47 > 0:28:52even the exact way the fish were brought in is ordered by custom.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56Normally, a Fijian will thread the fish on a string which passes
0:28:56 > 0:28:59through the fish's mouth and out through its gills.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02But, in this case, tradition insisted that it must be done
0:29:02 > 0:29:06in a different fashion, with a string passing through the eyes of the fish.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10Why this should be so, I couldn't discover.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13In all, nearly 200 huge, shining fish
0:29:13 > 0:29:15were brought out of the lake that day,
0:29:15 > 0:29:20and there was going to be great feasting in the villages that night.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26To be absolutely honest,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29the flesh of those fish was perhaps a little woolly,
0:29:29 > 0:29:33and also there was just a faint suspicion of the taste of marsh gas,
0:29:33 > 0:29:35but I enjoyed eating them very much.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39They made a very welcome change after all the sea fish we'd been eating.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42The other strange thing about those fish is that the only other place
0:29:42 > 0:29:45where they occur, as far as I know, is the island of Tonga,
0:29:45 > 0:29:47but that you might expect from the legend.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49We ourselves were on the way there,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52but what we found there, I'll tell you next time.