Gordon Cumming and her party arrived off Levuka, the capital of Ovalau, in September 1875 on the Egmont, on the last leg of their voyage from London via Sydney to Fiji: 'It was early dawn when we found ourselves lying off Levuka, the capital ... just then a bright gleam of sunshine fell with a ray of promise on the little town, with its background of richly wooded hills, and dark craggy pinnacles far overhead, appearing above the white wreaths of floating mist ... After some delay, Sir Arthur came and took us ashore to Nasova, where we had lunch in the house which was built to be the council chamber of Thakomband's Government ...' (C.F. Gordon Cumming, At Home in Fiji, London, 1881, pp. 47-8)