A landscape photograph showing over twenty Fijian men sat in a semicircle on the ground, plus one man standing, with the bodies of several turtles in the foreground. Trees and the buildings of Mbau can be seen in the background. Turtles were important animals in Fiji during the 1800s, with strict rules governing who could hunt them. Their meat was usually reserved for chiefs and other notables, and was often eaten at formal gatherings.

Dr Coppinger's account of this meeting records the following: 'It happened, by chance, that on the day of our arrival at Bau, a feast was to be given by Cacobau to a tribe of natives who had just brought to him a tribute offering, consisting of eighteen large green turtle. As we were landing we saw the feast, which consisted of eight good-sized pigs roasted whole, and several huge piles of yams, spread out on a sort of common outside the enclosure of the native town; but on the king being apprised of our visit, he gave orders that the feast was to be transferred inside the town palisades, and it was accordingly removed and spread out on the grass in front of the small hut wherein he received us'. [page 161]

The photograph is captioned 'Meeting of principal Fijian chiefs at Mbau'.