Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/68

56 the shore, was smashed, and her people slain, by a doughty blow with one of the coconut-tree beams. And so with the second and third, right up to the ninth. But the tenth Tuimotuliki spared, and calling to Sinailele and her two brothers to come with him, they boarded her and sailed off to Bau. When they reached Bau they found its chief, a young lad, sailing a canoe. Tuimotuliki bade his companions seize the young chief, whose name was Nokelevu, and bring him into their boat and sail off with him. Nokelevu was flung into the boat, and they sailed off; but his father and mother and kinsfolk, discovering the violence that was being done to their chief, raised a hue and cry and gave chase. Tuimotuliki told the pursuers that he would not release Nokelevu, but was going to take him to Tonga. The others demanded that he be returned to them. After considerable dispute the young chief's relatives asked that at least they be permitted to put on board his personal belongings and provision for the voyage. This was granted, and Nokelevu's baggage was put on board, together with a food supply, which consisted solely of human beings, ready to be slaughtered for the table. Throughout the voyage, as often as food was prepared, they were regaled on human flesh. This, in fact, seems to have been their only article of diet. Their purpose was on reaching Tonga to find the Tuitonga and live with him. They made the land at the western end of Tongatabu, and, on going ashore, asked where the Tuitonga was. On being told that he was at a place called Heketa, they sailed round to the beach at Mata'utu, where Tuimotuliki leapt ashore to fix the mooring-stake. He did not bore it into the sand, but smote it into the solid rock, making a great hole, the token of his might and strength. They went to the Tuitonga, who received them gladly, rejoicing at this foreign accession to his court. Then the Tuitonga's fishing net, called the Great Net, was hauled ashore with its catch, amongst which happened to be the mullet sacred to Tuimotuliki. When the fish was distributed they each had their share of mullet, and sat down to their meal. Nokelevu and some of the people ate, but Tuimotuliki ate nothing. So it went on. Mullet would be brought, but Tuimotuliki just sat