Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 15.pdf/228

 A Fijian Court Day.

193

learn from the story of the poor old Bali, to meet his enemies face to face and even to whose pathetic and careworn face shows that prosecute them for slander. As the Buli was he at least has not seen the humorous side of undoubtedly innocent, and had certainly been slandered, the delinquents are reminded that the situation. It appears that a sum of three hundred and ever since the days of Delphi seers and ora fifty dollars, due to the natives as a refund cles have met with a very limited success, and on overpaid taxes, was given to the Buli for are sentenced to three months imprisonment. And now follows a real tragedy. The con distribution among the various heads of fam ilies. For this purpose he summoned a meet sideration enjoyed by the young Fijian is in ing, and the amount in small silver was proportion to the length and cut of his hair. turned out on the floor to be counted. Now Xow. these are dandies to the verge of fop the Fijians who counted the money made dif pishness. Two of them have hair frizzed out ferent totals. They at once jumped to the | so as to make a halo four inches deep round conclusion that the Buli, who was by this the face, and bleached by lime until it is grad time so bored with the whole thing that he uated from deep auburn to golden yellow at was quite willing to forego his own share, the points. Pounced on and dragged out of had embezzled the money; but to make sus court by ruthless policemen, they are handed picion certainty they started off in a canoe over to the tender mercies of a pitiless bar to the mainland to consult a wizard. This ber, and in a few moments they are as crest oracle, being presented with a whale's tooth, fallen and ridiculous as that cockatoo who intimated that if he heard the name of the was plucked by the monkey. The selfdefaulter who had embezzled the money his assurance of a Fijian is as dependent on the little finger, and perhaps other portions of length of his hair as was the strength of his anatomy would tingle (kida). They ac Samson. cordingly went through the names of all But now there is a shrill call for Natombe, their fellow-villagers, naming the Buli last. and a middle-aged man of rather remarkable On hearing this name the oracle, whose little appearance is brought before the table. He finger had hitherto remained normal, regard is a mountaineer, and is dressed in a rather less of grammar, cried out, "That's him!" dirty sulit of blue calico, secured round the On their return to Nathula they triumphantly waist by a few turns of native bark cloth. quoted the "oracle as their authority for ac He is naked from the waist upward. The cusing their Buli of embezzlement. The charge is practising witchcraft (drau ni kan), poor old gentleman, wounded in his ten- a crime which is punishable with twelve derest feelings, had but one resort. He knew; months imprisonment and forty lashes, for he hadn't stolen the money, because the the Fijians are so persuaded that a bewitched money hadn't been stolen at all; but who person will die, that it is only necessary to would believe his word against that of a wiz tell a person he is bewitched to ensure his ard, and was not arithmetic itself a super death within a few days from pure fright. natural science? There was but one way to The son of the late Buli of Bemana comes re-establish his shattered reputation, and this forward to prosecute. The substance of his he took. His canoe was made ready and he evidence is as follows: His father, who was repaired to the mainland to consult a rival quite well on a certain Saturday, was taken oracle named Na ivc (the ivy tree). The little ill on the Sunday, and expired in great agony finger of this seer was positive of the Buli's on the Monday morning. The portion of innocence, so that, fortified by the support of his people to whom the accused belonged so weighty an authority, he no longer feared had complained more than once of the Buli's