Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/129

 THE PEOPLE. 103 and grappled with the miscreant, not, however, without receiving deep wounds on his arm. In the dark the two men struggled, until Aboro put an end to the conflict, by stabbing the other in the breast with a long knife. Fijians express their malice in strong terms. " My hatred of thee begins at the heels of my feet, and extends to the hairs of my head." An angry Chief sent the following message to the object of his dis- pleasure. " Let the shell of the vasua " (the giant oyster) " perish by reason of years, and to these add a thousand more ; still my hatred of thee shall be hot ! " This relentless animosity will pursue its object to the grave, and gratify itself by abusing a putrid carcass. I have seen a large stake hammered through a poor fellow's head, to please his enemy's malice ; to which motive must also be attributed the practice of the Chief's eating the tongue, heart, and liver of a foe. Many instances have already been given of the treachery of the Fijians, and many more might be adduced ; but one only is here added, as displaying, to their utmost extent, some of the darkest qualities of the native character, and presenting scenes full of savage romance. Tambai-valu, a former King of Rewa, was excited by Randi Ndre- keti, his Queen, to hate Koroi Tamana, his son by another wife of high rank. The animosity of the Queen, who was a wicked and artful woman, was roused by a consciousness that Koroi Tamana was exceed- ingly popular, and a fear lest he should prevent her own children from succeeding to the government. The father, yielding at last to her influ- ence, resolved to kill his son, who fled again and again from his unjust anger. After being hunted about for some time, and becoming tired of being the object of groundless suspicion, he listened to the suggestion of certain malcontent Chiefs, and determined to accomplish his father's destruction, and assume the supreme power, his treacherous advisers pledging themselves to stand by him. One night, Koroi Tamana set the King's canoe-house on fire, and then went to arouse the King, tell- ing him that Rewa was in flames. On hearing the alarm, Tambai-valu ran out, and was suddenly struck dead by the club of his own son. Thus the Queen's evil schemes seemed frustrated ; but her cunning, stimulated with fresh malice, showed itself equal to the emergency. Seeing that the death wound of her husband was scarcely apparent, she cried out, " He lives ! He lives ! " Then, assisted by a Tongan woman, she carried the body into the loqi, or private part of the house, and announced that the King was recovering, but that, being very weak, he desired that no one should approach him. She then went to the Chiefs, professing to bring Tambai-valu's command that his son should be put