Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/170

 140 FIJI AXD THE FIJIAJSTS. Grim, immodest representations of the human figure, about eigh- teen inches long, are used on the larger islands to terrify the children into quietness. When at Lakemba, I was told by Mosese Vakaloloma that, in their heathen state, they did not address their little ones as children, but would say, " Come here, you rats ! " Beside attending to the children, it is the duty of the women to fetch salt and fresh water, collect fuel, and attend to the boiled food. If a woman, when putting bananas into a pot, let one fall on the out- side, or if the bread-fruit burst in roasting, she will wring her hands in dismay, or cry aloud, fearing the ill-luck betokened by the accident. On Vanua Le^oi, the women are treated with a little consideration, and more as equals, by the men ; a kindness which they repay by deal- ing largely in scandal, which thus grows with tropical rapidity. Fish- ing with hand-nets is their duty and delight. Women of all ranks engage in this employment with a kind of passion, and use the time for the unbridled indulgence of slander and gossip. Polygamy is looked upon as a principal source of a Chief's power and wealth. It certainly is the source of female degradation, domestic misery, and personal suffering. One day, the ^Missionary's wife asked a woman who was minus her nose, " How is it that so many of you women are without a nose ? " A native wife replied, " It grows out of a plurality of wives. Jealousy causes hatred, and then the stronger tries to cut or bite off the nose of the one she hates." The lady wife of the ]Ibua Chief had a rival more powerful than was agreeable to her, in an interesting young woman, who engrossed most of her lord's attention. Not having a club at hand with which to take vengeance on the object of her angry jealousy, the enraged wife pounced 'on her, and tore her sadly with nails and teeth, and injured her mouth by attempting to slit it open. The young woman was placed under my care, her shoulders being severely lacerated. A few months after, a young girl — the second wife of a man whose former spouse was getting old — was brought to mc, in a very emaciated condition, through the cruel treatment of her rival. The man was fond of his young wife, but could not shield her from the fury of the elder, who added to much rough treatment the employment of witchcraft. A severe illness was the result of this double attack ; the body sinking under cruelty, and the mind under superstitious fears. Thus we find that bites, scratches, and rent ears are among the smaller evils of poly- gamy. The following dialogue between Mrs. Williams and a native woman will further illustrate these evils.