Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/226

 196 FIJI Amy the fijiaj^s. trespassers. Superstitious forms attend their preparation, and thej may be had warranted to infect the wounded intruder with ulcers, or dropsy, or leprosy. A milder agency, called tabu gasau, is often used in gardens. Several reeds are thrust into the earth, and their tops brought together and inserted in a banana or nut. This is done to pro- duce boils on any person who may rob the garden. The yalovaki is an ordeal much dreaded in the windward islands. When the evidence is strong against persons suspected of some offence, and yet they refuse to confess, the Chief, who is judge, calls for a scarf, with which " to catch away the soul of the rogue." A threat of the rack could not be more effectual. The culprit generally confesses on the sight, and even the mention of the light instrument : if not, it would be waved over his head until his soul was secured, and then carefully folded up and nailed to the small end of a Chief's canoe ; and, for want of his soul, the suspected person would pine and die. An innocent conceit is entertained by the Lakembans. Some dis- tance from the chief town is a small hill, having a plot of short reeds on the top. Whenever I passed, many of these reeds were tied together at the top, which, I found, was done by travellers, in order to prevent the sun from setting before they reached their journey's end. On the same island baskets of earth were hung on a branch or pole in the yam- gardens, to attract the notice of the birds and make them chirp, as the yam-sets are supposed to hasten to sprout at their call. Belief in second-sighted persons, dread of a thing falling on them which they are about to carry, faith in dreams, praying for those who sneeze, and planting the giant arum close by the doorway, to keep out death and the devil, are several forms of superstition in its Fijian de- velopment. Although the traditions of Fiji constitute, for the most part, a series of wild and contradictory absurdities, yet some demand attention, shad- owing forth, as they do, some of the great fact* in the history of man- kind, of which the Bible contains the exact and standard records. A few specimens of the absurdities of native belief may be given first. The god Roko ISIouta formerly took a walk along the coast of Viti Levu ; and wherever his train touched, there all irregularities were swept away, and sandy beach left. But M'here he cast his train over his shoulder, the coast remained rocky. Ndelai Loa, the highest hill on Ono, is said to be the top of Koro-. than, a mountain in Viti Levu, a hundred and eighty miles distant. Two goddesses, wishing to add to the importance of Ono, stole away the top of this mountain in the night, but, being surprised by day-