Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/322

 292 FIJI AKD THE FUIAITS. fro without molestation, though met and surrounded by large numbers of armed men. Whales' teeth were presented to both sides by the Missionary and the Tongan Chief, to back their entreaties for peace. This led to a declared reconciliation and a conclusion of hostilities ; but the sore was evidently unhealed. One good thing, however, was done ; the people saw and felt that the Christians wished their welfare, and received them accordingly, while many heard the Gospel, whom the Missionary had never been able to reach before. After a little time war broke out again, though not with its former violence. The Ndaku-i-Yaro people, with whom the war originated, were not disposed for peace, as they had been obliged to forsake their own town, and were now dwelling at Lomaloma. Some of these men were the first to treat with violence the Christians, who had, all along, been permitted to pass freely where they would. On the 20th of No- vember, 1847, while some of these miscreants were on the look-out for the enemy, they fell in with the Yaro Teacher, Josiah Lutu, who had come part of the way home with the Lomaloma Teacher on his return from visiting the sick Native Assistant Missionary at Yaro. The ruf- fians pounced upon this good man, killed him, mangled his body, and cut off his hand, which they bore away as proof that they had been suc- cessful in their enterprise * The Chiefs of Lomaloma were much an- noyed with this treachery of their proteges, which placed them in a very awkward position. They felt that they had no actual control oyer their heathen people, and all their priests miserably failed them at their great- est need. Moreover, the Tongan and Fijian Christians at Lakemba would be very likely to resent this outrage. The Christians could easily punish them, if they wished, especially if they were to strengthen the Yaro party, which had proved their match all through the war. After several consultations, some of the Lomaloma Chiefs resolved, as a matter of policy, to profess Christianity. This being settled, they employed Joseph IMbukarau, whom they had before despised, to go to the Tongans at Lakemba, and intercede for them. Two days, however, before his arrival, Zephaniah Lua, a Tongan Chief of high rank and in- fluence, had sailed with a large company of Fijian and Tongan Chris- tians, in twelve canoes, to make inquiry about the death of Josiah. Mr. Lyth had tried to prevent this large fleet, begging that only one or two Enoch was a Tongan, and had been devoted to the work of Missions for several years at Ono, and at Nukunuku, where he soon built a house and chapel with very littlo help. He was a faithful and uniformly devoted man, of excellent spirit. He lost five children while at Yaro, and suflFered much from personal afliiction ; yet he refused to leave his work, giving himself fully to God's cause. His end was peaceful and happy. His wife was an excellent woman.
 * Enoch Fakamafaa, the native helper at Taro, died two days after Josiah xras murdered.