Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/378

 348 FIJI Ais^D THE FIJIAXS. plied provisions and oil, levied from the many islands under his power, and received in payment large stores of ammunition, which were kept in magazines on different islands. No Chief had ever risen so rapidly, or to such eminence. The power which he gained by his energy and skill he firmly held, and a large army of warriors was always ready for battle under his command. To such a man, in such a position, the attack which Rewa had made upon Suva was an unpardonable insult, demanding instant and deadly reveno-e. But there were certain considerations to be taken into account on the other side. Rewa was a very powerful state, and, witha:l, a close neighbour, whose friendship it was important to secure. The mother of the old King of Mbau was a lady of highest rank from Rewa, and related to most of the principal Chiefs of that place. Furthermore, Thakombau's rival brother, Raivalita, was a high vasu to Rewa, his mother being sister to the reigning King. He would, therefore, as a matter of course, be favourable to his mother's relatives, among whom he possessed such profitable influence, since the law of the land permitted him to claim and take their property as he saw fit. All these were important reasons to counterbalance the angry in- dignation of Thakombau, who resolved, at any rate, to delay the punish- ment of Rewa. But he could scarcely remain at home and take no notice of so flagrant an outrage as the destruction of Suva. He ac- cordingly made a voyage to Lakemba, where he remained some months, merely to postpone or altogether to avoid war with Rewa. In order that the matter might be peaceably settled, it was necessary that some acknowledgment should be made by the Rewans for their deliberate and destructive outrage ; but they were not disposed thus to humble them- selves ; and Thakombau, on his return from Lakemba, found the quar- rel worse than when he left it. Another most grievous offence had been given to Mbau in the case of Tanoa's principal wife, the mother of Raivalita, who had been unfaithful to the King, and therefore went home to her brothers at Rewa, accompanied by several of the women of Tanoa's household. These women were given to different Chiefs at Rew^a, whereby the grossest possible insult was offered to their late master, who, in his anger, forgot the help which the Rewa Chiefs had rendered him in his exile, and now burned with a desire for revenge. The breach was thus widened past healing, and, towards the close of the year, a formal declaration of war was made by messengers from both sides. The strength of Rewa was impaired by a division among the Chiefs. One of the King's brothers, who has been already mentioned as using the English name of Phillips, gave in his adherence to Mbau, and re-