Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/381

 KEWA. 351 his brother in the middle of 1846. This was a heavy blow to the Rewan Chiefs, who were hemmed in closely, in consequence of the revolt of Lokia, a town hard by, whence they were fired upon by the enemy. Their great hope and stay was gone, now that Raivalita was dead ; and, forced into submissive humility, they sued for peace. But the spirit of revenge was too strong at Mbau to allow the war to cease now that Rewa was weakened. The remembrance of the treacherous plot which had been so nearly accomplished was still fresh, and the sting was still felt of the many insulting messages sent by the enemy. Tlien, too, the assassination of Raivalita, the vasu to Rewa, would make any actual reconciliation very difficult. When, therefore, the Rewan ambassador came with overtures of peace, Thakombau secretly tampered with him and bought him over to aid in the overthrow of his master. The answer sent to the King of Rewa was, that on a certain day Thakombau would visit his town to receive the offering made in token of submission. On his arrival, the ambassador, with his party, was to fire the town and kill as many of the King's followers as he could, at the same time opening the gate to the Mbau warriors. Two Mbau canoes arrived first, and the Queen and her children were sent for to come on board. The King followed ; whereupon Thakombau or- dered him to return. He refused, being unconscious of the treachery of his visitor, and was instantly shot and clubbed before the eyes of his wife and children. The conspirators within set fire to the town and be- gan the massacre. The Mbau people were admitted, and carried on the work of destruction and plunder, their accomplices escaping by the use of a preconcerted watchword. Between three and four hundred per- sons perished that day, and among the slain were three children and one of the wives of Ratu Nggara, who was himself absent at a neighbour- ing town, where he was accustomed to spend the night to insure the fidelity of its inhabitants. On returning to Rewa, he saw the canoes and smoke, and at once fled in a canoe, and, though pursued, escaped to some hill towns which were friendly, and beyond the reach of Mbau or his brother Phillips. The body of the King was taken to Mbau and buried ignominiously, not a single person being strangled to place in the grave with it. About ten of the Christians fell in this war, and the Teacher fled for his life. He was lame, and had a wife and family of small children ; but all were mercifully kept from harm, though they had heard the sound of the clubs smashing the heads of the Rewans all round them. The wife of another Native Teacher was taken prisoner, but afterwards rescued.