Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/481

 VIWA AND MBAr. 447 which his predecessors had sought in vain to accomplish ; and the army were so flushed with their success, that, contrary to usual custom, they would not return home to celebrate their triumph, but invested Naloto, a town of much stronger position than Verata. A man of the place, in search of food, was killed, and the king ordered his people to bury the body, as he had done in several cases before. On the 30th, some of the besieged party came boldly beyond their fence, and fired on Mbauans, who, in return, shot one of them. A rush was made on both sides to get the body. Ngavindi ran forward to cheer his men, but ventured too near, and in retreating was shot in the back, gave a sudden leap, and fell. He was carried to his canoe, and there died. The loss of such a man so dispirited the King's army that he saw it was in vain to continue the conflict. The other party came out exulting ; but night was at hand, and the huts and fences of the besiegers were forsaken in the night, and the other party found the ovens full of food, and abundance of uncooked stores ready to their hand. The fleet passed Viwa, this time, in sullen silence. Early in the morning Mr. Calvert and Elijah went to Mbau, to try to prevent the strangling of women on account of Ngavindi's death, but were too late. Three had just been murdered. Thakombau had proposed to strangle his sister, the chief wife of the deceased ; but, as she was pregnant, the Lasakau people begged that she might be spared, that her child might become their Chief. Ngavindi's mother offered herself as a substitute, and was stran- gled. The dead Chief lay in state, with a dead wife by his side, on a raised platform ; the corpse of his mother on a bier at his feet, and a murdered servant on a mat in the midst of the house. A large grave was dug in the foundation of a house near by, in which the servant was laid first, and upon her the other three corpses, wi-apped and wound up together. Though too late to save life, Mr. Calvert went to the King, whom he found quietly asleep,'' just after having strangled Ngavindi's mother. When he awoke, the Missionary reproved him faithfully for the deed ; but he said it was the custom, and must be observed while they re- mained heathen. Still he was evidently made uneasy by the interdew, and asked anxiously, what had become of Ngavindi's soul. He was told, "The wicked shall be turned into hell," and, for some time, seemed thoughtful. He then asked for the whale's teeth which had been brought to purchase the lives of the women. These were refused. After Mr. Calvert had gone the King said to the people around, " Ay ! how the Missionaries labour to save life ! They take any trouble and go anywhere for our salvation ! And we are always trying to kill one