Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/488

 454: FUI AXD THE FIJIA2s'S. against God ; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be : ' so that I should have been altogether surprised, had I found you not hating religion." With a sneer the King said, " O yes ! of course you know everything ! However, at any rate, I shall not stop the fight : and I rejoice that you lotu people are compelled to fight, as well as we ; and I hate your Christianity." " Well," said Mr. Calvert, " seeing you do hate it, what are you going to do with it ? Do you intend to stop its progress 1 " " Xo," was the answer, " I cannot do that. I know that it is true, and the work of God, and that we shall all become Christian. But, in the mean time. I delight in you Christians being compelled to engage in war as well as we." News soon came that the danger was increased ; whereupon Mr. Calvert persuaded some Tongans who were visiting at !Mbau, to take him in their large canoe to JSIbua, and Nandi, that he might try to bring about peace, or, if necessary, remove the Mission families. Between Nandi and Mbua they called at a Christian settlement which was threat- ened with an attack ; and the Tongans were left here, with a strict injunction not to go near the enemy's position, while Mr. Calvert crossed inland to !Mbua, hoping to prevail on a heathen Chief there at least to remain neutral. Everything on the road told of war. Destroyed bananas, felled bread-fruit trees, and the black ruins of burnt tillages were on every hand. Part of the way the Missionary had to wade knee-deep through mud, and, passing safely, was thankful to get within the Mission-house, at Mbua. He and Mr. Williams soon foimd that nothing could be done with the King of ]Mbua, who, though avowedly neutral, was in commimication with the enemy, with whom his heathen prejudices led him, at heart, to side ; and there was cause to fear that, in the event of their success, he would openly join them in the effort to uproot Christianity. Things looked very gloomy, when, the next day, a messenger came to say that some of the Tongans had gone to view the enemy's position, and get food, when an engagement took place, in which two of them were slain, and one of the bodies dragged away by the enemy, several of whom were wounded, and four killed and dragged into the town. Word was at once sent to the Christians not to allow the Heathens among them to eat the bodies, but to return them to the enemy and claim the dead Tongan. The exchange was made without any fighting, and the body of one of the Tongans sent in a schooner to !Mbau for burial, accompanied by another prayer for Thakombau's interference. The King was- now ashamed, and, being uneasy at seeing that his Tongan visitors were involved, sent a Chief to the seat of war, and arranged a nominal peace.