Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/504

 470 FIJI AXD THE FIJIANS. removal. That I leave;" and when Mr. Calvert prayed with him, Elijah wept. After entering the boat, he wished his brother farewell, and urged him, in the event of his death, to attend to religion. On arriving at Ovalau, Elijah, with two brothers and four of his people, landed by night at an unuihabited place, and passed through the bush into the mountains, having several times assembled his attendants for prayer. At break of day the party came near Lavoni, and found Nanduva, one of the two head Chiefs, at home, and presented him with five necklaces of whales' teeth, which were graciously received, and drums beaten in acknowledgment. Tlie other Chief, Tawaki Rambo, with many of the people, was down at Levuka, where he had gone to take the body of a man in acknowledgment of theii' share of the property lately received. News of Elijah's arrival was sent to Levuka, and the King felt that prompt measures must be taken. Procuring property, he presented it to the mountaineers, offering them, at the same time, his sister, if they would kill Elijah. He prevailed. Koroi Thava, a covetous and brutal Lavoni Chief of inferior rank, to whom Elijah had lately refused to give two muskets, started off at once to the mountains, and arrived the same evening. He asked Nanduva for permission to kill Elijah, but was refused. He again urged it, saying that, otherwise, there would be war among themselves ; and at last Nanduva yielded. The next morning, as Elijah and his party were walking past a temple, they were fired upon. A man then ran at Elijah with a club, but the Yiwan Chief wrested it from him, and thj^ew it on the ground. The man again seized it, and his victim coiild offer no more resistance ; a ball had struck him, and he fell dead beneath the blows of the club. All the party but one perished, and several were eaten, among whom was a valuable Local Preacher, who was also very useful in the printing establishment. The bodies of Elijah, his two brothers, and another, were taken to Levuka, where the murderers received liberal payment from the whites and the natives. Mr. Waterhouse went boldly and begged for the bodies, which were given up to him, and decently buried. Such was the end of the renowned Verani, the Christian Chief Elijah. He who, before his conversion, had put so many to a violent death, at last fell by the hands of murderers. The whites now found themselves more deeply involved than they had intended. The mountaineers were dominant in Ovalau, and consti- tuted a force that might at any time become formidable to friends as well as foes. The bare assertion of independence was out of the ques- tion, and aggression became necessary. Mara, of JNIbau, who was at Lakemba in disgrace, was prevailed upon to come to Ovalau and head