CUSTOMS. PARRICIDE. 459 



blisters, and cut off the end-joints of the small toe and little 

 finger. 



Among the Fijians, parricide is not a crime, but a custom. 

 They believe that " as they die, such will be their condition 

 in the next world." Moreover, the road to Mbulu is long 

 and difficult. Hence it would be cruel to allow a beloved 

 relative to become old and infirm. We are assured that so 

 deeply rooted was this conviction, that as a matter of fact 

 parents were generally killed by their children. Sometimes 

 the aged people make up their minds that it is time to die ; 

 sometimes it is the children who give notice to their parents 

 that they are a burden to them. In either case, the friends 

 and relatives are summoned, a consultation takes place, and a 

 day is fixed for the ceremony, which commences with a great 

 feast. The missionaries have often witnessed these horrible 

 tragedies. On one occasion, a young man invited Mr. Hunt 

 to attend his mother's funeral, which was just going to take 

 place. Mr. Hunt accepted the invitation ; but when the 

 funeral procession started, he was surprised to see no corpse, 

 and accordingly made inquiries, when the young savage 

 " pointed out his mother,* who was walking along with them 

 as gay and lively as any of them present, and apparently as 

 much pleased. . . . He added that it was from love for his 

 mother that he had done so ; that in consequence of the same 

 love, they were now going to bury her, and that none but 

 themselves could or ought to do so sacred an office. . . . She 

 was their mother, and they were her children, and they ought 

 to put her to death." In such cases, the grave is dug about 

 four feet deep, the relatives and friends begin their lamenta- 

 tions, take an affectionate parting, and bury the poor victim 

 alive. It is surprising after this to hear that Mr. Hunt 

 regarded the Fijians as being kind and affectionate to their 

 parents ; but in fact " they consider this custom so great a 



* Wilkes, 1. c. p. 95. 



