384 PHILOLOGY. 



du tlko | mdi na \ tambu to. \ -ganl 

 consists of a dactyle, a spondee, a dactyle, and a trochee. And in the line 



ndrendre \ -ga i \ tiko ma \ lua 

 we have two spondees, a dactyle, and a trochee. 



One variation, however, is permitted, which is not consonant with our ideas of metrical 

 harmony ; when a reduplicated word like salusalu, evaeva, is introduced into a line, 

 it is considered as containing only as many syllables as the simple word. It is possible 

 that, in singing, such words are not doubled, but of this the natives from whom we received 

 the songs gave no intimation while reciting them. Thus the line 



Salusalu ni vuSu mdkerevdki 



has two syllables too many, which are evidently contained in the first word ; if these are 

 omitted, the line consists of a dactyle, a spondee, a dactyle, and a trochee. This rule 

 holds in every case, so far as we have observed, where a double word occurs. 



In some instances a foot of four short syllables occurs, instead of a dactyle, as, 



Ra vuli | vuu ra \ tamu rawa \ taka 



It should be observed that the words in their singing, or rather chanting, are divided 

 according to the tune, without any reference to the sense, a pause not unfrequently 

 occurring in the middle of a word. 



But the observance of metre, which, in the Latin tongue, constitutes nearly all the 

 mechanical part of verse-making, is the least difficulty in the Vitian. There is, in addi- 

 tion to this, a peculiar manner of rhyming, which must require, in the composer, a great 

 command of words, as well as skill in disposing them. The rule is as follows : those 

 vowels which are contained in the last two syllables of the first line of a stanza, must be 

 found, in the same order, in the last two syllables of every succeeding line : and the 

 greater the number of lines which are thus made to conform, the belter is the poetry 

 esteemed. Some of the stanzas in the poems which we took down have six, others nine 

 lines. It is evident that this species of rhyme, or rather consonance, could only be suc- 

 cessfully cultivated in a language distinguished, like the Vitian, for the predominance of 

 vowel sounds. 



In the following example, the two terminal vowels are u a : 



Ru moe koto i mbure Mbatua, 

 Au andra Sola ni fambe na vula. 

 Oygu masi au lak 1 i munduva. 

 Rukumbi a Sau luru ki tumba ; 

 A oru SoSoko au lak' i rumbuna, 

 Rukumbi a Sau turn ki tumba. 



