68 THE CORAL LANDS OF THE PACIFIC. 



then placed in the oven upon hot stones, and covered with 

 leaves and stones, and so roasted alive. When the body is 

 cooked, it is taken from the oven and the face painted black, 

 as is done by the natives on festal occasions. It is then 

 carried to the bure, where it is offered to the gods, being 

 afterwards cut and distributed to be eaten by the people.' 



Women seldom ate of bukalo (or human flesh), and it was 

 prohibited to certain of the priesthood. In some parts of the 

 group, the natives, to procure this loathsome food, would 

 frequently open graves. No other food was ever served with 

 bukalo, and the ovens, forks and cooking utensils used for it 

 were kept quite distinct. The Fijian cannibals were, however, 

 inconsistent and whimsical, as the very people who would rob 

 graves to get hold of bukalo, refused to eat the flesh of the 

 porpoise, because it has ribs something like a man. 



Some writers have supposed that the passion for revenge 

 originated this horrible custom. It is certain that some chiefs 

 kept the skulls of particular victims to be used as drinking- 

 cups, thus reminding one of the Valhalla of the Scandinavians. 



The names of some notorious cannibals at present remain in 

 native tradition ; but it is probable that these memories of evil 

 days will be steadily discountenanced by the Christian mission- 

 aries. The greatest of these was PM Undreundre of Raki-Raki. 

 This gentleman was compared by the natives to a huge re- 

 ceptacle for turtle, so great was his love for and consumption 

 of human flesh. The fork of this gourmet in horrors was 

 given to a missionary in 1849 by his son, who made no secret 

 of his father's dreadful propensity. He used to register the 

 number of bodies he had eaten by stones, and though many 

 had perhaps been removed, there remained in that year some 

 eight hundred and seventy-two. 



Of course I heard many stories of the 'bad old times,' but I 



