FIJI IN CANNIBAL DA YS. 69 



will inflict few of them on my readers. The object of this 

 book is to let stay-at-home Europeans know what earthly 

 paradises there are in the Pacific awaiting civilised industry, 

 care and capital ; not to give a rdchaufffe of horrors that had 

 better be forgotten. Mr. James Harding, whose gallantry 

 both as a soldier and civilian I have already referred to, 

 favoured me, when in Fiji, with an account of a long visit he 

 made, just after annexation, to the cannibals he had beaten a 

 few months previously. Some details of his narrative may be 

 of value as showing to what depths the degradation of the 

 human race can go, and also the marvellous change that has 

 been effected in three short years. 



In a battle that took place near the banks of a tributary of 

 the Ba river in Viti Levu, between the Christians of the Bua 

 district and the mountaineers, the former were hopelessly 

 beaten, and it was noticed that the cannibals took no prisoners 

 either for torture or for their feasts ; their great object seeming 

 to be to knock to pieces as many heads as possible. The Great 

 Spirit (Kalou rerere) worshipped by them was supposed to feed 

 on human brains, and the heathen were anxious to propitiate 

 him with as much food as possible. After leaving this delect- 

 able spot (the river ran with provisions for the Kalou rerere}, 

 Mr. James Harding encountered a party of his late enemies, 

 and told me that, after he had got through the eating and 

 drinking, and the necessary formal speeches associated with 

 those operations, they verbally fought the battles over again, 

 and compared notes, some of which were written in very in- 

 delible ink. Instead of the wounds bearing a harvest of 

 grudges he found them to be the very bond of good fellow- 

 ship ; and the most startling remarks were made with good- 

 humoured naivete. 'I don't suppose that you remembered 

 seeing me at Naculi, for I had a big head then. I tried to 



