78 THE CORAL LANDS OF THE PACIFIC. 



lifted, some of the men beheld the distorted features of a 

 mother whom they had helped to murder, and smiled Avith 

 satisfaction as the corpse was laid out for decoration. Convul- 

 sive struggles on the part of the other poor creature near me 

 showed that she still lived. She was a stout woman, and 

 some of the executioners jocosely invited those who sat near 

 to have pity and help them. At length the women said, "She 

 is cold." 



' The fatal cord fell; and as the covering was raised, I saw dead 

 the obedient wife and unwearied attendant of the old king. 

 Leaving the women to adjust her hair, oil her body, cover her 

 face with vermilion, and adorn her with flowers, I passed on to 

 see the remains of the deceased Tui Cakau. To my astonish- 

 ment, I found him alive ! He was weak, but quite conscious, 

 and whenever he coughed, placed his hand on his side as 

 though in pain. Yet his chief wife and a male attendant were 

 covering him with a thick coat of black powder, and tying 

 round his arms and legs a number of white scarves, fastened in 

 rosettes, with the long ends hanging down his sides. His head 

 was turbaned in a scarlet handkerchief, secured by a chaplet of 

 small white cowries, and he wore armlets of the same shells. 

 On his neck was the ivory necklace, formed in long curved 

 points. To complete his royal attire, according to Fijian idea, 

 he had on a large new masi, or large sulu, the train being 

 wrapped in a number of loose folds at his feet. No one seemed 

 to display real grief, which gave way to show and ceremony. 

 The whole tragedy had the air of cruel mockery. It was a 

 masquerading of grim death, a decking as for the dance, of 

 bodies which were meant for the grave. . . . 



' I came to the young king to ask for the life of the women, 

 but now it seemed my duty to demand that of his father. Yet, 

 should I be successful, it would cause other murders on a future 



