82 THE CORAL LANDS OF THE PACIFIC. 



This took place in the Fiji of 1845. Let my readers observe 

 what has been done in the interval : 



'On April 19, 1879, Tui Cakau (pronounced Tui Thakow), 

 one of the most powerful chiefs in the group, died. He had 

 been on a visit to a neighbouring island, and on his return 

 complained of not feeling well, lay down in his large house, 

 and never rose again alive. An ingenious explanation of the 

 cause of his death was given to me by a white man, who was 

 his valet. He told me that after a talk with the widow of the 

 chief, both had come to the conclusion that the amount of 

 Tcava taken by him had so coated the inside of his stomach 

 that when it cracked from a cold caught while on this visit 

 a few days before he gave up the ghost. " You know," he 

 added, "these people are very often right in matters of this 

 sort, and they know a great deal about the insides of people ; 



they used to be " A pause. " Of course," I remarked, 



knowing he did not want to use the word " cannibals," being 

 a dependent of the chief's household. I soon saw that they 

 got the idea of the coating of the stomach from the bowls in 

 which this Jcava drink is prepared. The bowl is made of 

 wood, being a horizontal section of a large tree, slightly hol- 

 lowed out on one side, and standing on three legs. After long 

 use the inside of the bowl becomes coated with a whitish crust. 

 I hope they did not think Tui Cakau had a wooden stomach, 

 though he might have had, judging from the large amount of 

 liquor other than Jcava that he used to drink. When a great 

 chief dies, it is necessary that the king should be present at his 

 funeral. On this occasion, to perform the last rites over his 

 friend, son-in-law, and ally, King Cacobau (pronounced Tha- 

 kombau) with his two sons, Abel and Joseph, embarked with 

 us on board H.M.S. Cormorant to go to Taviuni. The grey- 

 headed old king bore the journey well, lying on his cane 



