86 THE CORAL LANDS OF THE PACIFIC. 



the protection of the god or spirit upon the bride, after which 

 he leads her to the bridegroom, and joins their hands with 

 injunctions to love, honour and obey, and be faithful, and die 

 with each other.' The allusion to the widow sacrifice excepted, 

 the formula closely resembled ours, and it was followed by 

 a wedding-breakfast, which probably was as indigestible a meal 

 as obtains with us. I quote Commodore Wilkes's account, 

 however, with 'all reserve,' as the great Fiji missionary 

 Williams has stated that though blessings were invoked, the 

 presence of a priest was not considered necessary. 



In some cases of mutual attachment, the courtship is of 

 a formal character. After the gentleman's presents have 

 been accepted, the young lady is taken off to the house 

 of the future husband's parents with her presents. The 

 bridegroom's friends console her with trinkets, and this quasi- 

 ceremony is called vakamaca, or the 'drying up of tears.' 

 Then food is prepared by the man and taken to the bride's 

 friends. Four days of probation follow, after which the 

 girl bathes, and, accompanied by matrons, goes fishing and 

 prepares what is caught, which with yams, taro, etc., form the 

 wedding-feast. In some places this completes the ceremony ; 

 in others, the man goes away to build a house, while the 

 woman repairs to her parents' house till this is finished. 



The marriage of Eatu Joe, the youngest son of King 

 Cacobau, in 1879, partook somewhat of the nature of an 

 elopement, and was evidently a union of pure affection. 

 The parents and friends of the young chief were anxious that 

 he should wed the daughter of Tui Suva, a damsel of parentage 

 equal to his own and having a liberal dowry of broad acres. 

 The young lady herself was somewhat smitten with Joe, but 

 he remained true to his first love, and being unduly pressed, 

 he arranged a clandestine wedding with a bride of somewhat 



