MEKE-MEKES. 1 1 3 



enterprising traveller who thinks he can make a ' good thing ' 

 of a ' spec' in clubs, spears, and whales' teeth, will be bitterly 

 disappointed when he receives his account of sales, or inter- 

 views personally the leading London dealers. The Fijian pro- 

 cessional swords struck me as being particularly handsome. 

 AVhile in Fiji I became possessed of a Springfield (U.S.) flint 

 musket most beautifully inlaid all over the stock and butt with 

 human bones in stars and other designs. This was greatly 

 prized by the cannibals, and was taken by the Government 

 troops in the Viti Levu war of 1876. 



Conch-shell trumpets are very popular, and a most dread- 

 ful noise is made with them. Indeed, it struck me that 

 our Polynesian fellow-subjects are fond of noise of any sort. 

 The firing of guns gives them inexpressible pleasure; but 

 their champion din is a meke- melee with empty kerosene cans, 

 which they get from the whites. A combination of all the 

 German bands in London playing different tunes, and an 

 ' obstructive ' parliament of tile-prowling cats, would give 

 something like an idea of the fiendish noise produced by 

 conch-shells, Mis, kerosene tins, and the natives' own sweet 

 shrieking. Some of the Fijian ' boys ' are not very considerate 

 as to the time they select for this dreadful infliction. One 

 Christmas time, I remember, they commenced their orgy about 

 eleven o'clock at night. The police soon put a stop to it, 

 however another proof of the superior civilisation of Fiji. 

 In London, the torture of the sick and dying by a ghastly 

 version of Adeste Fideles, as rendered by the ' waits,' is not 

 only tolerated, it is almost approved. 



The natives have, however, good ears for music, and sing 

 very nicely. Both in the Catholic and in the Wesleyan churches 

 they sing a great number of hymns or litanies during the 

 service, and the perfect time of the people's voices, rising and 



