MATAISUVA. 85 



Though most of the white Wesleyan missionaries are 

 perfect masters of the language, they own themselves 

 that the native teachers they had trained generally beat 

 them in the choice of local illustrations. Of course, 

 there is occasionally a want of tact on the part of the 

 latter. Thus, one of them, wishing to illustrate how 

 wisely in everything nature had adapted the means to 

 the end, chose the hand, and commenced by saying, 

 " Now, when you eat a human hand, you will perceive," 

 etc. This illustration would have sounded odd to a 

 Christian congregation at home, but never excited any 

 notice amongst a people just emerging from cannibalism. 



The church at Mataisuva is not so large as that at 

 Bau, but it is much better finished, and some of the 

 beams under the roof are covered with different-coloured 

 fibres of the cocoa-nut worked in various elegant patterns. 

 The ridge-beams, always projecting on both ends, accord- 

 ing to strict Fijian customs, are ornamented with white 

 shells (Ovulwn ovum, Swb.), and in front of the church 

 there are some curiously-cut stems of tree-ferns. Alto- 

 gether the building is a fine specimen of native ar- 

 chitecture, and the only thing to complete it is a good 

 tolling bell. Hitherto the congregation has been obliged 

 to be called together by large drums, made of Tavola 

 wood, beaten by thick and short pieces of wood, a con- 

 trivance which may be heard for several miles around, 

 but sounds essentially unchristian. 



The Eev. William Moore, as an apt Fijian scholar, 

 devotes some of the spare moments he can snatch to a 

 subject hitherto much neglected, that of collecting the 

 "mekes" or old songs of the natives, now fast fading 



