116 A MISSION TO VITI. 



hand, they endeavour to make good their pretensions. 

 A spearhead is softened so as not to hurt when thrown ; 

 the ball put in the musket is too small, and thus rolls 

 out when the actors begin to dance about previous to dis- 

 charging it ; and the fiery oven into which a man creeps 

 and allows himself to be covered up, has a tunnel and 

 vent-hole, by which he has a chance of escaping. Acci- 

 dents, however, will happen even in this well-regulated 

 community. The spear unskilfully handled has been 

 known to hurt; too much wadding put into the gun has 

 prevented the ball from rolling out ; the tunnel has been 

 apt to fall in, and after some hours the man who al- 

 lowed himself to be thrown into it, has been found to be 

 perfectly baked. The Kalou Here, with its high poles, 

 streamers, evergreens, masquerading, trumpet-shells, 

 chants, and other wild music, is the nearest approach 

 to dramatic representation the Fijians seem to have made, 

 and it is with them what private theatricals are with us. 

 They are also on other occasions very fond of dressing 

 themselves in fantastic, often very ridiculous costume ; 

 and in nearly every large assembly there are buffoons. 

 Court fools, in many instances hunchbacks, are often 

 attached to a chiefs establishment. 



Finding that Kuruduadua was a man in whom con- 

 fidence could be placed, we made arrangements for 

 going to Namosi, so as to connect the discoveries of 

 Macdonald and Samuel Waterhouse with the southern 

 coast of Viti Levu; but, as the weather had become 

 extremely boisterous, and heavy rains had rendered 

 travelling in the interior impossible, we determined to 

 wait for more favourable weather, and return at once to 

 Lado. 



