182 A MISSION TO VITI. 



the priests, chiefs, and higher orders, were deemed fit to 

 be connected. The cannibal forks obtained at Namosi 

 tended to confirm this belief. There was the greatest 

 reluctance to part with them, even for a handsome equi- 

 valent, and when parted with displaying them was ob- 

 jected to. This I thought at first very natural, as they 

 were said to be heirlooms, and the owners did not like 

 to expose themselves to the odium of having trafficked 

 in things like them. But when afterwards they were 

 shown to parties who could know nothing of the trans- 

 actions, their faces always assumed a serious aspect, and 

 they were most anxious that I should put the forks 

 out of sight, especially that of children. My handling 

 them seemed to give as much pain as if I had gone into 

 a Christian church and used the chalice for drinking 

 water. 



When visiting Navua for the first time in June, Mr. 

 Pritchard and I did not fail, as soon as we had suc- 

 ceeded in gaining Kuruduadua's confidence, to interpose 

 the influence acquired in favour of humanity. The 

 chief being a pagan, it was useless to employ any Bibli- 

 cal arguments, and we had therefore simply reason to 

 fall back upon. One of the first concessions he con- 

 ceded was, that as has already been detailed, no one 

 should be clubbed on his son coming to manhood a 

 whole town having originally been singled out for that 

 horrible purpose. It took him several days to consider 

 our proposition with his leading men ; and there were 

 long and warm discussions as to the propriety of yield- 

 ing to our request. We were kept well informed of the 

 progress of the question through Danford, who, to his 



