A CLEKK OF THE WEATHER. 189 



probably been a close observer of the weather, and dis- 

 covered those delicate local indications of a coming 

 change, with which people in all countries living much 

 in the open air are familiar, and he very likely does not 

 commence operations until he is pretty sure of success. 



As one of my objects in Fiji was to find out "all 

 about the leaves," I was anxious to be initiated in an 

 art productive of such astonishing results. A little in- 

 quiry, however, convinced me that an initiation would 

 make me rather an object of fear than respect. The 

 adepts in the art of Vaka-drau-ni-kau-taka (literally, to 

 effect with leaves) are in fact regular sorcerers, whose 

 craft I thought it prudent not to join. Not satisfied 

 with causing rain and sunshine, they exercise a direct 

 and much more criminal influence over life and death, 

 by working upon the superstitious fears of the natives 

 to such an excess that it causes serious illness, if not 

 death. They are identical with the disease-makers of 

 Tanna, though not enjoying such a prominent position, 

 and accomplish what European impostors effected, 

 and in some districts still effect, by praying to death 

 people silly enough to make themselves nervous about 

 any influence these rogues pretend to exercise. If a 

 Fijian wishes to cause the destruction of an individual 

 by other means than open violence or secret poison, the 

 case is put in the hands of one of these sorcerers, care 

 being taken to let this fact be generally and widely 

 known. The sorcerer now proceeds to obtain any arti- 

 cle that has once been in the possession of the person 

 to be operated upon. These articles are then burnt 

 with certain leaves, and if the reputation of the sorcerer 



