196 A MISSION TO VITI. 



long been thinking of taking a wife to himself. At last 

 his mind seemed to he made up. ' Put mast and sail in 

 the canoe/ he said, ' and let us take some women from 

 Rokoua, the God of Naicobocobo.'* ' When do you 

 think of starting V inquired his friend. 'I shall go in 

 broad daylight,' was the reply, ' or do you think 1 am 

 a coward to choose the night for my work!' All things 

 being ready, the two friends set sail, and anchored to- 

 wards sunset off Naicobocobo. There they waited one, 

 two, three days, without, contrary to Fijian customs, any 

 friendly communication from the shore reaching them, 

 for Rokoua, probably guessing their intentions, had 

 strictly forbidden his people to take any food to the 

 canoe. Rokoua's repugnance, however, was not shared 

 by his household. His daughter, the lovely Naiogabui,f 

 who diffused so sweet and powerful a perfume that, if 

 the wind blew from the east, the perfume could be per- 

 ceived in the west, and if it blew from the west, it could 

 be perceived in the east in consequence of which, and 

 on account of her great personal beauty, all the young 

 men fell in love with her. Naiogabui ordered one of 

 her female slaves to cook a yam, and take it to the fo- 

 reign canoe, and at the same time inform its owner that 

 she would be with him at the first opportunity. To give 

 a further proof of her affection, she ordered all the wo- 

 men in Naicobocobo to have a day's fishing. This order 

 having been promptly executed, and the fish cooked, 

 Naiogabui herself swam off with it during the night, and 

 presented it to the Rewa God. 



* Naicobocobo, on the western extremity of Vanua Levu, the supposed 

 starting-point of departed spirits for Bulu, the future place of abode, 

 f Naiogabui, i. e. one who smells sweetly. 



