ROKOUA'S WIVES. 107 



" Eavovonicakaugawa was charmed with the princess, 

 and ready to start with her at once. She, however, 

 begged him to wait another night, to enable Naimila- 

 mila, one of Eokoua's young wives, to accompany them. 

 Naimilamila was a native of Naicobocobo, and against 

 her will united to Eokoua, who had no affection what- 

 ever for her, and kept her exclusively to scratch his head 

 or play with his locks, hence her name. Dissatisfied 

 with her sad lot, she had concocted with her step-daugh- 

 ter a plan for escape, and was making active prepara- 

 tions to carry it into execution. On the night agreed 

 upon, Naimilamila was true to her engagement. ' Who 

 are you V asked the god as she stepped on the deck. 

 'I am Eokoua's wife,' she rejoined, 'get your canoe 

 under weigh. My lord may follow closely on my heels, 

 and Naiogabui will be with us immediately.' Almost 

 directly after a splash in the water was heard. ' There 

 she comes,' cried Naimilamila, ' make sail ;' and instantly 

 the canoe, with Eavovonicakaugawa, his friend, and the 

 two women, departed for Eewa. 



" Next morning, when Eokoua discovered the elope- 

 ment, he determined to pursue the fugitives, and for 

 that purpose embarked in the ' Yatutulali,' a canoe de- 

 riving its name from his large drum, the sound of which 

 was so powerful that it could be heard all over Fiji. 

 His club and spear were put on board, both of which 

 w r ere of such gigantic dimensions and weight, that it 

 took ten men to lift either of them. Eokoua soon 

 reached Nukuilailai, where he took the spear out, and 

 making a kind of bridge of it, walked over it on shore. 

 Taking spear and club in his hand, he musingly walked 



