ADULTERY PUNISHED. 203 



for staying the night. Directly on our arrival, some of 

 the leading men came up to the Bure-ni-sa we were 

 stopping at, to present a root of kava to Batinisavu, as 

 a token of respect and goodwill, and making, in present- 

 ing it, a neat little speech, to which the Namosi Gover- 

 nor replied in equally friendly terms. Batinisavu struck 

 me as a man very far above the rest of his countrymen. 

 There was something quiet and dignified about him; 

 and though he always went without any hesitation 

 through all the ceremonies his station imposed, he often 

 apologized to me by saying it was " Vaka Viti " Fijian 

 usage which he could not set aside. 



The bures are, in Fiji, what club-houses are with us : 

 everybody goes there, and all the news finds its way 

 thither. The great topic of that day's conversation was 

 the discovery of an adultery in a neighbouring village. 

 The friends of the woman took up the case. The bure 

 to which the adulterer belonged resisted their attack, 

 and the consequence was a series of broken heads. The 

 chief offender escaped, but his father was caught and 

 punished for his son's transgressions. The husband of 

 the seduced wife had his taro-fields destroyed, and was 

 told that such a fool as he did not deserve to possess 

 them. Batinisavu strongly censured the whole proceed- 

 ings. He asked, where was their justice ] to punish the 

 poor old father for his son's wickedness, w r as simply cruel, 

 and to destroy the crops of an already injured man, 

 worthy of such mountaineers and fools as they were. 



No one can be long in this region of " taboo " and 

 " tatoo " without perceiving what rich stores of human 

 fancy and ideas, shortly to be lost or mutilated for ever, 



