258 A MISSION TO VITI. 



place, Mr. Pritchard arranged an interview. Neither of 

 them had received the slightest intimation of this ar- 

 rangement, and when Bitova was conducted to a part 

 of the house screened off by large curtains of native 

 cloth, and suddenly found himself in the presence of a 

 former ally and a present enemy, he was quite startled ; 

 whilst Bonaveidogo, sitting on the matted floor, evidently 

 thought his last moment come, and involuntarily grasped 

 his club. When the object of the interview had been 

 explained to be a mutual adjustment of old grievances, 

 both chiefs remained mute for some minutes. " Why 

 did you club Bete's father V asked Bonaveidogo, in the 

 course of the altercations that now ensued. " Because," 

 replied Ritova, tartly, " he had previously clubbed my 

 father, and as a Fijian chief I was bound to resent; if 

 I had known," he added emphatically, " that you were 

 going to betray me, I should not have hesitated to take 

 your life also." Words ran occasionally very high, but 

 gradually the two disputants grew cool ; they promised 

 mutually to forget and forgive, and finally concluded a 

 peace over a bowl of kava. 



After the meeting about the cession was terminated, 

 Mr. Pritchard declared that, having carefully gone into 

 Ritova's case, he had made up his mind to restore him 

 to his home on Nukubati. There should be no fighting, 

 and every act that could give rise to provocation must 

 be carefully avoided. This announcement caused a great 

 sensation amongst the chiefs and landholders assembled. 

 No Fijian chief, driven from his land, had ever been 

 known to return without hard fighting ; and here was a 

 white man, with no armed force to back him, who pro- 



