200 



Rebellion against Tanoa. 



OVOLAU. 



His triumphal return. Disturbances between 

 Ambau and Rewa. 



Tanoa, Komaivunindavu, Mara, and Dandau, of 

 Ambau, Ngiondrakete, chief of Nikelo, and Maso- 

 malua, of Viwa. Tanoa, on being advised of this, 

 took no means to frustrate their plans openly, but 

 appears to have been somewhat on his guard. 



In the third year of his reign, whilst on a visit 

 to Ovolau to attend to his plantation of yams, the 

 rebellion broke out, of which he was soon advised, 

 and fled to Goro, where his enemies followed him; 

 but he continued his flight to Somu-somu, the 

 people of which had been always his friends and 

 supporters. Here he found protection, his de- 

 fenders being too numerous for his enemies. The 

 conspirators tried, however, to urge upon them the 

 propriety of giving up their king, saying that they 

 only desired he should return and reign over them; 

 but the people of Somu-somu deemed this too 

 shallow a pretence to be listened to. After Tanoa's 

 expulsion, the rebels installed his brother Komaino- 

 karinakula as king. Tanoa remained under the 

 protection of the chief of Somu-somu for three 

 years, in gratitude for which he made over to him 

 all the windward islands, viz. Lakemba, Naiau, 

 &c. During all this period, Tanoa was carrying on 

 a sort of warfare against the rebels, with the aid of 

 the natives of the eastern group and those of Rewa, 

 who remained faithful to him, encouraging them all 

 in his power, collecting his revenue from the for- 

 mer, which he distributed bountifully among his 

 adherents, and buying over others to his interests. 



As Tanoa was about to sail for Lakemba, word 

 was brought to him, that his nephew, called Nona, 

 residing on Naiau, a neighbouring island, had been 

 bribed by the chiefs to put him to death. He 

 therefore, on his way, stopped at Naiau, and when 

 his nephew approached him under the guise of 

 friendship, Tanoa at once caused him, with all his 

 family and adherents, to be seized and put to 

 death. 



Tanoa, finding his strength increasing, concluded, 

 to prosecute the war with more activity. In order 

 to do so, after having first collected all his means, 

 he removed to Rewa, where he established him- 

 self, and began his secret intrigues to undermine 

 and dissipate his enemies' forces. He was so suc- 

 cessful in this, that in a short time he had gained 

 over all tfreir allies, as well as the towns on the 

 main land or large island in the vicinity, and even 

 many of the chiefs at Ambau. The latter object 

 was effected through the influence of his son, Ratu 

 Seru, who had been suffered to remain there during 

 the whole war, although not without frequent 

 attempts being made on his life, which he escaped 

 from through his unceasing vigilance and that 

 of his adherents. During the latter part of 

 the time, he was constantly in communication 

 with his father, who kept him well supplied 

 with the articles in which the riches of the 

 natives consist : these were liberally distributed 

 among the Lasikaus, or fishermen, and gained 

 the most of this class over to his interests. 

 All things being arranged, on a certain day the 

 signal was given, and most of the allies declared 

 for Tanoa. Whilst the rebel chiefs were in con- 

 sternation at this unexpected event, the Lasikaus 

 rose and attacked them. A severe contest ensued; 

 but it is said the fishermen, having built a wall 

 dividing their part of the town from that of the 

 Ambau people, set fire to their opponents' quarter, 

 and reduced it to ashes. The latter fled for 



refuge to the main land, across the shallow isth- 

 mus, but found themselves here opposed by the 

 king with his army, who slaughtered all those 

 who had escaped from Ambau. This done, Tanoa 

 entered Ambau in triumph, and receiving the 

 submission of all the neighbouring towns, resumed 

 the government, after an absence of five years. 

 This recovery of his kingdom took place in 1837. 

 Being thus re-established, Tanoa, in order effec- 

 tually to destroy his enemies, sent messages to 

 the different towns, with presents, to induce the 

 inhabitants of the places whither the rebels had 

 fled to put them to death. In this he soon suc- 

 ceeded, and their former friends were thus made 

 the instruments of their punishment. Tanoa 

 having succeeded in establishing his rule, put a 

 stop to all further slaughter ; but all the prin- 

 cipal chiefs who had opposed him, except Maso- 

 malua, of Viwa, had been slain. Tanoa's authority 

 was now acknowledged in all his former domi- 

 nions ; but this has not put an end to the petty 

 wars. The three chief cities, Ambau, Rewa, and 

 Naitasiri, are frequently at war, notwithstanding j 

 they are all three closely connected by alliances j 

 with each other. Here, in fact, is the great seat 

 of power in the group, though it varies occasionally. 

 These three places form, as it were, a triangle, the 

 two former being on the north and south coasts, 

 while that of Naitasiri is situated inland, on the 

 Wailevu, or Peale's river. These disturbances 

 most frequently occur between Ambau and Rewa. 

 Tanoa takes no part in these contests, but when 

 he thinks the belligerents have fought long enough 

 he sends the Rewa people word to " come and beg 

 pardon," after the Feejee custom, which they 

 invariably do, even though they may have been 

 victorious. 



Mr. Brackenridge, our horticulturist, was soon 

 busily engaged in preparing the garden for our 

 seeds. I had been anxious that this should be 

 done as soon as possible, in order that we might 

 have a chance of seeing it in a prosperous state 

 before we left the island ; and I feel much in- 

 debted to him for the zeal he manifested. About 

 twenty natives were employed in putting up the 

 fence, the chief having agreed with each of them 

 to make two fathoms of it. Some were employed 

 in clearing away the weeds, and others in bringing 

 reeds and stakes down from the mountains. Mr. 

 Brackenridge marked out the line for the fence, 

 but they could not be induced to follow it, or 

 observe any regularity, each individual making 

 his allotted part according to his own fancy; these 

 separate portions were afterwards joined together, 

 forming a zigzag work. The parts of the enclo- 

 sure were tied together by a species of dolichos, 

 crossed, braced, and wattled like basket-work, the 

 whole making a tight fence, which answered the 

 purpose well enough. 



The digging of the ground was performed with 

 a long pointed pole, which they thrust into the 

 ground with both hands, and by swinging on the 

 upper end, they contrived to raise up large pieces 

 of the soil, which was quite hard. After this, two 

 sailors with spades smoothed it. The centre of the 

 garden had been a repository for their dead, where 

 many stones had once been placed, which had be- 

 come scattered. These the natives were told to 

 throw in a pile in the centre. They went on dig- 

 ging for some time, probably without an idea 



