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3118 ' CUSTOMS OF THE FEEJEE GROUP. Their god Ndengei. 



given to the chief of the town in council, who 

 causes it to be brewed, after which the message is 

 delivered. But when an errand is sent to Ambau, 

 or any superior chief, the messenger always 

 cai-ries with him a gift of provisions and other 

 valuables. 



If a town is compelled to entreat to be permitted 

 to capitulate, for the purpose of saving the lives of 

 its people, its chiefs and principal inhabitants 

 are required to crawl towards their conquerors 

 upon their hands and knees, suing for pardon 

 and imploring mercy. The daughters of the 

 chiefs are also brought forward and offered to 

 the victors, while from the lower class victims 

 are selected to be sacrificed to the gods. Even 

 such hard conditions do not always suffice, but 

 a whole population is sometimes butchered hi cold 

 blood, or reduced to a condition of slavery. To 

 avoid such terrible consequences, most of the 

 weak tribes seek security by establishing them- 

 selves on high and almost inaccessible rocks. 

 Some of these are so steep that it would be hardly 

 possible for any but one of the natives to climb 

 them; yet even their women may be seen climbing 

 their rocky and almost perpendicular walls, to 

 heights of fifty or sixty feet, and carrying loads 

 of water, yams, &c. 



Tribes that do not possess such fastnesses, are 

 compelled to take refuge under the protection of 

 some powerful chief, in consideration of which 

 they are bound to aid their protectors in case of 

 war. They are summoned to do this by a mes- 

 senger, who carries a whale's tooth, and sometimes 

 directs the number of men they are to send. 

 A refusal would bring war upon themselves, 

 and is therefore seldom ventured. There is, how- 

 ever, a recent instance in which such aid was 

 refused with impunity by Tui Levuka, who was 

 persuaded by the white residents* to disobey a 

 summons sent from Ambau. Having done this, 

 the people of Levuka felt it necessary to prepare 

 for defence, by repairing their stone walls and 

 provisioning their sti'onghold in the mountains. 

 They thus stood upon their guard for a long time, 

 but were not attacked. 



The religion of the Feejeeans, and the practices 

 which are founded upon it, differ materially from 

 those of the lighter-coloured Polynesian people. 



The tradition given by the natives of the origin 

 of the various races is singular, and not very flat- 

 tering to themselves. All are said to have been 

 born of one pair of first parents. The Feejee was 

 first born, but acted wickedly and was black : he 

 therefore received but little clothing. Tonga was 

 next born ; he acted less wickedly, was whiter, 

 and had more clothes given him. White men, or 

 Papalangis, came last; they acted well, were white, 

 and had plenty of clothes. 



They have a tradition of a great flood or deluge, 

 which they call Walavu-levu. Their account of it 

 is as follows : after the islands had been peopled by 

 the first man and woman, a great rain took place, by 

 which they were finally submerged; but, before the 



" This is not the only instance in which the white resi- 

 dents have exercised a salutary influence. It is fortunate 

 for the natives that those who have settled among them 

 have been principally of such a character as has tended to 

 their improvement. There are, however, some exceptions, 

 by whose bad example the natives have been led into many 

 excesses. 



highest places were covered by the waters, two 

 large double canoes made their appearance; in one 

 of these was Rokora, the god of carpenters, in the 

 other Rokola, his head workman, who picked up 

 some of the people, and kept them on board until 

 the waters had subsided, after which they were 

 again landed on the island. It is reported that in 

 former times canoes were always kept in readiness 

 against another inundation. 



The persons thus saved, eight in number, were 

 landed at Mbenga, where the highest of their gods 

 is said to have made his first appearance. By 

 virtue of this tradition, the chiefs of Mbenga take 

 rank before all others, and have always acted a 

 conspicuous part among the Feejees. They style 

 themselves Ngali-duva-ki-langi (subject to heaven 

 alone). 



The Pantheon of the Feejee Group contains 

 many deities. The first of these in rank is 

 Ndengei. He is worshipped in the form of a large 

 serpent, alleged to dwell in a district under the 

 authority of Ambau, which is called Nakauvaudra, 

 and is situated near the western end of Vitilevu. 

 To this deity, they believe that the spirit goes im- 

 mediately after death, for purification or to receive 

 sentence. From his tribunal the spirit is supposed 

 to return and remain about the mbure or temple of 

 its former abode. 



All spirits, however, are not believed to be per- 

 mitted to reach the judgment-seat of Ndengei, for 

 upon the road it is supposed that an enormous 

 giant, armed with a large axe, stands constantly on 

 the watch. With this weapon he endeavours to 

 wound all who attempt to pass him. Those who 

 are wounded dare not present themselves to 

 Ndengei, and are obliged to wander about in the 

 mountains. Whether the spirit be wounded or not, 

 depends not upon the conduct in life, but they 

 ascribe an escape from the blow wholly to good luck. 



Stories are prevalent of persons who have suc- 

 ceeded in passing the monster without injury. One 

 of these, which was told me by a white pilot, will 

 suffice to show the character of this superstition. 



A powerful chief, who had died and been interred 

 with all due ceremony, finding that he had to pass 

 this giant, who, in the legend, is stationed in the 

 Moturiki Channel, loaded his gun, which had been 

 buried with him, and prepared for the encounter. 

 The giant seeing the danger that threatened him, 

 was on the look-out to dodge the ball, which he did 

 when the piece was discharged. Of this the chief 

 took advantage to rush by him before he could re- 

 cover himself, reached the judgment-seat of Nden- 

 gei, and now enjoys celestial happiness ! 



Besides the entire form of a serpent, Ndengei is 

 sometimes represented as having only the head and 

 half the body of the figure of that reptile, while the 

 remaining portion of his form is a stone, significant 

 of eternal duration. 



No one pretends to know the origin of Ndengei, 

 but many assert that he has been seen by mortals. 

 Thus, he is reported to have appeared under the 

 form of a man, dressed in masi (white tapa), after 

 the fashion of the natives, on the beach, near Ragi- 

 ragi. Thence he proceeded to Mbenga, where, 

 although it did not please him, on account of its 

 rocky shores, he made himself manifest, and thence 

 went to Kantavu. Not liking the latter place, he 

 went to Rewa, where he took up his abode. Here 

 he was joined by another powerful god, called 



