CUSTOMS OF THE FEE JEE GROUP. Hea of a second death. 2 Q7 



Warua, to whom after a time he consented to re- 

 sign this locality, on condition of receiving the 

 choicest parts of all kinds of food, as the heads of 

 the turtle and pig, which are still held sacred. 

 Under this agreement he determined to proceed to 

 Verata, where he has resided ever since, and by 

 him Verata is believed to have been rendered im- 

 pregnable. 



Next in rank, in their mythology, stand two sons 

 of Ndengei, Tokairambe and Tui Lakemba*. 

 These act as mediators between their father and 

 inferior spirits. They are said to be stationed, in 

 the form of men, at the door of their father's cabin, 

 where they receive and transmit to him the prayers 

 and supplications of departed souls. 



The grandchildren of Ndengei are third in rank. 

 They are innumerable, and each has a peculiar 

 duty to perform, of which the most usual is that of 

 presiding over islands and districts. 



A fourth class is supposed to be made up of more 

 distant relatives of Ndengei. These preside over 

 separate tribes, by whose priests they are consulted. 

 They have no jurisdiction beyond their own tribe, 

 and possess no power but what is deputed to them 

 by superior deities. 



In addition to these benignant beings, they 

 believe in malicious and mischievous gods. These 

 reside in their Hades, which they call Mbulu 

 (underneath the world). There reigns a cruel 

 tyrant, with grim aspect, whom they name Lothia. 

 Samuialo (destroyer of souls) is his colleague, and 

 sits on the brink of a huge fiery cavern, into which 

 he precipitates departed spirits. 



These notions, although the most prevalent, are 

 not universal. Thus : the god of Muthuata is 

 called Radinadina. He is considered as the son of 

 Ndengei. Here also Rokora, the god of carpenters, 

 is held in honour; and they worship also Roka- 

 vona, the god of fishermen. 



The people of Lakemba believe that departed 

 souls proceed to Namukaliwu, a place in the vicinity 

 of the sea. Here they for a time exercise the 

 same employments as when in this life, after which 

 they die again, and go to Mbulu, where they are 

 met by Samuialo. This deity is empowered to 

 seize and hurl into the fiery gulf all those whom 

 he dislikes. On Kantavu they admit of no god 

 appointed to receive departed souls, but suppose 

 that these go down into the sea, where they are 

 examined by the great spirit, who retains those he 

 likes, and sends back the others to their native 

 island, to dwell among their friends. Another be- 

 lief is, that the departed spirit goes before the god 

 Taseta, who, as it approaches, darts a spear at it. 

 If the spirit exhibits any signs of fear, it incurs the 

 displeasure of the god, but if it advances with cou- 

 rage, it is received with favour. 



On Vanua-levu it is believed that the souls of 

 their deceased friends go to Dimba-dimba, a point 

 of land which forms Ambau Bay. Here they are 

 supposed to pass down into the sea, where they are 

 taken into two canoes by Rokavona and Rokora, 

 and ferried across into the dominions of Ndengei. 

 When it blows hard, and there are storms of thun- 

 der, lightning, and rain, the natives say that the 

 canoes are getting ready. 



Some few of the natives worship an evil spirit, 

 whom they call Ruku batiu dua (the one-toothed 



* Some say he has but one son, called Mautu (the bread- 

 fruit). 



Lord). He is represented under the form of man, 

 having wings instead of arms, and as provided with 

 claws to seize his victims. His tooth is described 

 as being large enough to reach above the top of his 

 head; it is alleged he flies through the air emitting 

 sparks of fire. He is said to roast in fire all the 

 wicked who appertain to him. Those who do not 

 worship him call him Kalou-kana, or Kalou-du. 



At Rewa, it is believed that the spirits first 

 repair to the residence of Ndengei, who allots some 

 of them to the devils for food, and sends the rest 

 away to Mukalou, a small island off Rewa, where 

 they remain until an appointed day, after which 

 they are all doomed to annihilation. The judg- 

 ments thus passed by Ndengei, seem to be ascribed 

 rather to his caprice than to any desert of the 

 departed soul. 



This idea of a second death is illustrated by the 

 following anecdote, related by Mr. Vanderford. 

 This officer resided, for several months after his 

 shipwreck, with Tanoa, king of Ambau. During 

 this time there was a great feast, at which many 

 chiefs were present, who remained to sleep. Before 

 the close of the evening amusements, one of them 

 had recounted the circumstances of his killing a 

 neighbouring chief. During the night he had 

 occasion to leave the house, and his superstition 

 led him to believe that he saw the ghost of his 

 victim, at which he threw his club, and, as he 

 asserted, killed it. Returning to the house, he 

 aroused the king and all the other inmates, to whom 

 he related what he had done. The occurrence 

 was considered by all as highly important, and 

 formed the subject of due deliberation. In the 

 morning the club was found, when it was taken, 

 with great pomp and parade, to the mbure, where 

 it was deposited as a memorial. All seemed to 

 consider the killing of the spirit as a total annihila- 

 tion of the person. 



Among other forms of this superstition regarding 

 spirits, is that of transmigration. Those who hold 

 it, think that spirits wander about the villages in 

 various shapes, and can make themselves visible or 

 invisible at pleasure ; that there are particular 

 places to which they resort, and in passing these 

 they are accustomed to make a propitiatory offer- 

 ing of food or cloth. This form of superstition is 

 the cause of an aversion to go abroad at night, and 

 particularly when it is dark. 



It is also a general belief, that the spirit of a 

 celebrated chief may, after death, enter into some 

 young man of the tribe, and animate him to deeds 

 of valour. Persons thus distinguished are pointed 

 out as highly favoured ; in consequence, they re- 

 ceive great respect, and their opinions are treated 

 with much consideration, besides which, they have 

 many personal privileges. 



In general, the passage from life to death is con- 

 sidered as one from pain to happiness, and I was 

 informed, that nine out of ten look forward to it 

 with anxiety, in order to escape from the infirmi- 

 ties of old age, or the sufferings of disease. 



The deities whom we have named are served by 

 priests, called ambati, who are worshipped in 

 buildings denominated mbure, or spirit-houses. 

 Of such buildings each town has at least one, and 

 often several, which serve also for entertaining 

 strangers, as well as for holding councils and other 

 public meetings. In these mbures, images are 

 found; but these, although much esteemed as onia- 



