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 230 



Direction Island. Town of Somu-somu. 

 Island of Vuna. 



Missionaries at Somu-somu. 

 Cannibal feast. 



The next morning we again got under way, and 

 stood for Nemena, or Direction Island, where we 

 anchored, after passing through a narrow passage 

 in its outlying reef. Direction Island forms two 

 high regular hills, covered with a dense foliage. It 

 is not inhabited, being only occasionally resorted to 

 for turtles by the natives. 



On the 7th, we were engaged in the survey of the 

 island and reef, with the boats, while I fixed a sta- 

 tion on its western summit, where I passed the day 

 observing for longitude and latitude and angles, on 

 all the points, peaks, and signals, in sight. 



In the evening, we sailed for Vuna Island. The 

 wind was very light, and we did not make much 

 progress, but spent the greatest part of the next 

 day in getting up with the island. Not wishing to 

 be detained, I took my gig and pulled for Somu- 

 somu. 



Somu-somu, although one of the chief towns of 

 Feejee, acknowledges a sort of subjection to Am- 

 bau. The cause of this is found in an ancient tra- 

 dition of a contest between their respective tutelar 

 spirits, in which the spirit of Somu-somu was over- 

 come, and compelled to perform the tama or salute 

 due to a superior, to the god of Ambau. 



The town of Somu-somu contains about two hun- 

 dred houses, which are more straggling than any I 

 had yet seen. It is partly built below a bluff, 

 which affords a very safe retreat and strong de- 

 fence to its inhabitants, and is divided, therefore, 

 into a lower and upper town. The o'ld mbure near 

 the missionaries' house is nearly gone to decay. 

 Here was found the only carved image I saw in the 

 group; it was a small figure cut out of solid wood, 

 and the missionaries did not seem to think that it 

 was regarded by the people with any reverence. 

 The priest appears to have taken up his abode 

 with the old king, and was apparently held in 

 great reverence. 



The town is situated on the north-west side of 

 the island of Vuna, which is separated from the 

 island of Vanua-levu, or the large land, by a 

 strait five miles wide in its narrowest part, which 

 I have called the Strait of Somu-somu. The 

 island of Vuna rises gradually to a central ridge, 

 the height of which, by several measurements, 

 was found to be two thousand and fifty-two feet. 

 The summit is generally covered with clouds. 

 From its gradual rise, and its surface being 

 smoother, it is susceptible of a much higher state 

 of cultivation than the other islands; the soil is 

 a rich reddish loam, and it appears to be consi- 

 dered as the most fruitful of the islands. At the 

 same time, its inhabitants are acknowledged by 

 all to be the most savage. Cannibalism prevails 

 here to a greater extent than any where else. 



The length of Vuna is twenty-five miles, and its 

 breadth five miles. Although there is a navigable 

 passage between Vuna and Corolib, yet it is made 

 somewhat intricate by sunken coi*al knolls and 

 banks of sand. These shoals extend two miles 

 beyond the island, into the strait. The tides are 

 strong, but set through the strait. Calms and 

 light winds prevail, in consequence of its being 

 under the lee of the high land of Vuna, which 

 makes the passage through it tedious and uncertain. 

 Corolib, or Goat Island, I made one of my sta- 

 tions, as it commanded most of those we had been 

 at; and I obtained the necessary observations to 

 secure its position. 



I dined and spent the afternoon with the mis- 

 sionaries and their ladies, and heard a recital of 

 some of the trials they have been subjected to. I 

 cannot but feel astonished that they can endure to 

 live among such a horde of savages. Their house 

 is a tolerably comfortable one, and they have a few 

 Tongese around them as servants, some of whom 

 are converted; but all the rest of the inhabitants 

 are cannibals. Mr. Hunt was kind enough to give 

 me an account of some of the scenes they had to 

 witness, which will convey an idea of what their 

 situation is, and what they have had to undergo. 



Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, and Mr. and Mrs. Lythe, 

 arrived at Somu-somu in August, 1839, and con- 

 sequently at the time of our visit they had been 

 there nearly a year. 



On the llth of February, 1840, one of their 

 servants informed them that the king had sent for 

 two dead men from Lauthala, a town or koro not 

 far from Somu-somu. On inquiring the reason, he 

 knew of none but that the king was angry; this 

 was sufficient to know, and in some degree pre- 

 pared them for what they shortly afterwards had 

 to witness. They now found that their servant 

 was only partly informed, for, instead of two men, 

 they soon observed eleven brought in, and knew 

 that a feast was to take place. Messrs. Hunt and 

 Lythe went to the old king, to urge him to desist 

 from so barbarous and horrid a repast, and warned 

 him that the time would come when he would be 

 punished for it. The king referred him to his son, 

 but the savage propensities of the latter rendered 

 it impossible to turn him from his barbarous pur- 

 poses. 



On the day of the feast the shutters of their 

 house were closed, in order to keep out the dis- 

 gusting smell that would ensue, but Mr. Hunt took 

 his station just within his fence, and witnessed the 

 whole that follows. The victims were dragged 

 along the ground with ropes ai'ound their necks, by 

 these merciless cannibals, and laid, as a present to 

 the king, in the front of the missionaries' house, 

 which is directly opposite the king's square, or 

 public place of the town. The cause of the mas- 

 sacre was, that the people of Lauthala had killed a 

 man belonging to the king's koro, who was doing 

 some business for the king; and, notwithstanding 

 the people of Lauthala are related to the king, it 

 was considered an unpardonable offence, and an 

 order was given to attack their town. The party 

 that went for this purpose came upon the unsus- 

 pecting village when (according to themselves) 

 they were neither prepared for defence nor flight, 

 or, as they described it to Mr. Hunt, " at the time 

 the cock crows, they open their eyes and raise 

 their heads from sleep, they rushed in upon them, 

 and clubbed them to death," without any regard to 

 rank, age, or sex. All shared the same fate, 

 whether innocent or guilty. A large number were 

 eaten on the spot. No report makes this less than 

 thirty, but others speak of as many as three hun- 

 dred. Of these it is not my intention to speak, but 

 only of what was done with the eleven presented 

 to the king and spirit. 



The utmost order was preserved on this occa- 

 sion, as at their other feasts, the people approach- 

 ing the residence of the king with every mark of 

 respect and reverence, at the beat of the drum. 

 When human bodies are to be shared, the king 

 himself makes a speech, as he did on this occasion. 



