60 ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH SEAS 
of a house for God’s servants, “he was occupied in erecting 
a new heathen temple, at the consecration of which many 
human victims were to be sacrificed.” 
The opposition to the missionaries came not from old 
Tanoa, however, but from his powerful son, Thakombau. 
The hesitancy of Mr. Cross to trust himself to the care of 
Thakombau on his first visit had offended this important 
chief. The work had been begun at Rewa before it had 
been started at Mbau, and the proud spirit of Thakombau 
could not become reconciled to the thought that more impor- 
tance had been placed by the missionaries upon work for 
Rewa than for Mbau. Hence the building of a house for 
the missionary was prohibited. 
Finding it to be impossible to carry on work without a 
dwelling, Mr. Cross went over to another small but impor- 
tant island named Viwa. There he found friendly influences, 
for the chief at that place and many of his people were al- 
ready professing Christians. There, too, he discovered that 
the people had already built a large chapel in which to wor- 
ship Jehovah. | 
The men of Viwa were renowned as sailors, and were 
known to be bold and enterprising in all their undertakings, 
and their chief was ‘famous for everything that gives a man 
fame and influence in Fiji.’ His nephew, Verani, was also 
a chief “of desperate daring and horrible cruelty.” The 
leading chief’s name was Namosimalua. He had taken a 
prominent part in the rebellion against Mbau, and at that 
time he earnestly counseled the rebel chiefs to kill the old 
king’s stripling son, who afterward became the dreaded 
Thakombau. In this counsel he displayed the wisdom and 
shrewd foresight for which he was noted. It was this chief 
who, when chosen to pursue the old king in his flight from 
the rebels, really saved the king’s life, and made possible 
his escape to Somo Somo and safety. 
Thus it was that when Thakombau overcame the rebellion 
and replaced his old father in his kingly authority, Namo- 
