74 ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH SEAS 
his friends, fearing his weak body could not endure such 
emotion, had sought to calm him by the assurance that God 
was indeed blessing Fiji, he grasped Mr. Calvert with one 
hand, and raising the other, cried, “‘O! let me pray once 
more for Fiji! Lord, for Christ’s sake, bless Fiji! Save 
Fiji! Save Thy servants! Save Thy people! Save the 
heathen—in Fiji!’ ” 
Verani continued by every possible means and with great 
energy to labor for the spread of the gospel. On one occa- 
sion, when Thakombau had planned to destroy the people 
of Verata, Verani went across to Mbau and begged Tha- 
kombau to spare their lives. He was accompanied by Mr. 
Calvert. 
To Mr. Calvert the king replied, “I know you are here 
to make our land right; but do not interfere in this case. 
Let me destroy this troublesome people, and we shall have 
rest.’ To Verani he said, “You are no help to me now. 
Be no hindrance. Had you joined me in fighting, and desired 
peace, I should have granted your request.” 
Verani was not thus to be turned from his purpose, though 
in still urging his plea he ran a serious risk of incurring the 
king’s displeasure. At last the king consented to spare the 
lives of the Verata people, on condition that they would all 
remove to Viwa, and let their town be burned. This was 
agreed to, and the day of removal was fixed. Verani se- 
cured canoes with which to bring the people to Viwa, but 
when the time came, they refused to leave. In consequence 
of their refusal to leave Verata, Thakombau led his army 
against the town, drove the people from it, and burned it 
to the ground. 
In this struggle one of Thakombau’s chieftain warriors 
was killed. He being an important man, the army returned 
sorrowing to Mbau. Heathen custom required that the 
mother of the dead chief be strangled by the hands of the 
king for burial with him. Hearing of the death of the chief, 
and desiring to save the lives of those who were to be stran- 
