A PRINCE AS HE WAS BORN. 103 
replied the missionary, “ your bride is not a Christian.” 
Danford felt this refusal very deeply. Many a long 
year had he waited to free himself from the reproach of 
not living in matrimony, and when at last a fair chance 
seemed to present itself, he met with disappointment. 
The Wesleyans have shown a strict adherence to a 
similar policy, and they may be right from their point 
of view; but in consequence many of the whites have 
been obliged to ask the Catholic priests to discharge 
those duties which their Protestant brethren refused. 
The Catholic priests, asking few questions, have invari- 
ably christened such children, and, remembering the 
full significance of the formula, that in marrying we take 
each other “ for better, for worse,” united in matrimony 
all loving couples presenting themselves for the purpose. 
We were struck with the fact, that all the young 
lads were ina state of absolute nudity ; and, on inquiry, 
learned that preparations were being made to celebrate. 
the introduction of Kuruduadua’s eldest son into man- 
hood; and that, until then, neither the young chieftain 
nor his playmates could assume the scanty clothing pe- 
culiar to the Fijians. Suvana, a rebellious town, consist- 
ing of about five hundred people, was destined to be 
sacrificed on the occasion. When the preparations for 
the feast were concluded, the day for the ceremony ap- 
pointed, Kuruduadua and his warriors were to make a 
rush upon the town, and club the inhabitants indis- 
criminately. The bodies were to be piled into one 
heap, and on the top of all a living slave would lie on 
his back. The young chief would then mount the 
horrid scaffold, and scanding upright on the chest of 
