116 A MISSION TO VITI. 
hand, they endeavour to make good their pretensions, 
A spearhead is softened so as not to hurt when thrown ; 
the ball put in the musket is too small, and thus rolls 
out when the actors begin to dance about previous to dis- 
charging it; and the fiery oven into which a man creeps 
and allows himself to be covered up, has a tunnel and 
vent-hole, by which he has a chance of escaping. -Acci- 
dents, however, will happen even in this well-regulated 
community. The spear unskilfully handled has been 
known to hurt; too much wadding put into the gun has 
prevented the ball from rolling out; the tunnel has been 
apt to fall in, and after some hours the man who al- 
lowed himself to be thrown into it, has been found to be 
perfectly baked. The Kalou Rere, with its high poles, 
streamers, evergreens, masquerading, trumpet-shells, 
chants, and other wild music, is the nearest approach 
to dramatic representation the Fijians seem to have made, 
and itis with them what private theatricals are with us. 
They are also on other occasions very fond of dressing 
themselves in fantastic, often very ridiculous costume ; 
and in nearly every large assembly there are buffoons. 
Court fools, in many instances hunchbacks, are often 
attached to a chief's establishment. 
Finding that Kuruduadua was a man in whom con- 
fidence could be placed, we made arrangements for 
going to Namosi, so as to connect the discoveries of 
Macdonald and Samuel Waterhouse with the southern 
coast of Viti Levu; but, as the weather had become 
extremely boisterous, and heavy rains had rendered 
travelling in the interior impossible, we determined to 
wait for more favourable weather, and return at once to 
Lado. 
