182 A MISSION TO VITI. 
the priests, chiefs, and higher orders, were deemed fit to 
be connected. The cannibal forks obtained at Namosi 
tended to confirm this belief. There was the greatest 
reluctance to part with them, even for a handsome equi- 
valent, and when parted with displaying them was ob- 
jected to. This I thought at first very natural, as they 
were said to be heirlooms, and the owners did not like 
to expose themselves to the odium of having trafficked 
in things like them. But when afterwards they were 
shown to parties who could know nothing of the trans- 
actions, their faces always assumed a serious aspect, and 
they were most anxious that I should put the forks 
out of sight, especially that of children. My handling 
them seemed to give as much pain as if I had gone into 
a Christian church and used the chalice for drinking 
water. 
When visiting Navua for the first time in June, Mr. 
Pritchard and I did not fail, as soon as we had suc- 
ceeded in gaining Kuruduadua’s confidence, to interpose 
the influence acquired in favour of humanity. The 
chief being a pagan, it was useless to employ any Bibli- 
cal arguments, and we had therefore simply reason to 
fall back upon. One of the first concessions he con- 
ceded was, that as has already been detailed, no one 
should be clubbed on his son coming to manhood—a 
whole town having originally been singled out for that 
horrible purpose. It took him several days to consider 
our proposition with his leading men; and there were 
long and warm discussions as to the propriety of yield- 
ing to our request. We were kept well informed of the 
progress of the question through Danford, who, to his 
