190 A MISSION TO VITI. 
be sufficiently powerful, in nine cases out of ten the 
nervous fears of the individual to be punished will 
bring on disease, if not death; a similar process is ap- 
plied to discover thieves. In order to comprehend the 
working of this abominable system, and the mischief 
and extortion to which it gives rise, one must take into 
consideration the absolute helplessness of the Fijian, in 
fact the Polynesian generally, when anybody has ac- 
quired a moral ascendency over him. A certain white 
settler being very much annoyed by a native, told him 
in as powerful language as he could muster, that he 
wished him dead, and that he had no doubt he would 
die within a twelvemonth. The native professed to treat 
this prophecy with derision; nevertheless on calling 
about a year afterwards, the foreigner was informed that 
the native had fretted so much that he died. The words 
spoken in anger had thus had a fatal result, and the 
white man in confiding them to me seemed truly sorry 
for what he had done. 
The inhabitants of Namosi on being asked for their 
name, will never give it when anybody else is present 
to answer the question. I inquired for the reason, but 
they could give no other explanation except that it was 
their custom. It probably offends their dignity. They 
feel in this respect more acutely than ourselves, who 
deem it polite always to apologize when having to ask a 
person’s name, and generally endeavour to find it out in 
a less direct way. 
The family life of the Fijian, especially in places like 
Namosi, where not modified by Christian teaching, is 
very curious. The men sleep, as has already been ob- 
