86 CUSTOMS OF THE FEEJEE GROUP. 



destroyed. The bearer of such a message carries with him a piece 

 of ava, which is given to the chief of the town in council, who causes 

 it to be brewed, after which the message is delivered. But when an 

 errand is sent to Ambau, or any superior chief, the messenger always 

 carries with him a gift of provisions and other valuables. 



If a town is compelled to entreat to be permitted to capitulate, for 

 the purpose of saving the lives of its people, its chiefs and principal 

 inhabitants are required to crawl towards their conquerors upon their 

 hands and knees, suing for pardon and imploring mercy. The 

 daughters of the chiefs are also brought forward and offered to the 

 victors, while from the lower class victims are selected to be sacrificed 

 to the gods. Even such hard conditions do not always suffice, but a 

 whole population is sometimes butchered in cold blood, or reduced to 

 a condition of slavery. To avoid such terrible consecpiences, most 

 of the weak tribes seek security by establishing themselves on high 

 and almost inaccessible rocks. Some of these are so steep that it 

 would be hardly possible for any but one of the natives to climb 

 them ; yet even their women may be seen climbing their rocky and 

 almost perpendicular walls, to heights of fifty or sixty feet, and carry- 

 ing loads of water, yams, &c. 



Tribes that do not possess such fastnesses, are compelled to take 

 refuge under the protection of some powerful chief, in consideration 

 of which they are bound to aid their protectors in case of war. They 

 are summoned to do this by a messenger, who carries a whale's tooth, 

 and sometimes directs the number of men they are to send. A refusal 

 would bring war upon themselves, and is therefore seldom ventured. 

 There is, however, a recent instance in which such aid was refused 

 with impunity by Tui Levuka, who was persuaded by the white 

 residents* to disobey a summons sent from Ambau. Having done this, 

 the people of Levuka felt it necessary to prepare for defence, by re- 

 pairing their stone walls and provisioning their stronghold in the 

 mountains. They thus stood upon their guard for a long time, but 

 were not attacked. 



The religion of the Feejeeans, and the practices which are founded 

 upon it, differ materially from those of the- lighter-coloured Polynesian 

 people. 



* This is not the only instance in which the white residents have exercised a salutary 

 influence. It is fortunate for the natives that those who have settled among them have 

 been principally of such a character as has tended to their improvement. There are, how- 

 ever, some exceptions, by whose bad example the natives have been led into many excesses. 



