gg CUSTOMS OF THE FEEJEE G It O U I'. 



monster without injury. One of these, which was told me by a white 

 pilot, will suffice to show the character of this superstition. 



A powerful chief, who had died and been interred with all due 

 ceremony, finding that he had to pass this giant, who, in the legend, 

 is stationed in the Moturiki Channel, loaded his gun, which had been 

 buried with him, and prepared for the encounter. The giant seeing 

 the danger that threatened him, was on the look-out to dodge the ball, 

 which he did when the piece was discharged. Of this the chief took 

 advantage to rush by him before he could recover himself, reached 

 the judgment-seat of Ndengei, and now r enjoys celestial happiness ! 



Besides the entire form of a serpent, Ndengei is sometimes repre- 

 sented as having only the head and half the body of the figure of that 

 reptile, while the remaining portion of his form is a stone, significant 

 of eternal duration. 



No one pretends to know the origin of Ndengei, but many assert that 

 he has been seen by mortals. Thus, he is reported to have appeared 

 under the form of a man, dressed in masi (white tapa), after the 

 fashion of the natives, on the beach, near Ragi-ragi. Thence he pro- 

 ceeded to Mbenga, where, although it did not please him, on account 

 of its rocky shores, he made himself manifest, and thence went to 

 Kantavu. Not liking the latter place, he went to Rewa, where he 

 took up his abode. Here he was joined by another powerful god, 

 called Warua, to whom after a time he consented to resign this 

 locality, on condition of receiving the choicest parts of all kinds of 

 food, as the heads of the turtle and pig, (which are still held sacred.) 

 Under this agreement he determined to proceed to Verata, where he 

 has resided ever since, and by him Verata is believed to have been 

 rendered impregnable. 



Next in rank, in their mythology, stand two sons of Ndengei, 

 Tokairambe and Tui Lakemba.* These act as mediators between 

 their father and inferior spirits. They are said to be stationed, in 

 the form of men, at the door of their father's cabin, where they 

 receive and transmit to him the prayers and supplications of departed 

 souls. 



The grandchildren of Ndengei are third in rank. They are innu- 

 merable, and each has a peculiar duty to perform, of which the most 

 usual is that of presiding over islands and districts. 



A fourth class is supposed to be made up of more distant relatives 



* Some say he has but one son, called Mautu (the bread-fruit). 



