140 R E W A. 



was not dead. She then had the body conveyed to the farther end 

 of his house, under the plea that he required to be removed from the 

 noise ; and no one was suffered to approach the body but herself and 

 a Tonga woman, who was her confidant. She soon spread the 

 report that the king had recovered his senses, but was very weak, 

 and called upon several chiefs in the king's name, saying that he 

 required the instant death of Koraitamano. The chiefs convened a 

 meeting to consider the course that ought to be pursued, but could 

 come to no decision in consequence of the general opinion that the 

 conduct of Koraitamano was justifiable ; although, on the other hand, 

 they feared the wrath of the king, in case he should recover, parti- 

 cularly those who had advised and wished to uphold Koraitamano. 

 The queen becoming aware of their hesitation, on the following 

 morning took some whales' teeth and other valuables, and presented 

 them herself to the chiefs, saying they were sent by the king to 

 purchase the death of his son. Fearing to hold out any longer, they 

 went to Koraitamano and announced to him the fatal mandate, and 

 he was immediately killed. They then proceeded to the king's house 

 to report that the deed was done, and on approaching the couch of 

 the king, the putrescent odour which proceeded from the corpse at 

 once disclosed to them the deception that had been practised. It 

 was, however, too late to amend the matter, and Madonovi, the eldest 

 son of the queen, now succeeded his father without opposition. One 

 of the first acts of Madonovi was to build an mbure over the spot 

 where his father was murdered. His succession deprived Seru and 

 Thokanauto (Phillips) of their right to the throne, and of course 

 excited their hostility to the reigning chief, who was by no means so 

 popular as his father, and did not govern to the satisfaction of his 

 subjects. Seru, who was the oldest of the two malcontents, was a 

 very tall and remarkably handsome man, and had great influence 

 among the people, which excited the jealousy of the king. Such 

 was his strength that it is said he could knock down a full-grown 

 hog by a blow on the forehead, and would break a cocoa-nut by 

 striking it on his elbow. 



Mutual words of defiance had passed between the two brothers, 

 and they were living in daily expectation of some encounter that 

 would bring on serious disturbances. During the height of this 

 feeling, they met on the road, where the scene that was enacted 

 was quite remarkable, and the narration of it by Phillips equally so. 



Seru had one of the short missile clubs (ula) in his girdle, which 



