REWA. 141 



Feejee men usually wear stuck in behind. As Madonovi approached, 

 Seru placed his back against the fence, without any design. The king 

 had three shaddocks (molitivi) in his hand, of which, as he came 

 up to Seru, he held one up and called out in sport, that he meant 

 to throw it at him. The thought then came into Seru's mind that 

 if the king threw and hit him he would let him pass, but that if he 

 missed he would take the opportunity to put him to death. He, 

 therefore, replied to his brother in the same jocose manner, " Throw, 

 but if you miss, I'll try." The king threw, but missed. He then 

 drew nearer, and holding up another of the shaddocks, cried out, 

 "This time I will hit you." To which Seru replied, "Take care; 

 if you miss, then I'll try." The king threw again, but Seru, by a 

 quick movement avoided the missile. Madonovi then advanced to 

 within two or three yards of Seru, saying, " This time I think I shall 

 hit you." Seru made himself ready to avoid it, and, with his hands 

 behind him, said, "If you miss, then I take my turn." The king 

 threw the third time and missed, for Seru stooped, and the shaddock 

 passed over his shoulder. Seru then drew himself up, flourished his 

 club in the air, and exclaimed in tones of exulting mockery, " Aha, 

 I think you did not see this !" With that he hurled his weapon with 

 so deadly an aim that it crushed the skull of the king, and killed him 

 on the spot. 



As soon as this event became known, the queen with her other 

 sons fled to Ambau, leaving the supreme power in the hands of Seru, 

 who, however, did not take the title of Ndraketi, but adopted that of 

 Tui Sawau, after the chief town of Mbenga, on which he had made 

 war and captured, and by which title he was thenceforth known. 

 He was not, however, long left to enjoy his authority. The exiled 

 family made several unsuccessful attempts to destroy him, and at 

 last induced Vendovi, by a large bribe, to undertake his destruction. 

 Vendovi managed to get to Rewa unobserved, and looking in at the 

 door of Thokanauto's house saw Tui Sawau lying on his mat eating. 

 He immediately levelled his musket and shot him. Four balls passed 

 through his breast, but such was the strength of his constitution, that 

 he survived for eight days. This occurred in the year 1827. 



When it became known at Ambau that this fratricide had been 

 committed, the queen and her sons returned to Rewa, and Kania 

 assumed the direction of the government, to the exclusion of Thoka- 

 nauto. 



vol. in. 36 



