80 CUSTOMS OF THE FEEJEE GROUP. 
means of a very long cord. The cord is passed through a hole made 
near the top of a pole thirty or forty feet in height, which is erected in 
a conspicuous part of the town. The cord is then drawn backwards 
and forwards through the hole, in such a manner as to be kept floating 
as a signal of defiance, immediately over the approaching enemy. 
The attacking party, excited by this, rush forward with their flag, and 
plant it as near the walls as possible. If the garrison be sufficiently 
strong they will sally out and endeavour to take the flag; for it is 
considered as a great triumph to capture a flag, and a foul disgrace to 
lose one. 
When flags are taken, they are always hung up as trophies in the 
mbure; and in that of Levuka I saw many small ones suspended, 
which, as I was informed by Whippy, had been taken from moun- 
taineers of the interior of the island. 
The towns are usually fortified with a strong palisade made of 
bread-fruit or cocoa-nut trees, around which is a ditch partly filled 
with water. There are usually two entrances, in which are gates, so 
narrow as to admit only one person at a time. The village of Waitora, 
about two miles to the north of Levuka, is justly considered by the 
natives as a place of great strength. This was visited by Messrs. Hale 
and Sandford, who give the following description of it. It is situated 
upon 4 hill, and can be approached only by a narrow path along the 
sloping edge of a rocky ridge. At the extremity of this path is a level 
space of about an acre in extent, which is surrounded by a stone wall, 
and filled with houses. In the centre is a rock, about twenty feet 
high, and one hundred feet square. The top of this is reached by a 
natural staircase, formed by the roots of a banyan tree, which insert 
themselves in the crevices of the rock. The tree itself, with its numerous 
trunks, spreads out and overshadows the whole of the rock. A house 
stands in the middle of the rock. This contains two Feejee drums, 
which, when struck, attract crowds of natives together. 
Some of the principal towns are not fortified at all. This is the case 
with Ambau, Muthuata, and Rewa. The fortifications of which we 
have spoken, whether palisades and ditch or stone walls, are con- 
structed with great ingenuity, particularly the holds to which they 
retire when hard pressed. For these a rock or hill, as inaccessible as 
possible, is chosen, with a small level space on the top. Around this 
space a palisade is constructed of upright posts of cocoa-nut tree, about 
nine inches in diameter, and about two feet apart. To the outside of 
these, wicker-work is fastened with strong lashings of sennit. Over 
each entrance is a projecting platform, about nine feet square, for the 
purpose of guarding the approach by hurling spears and shooting 
