T U T U I L A. 



77 



and that they felt themselves obliged to do every thing they com- 

 manded. His aitu were fresh-water eels, which he constantly fed in 

 the brook near the village. I visited it, and requested him to catch 

 one, which he attempted to do ; but after a long search, turning over 

 large stones, and examining holes, he was unsuccessful. He said there 

 were many in it formerly, and quite tame ; but since he had embraced 

 Christianity, they had all been caught and destroyed. On farther ques- 

 tioning him, he told me that he had himself eaten them; and that 

 formerly if any one had touched, disturbed, or attempted to catch one, 

 he should have killed him immediately. He said his eels' were very 

 good to eat, and was sorry he could not find any more ; and laughed 

 very heartily when I spoke to him about eating his aitu. I mention 

 this circumstance to show the powerful effect the Christian religion 

 has had upon the ancient customs of this people* 



After much persuasion, they were induced to sing some of their old 

 war-songs. Mr. Drayton wrote one down as a specimen of their 

 music ; the words were written by one of the interpreters. 



ff=r 



z ^- 



s 



~W\ 



si - a 



Sa 



i 7pi p r 



>a - la nou nou Fc 



sn: 



sir 



-p 



ar 



- fi tui - le 



la a - la 



I p r 



po - po - to 



fi - ti 



A 



— ■ 0-0 0- 



& — * ! 



fe 1 N 



1 •■ | 



*-*—?- 



-j— v— r 



# ah 



i i i 



["' Jr 



9 1 1 

 p 1 p 



p i p 



!■■■■ 





11 



fi na - mo - to le Vai vau fa lau - - ua tai mai le ou 



To the above they sing a kind of second, with very correct harmony. 

 They do not seem to have any particular air among them, and in sing- 

 ing the above, they did not sound the same notes every time. All their 

 music sounds alike, and the above will give a good idea of it. A trans- 

 lation of the song was made by the same interpreter, and is as follows. 



A chief of Samoa attacks an enemy on another island and conquers. 

 After the victors have embarked safely for their island, they sing as 

 follows : 



" Keep her away, and mind the helm." 



And when they get home, the people sing, — 



" We are glad you have come to your island of plenty, 

 We have waited a long time for our chief and canoes." 

 G2 



