■jflfl Ambitl, or pri«u, CUSTOMS OF THE FEEJ EE GROUP. Thdrju ffi lcry and Influence. 



menus, mid licit] sacred, are not worshipped as idols. 

 They art- only produced on great occasions, such as 

 festivals, &c. 



The ambati, or priests, have great influence over 

 the people, who consult thorn on all oceasioitB, but 

 are generally found aiuing in concert with the 

 chiefs, thus forming a union of power winch rules 

 the Islands. Each chief has bis anibati, who at- 

 tends him wherever he goes. The people are 

 grossly superstitious, and there are few of their 

 occupations art whieh the nmkiti in imt more or b-ss 

 concerned. He is held sacred within bis own dis- 

 tinct, being considered as the representative of the 

 kalou, or spirit. Mr. Hunt informed me, that the 

 natives seldom separate the idea of the god from 

 that of bis priest, who is viewed w ith almost divine 

 reverence. My own observation, however, led to 

 the conclusion, ibat it is more especially the case 

 at Somu&omu, where Mr. Hunt resides, and where 

 the natives are more savage, if possible, in their 

 customs, than those of the other islands. If inter- 

 course with white men has produced no other effect, 

 it has lessened their reverence for the priesthood; 

 f.>r wherever they have foreign visiters, [here may 

 be scon a marked change in this respect. 



The office of amlwti is usually hereditary, but in 

 some cases may bo considered as self-chosen. Thus, 

 when a priest dies without male heirs, some one. 

 who is ambitious to succeed him, and desirous of 

 leading an idle life, will strive for the succession. 

 To accomplish this end, be will cunningly assume a 

 mysterious air, speaking incoherently, and preteud- 

 ing that coming events have been foretold him by 

 the kalou, whom be chimin to have seen ami talked 

 with. If he should have made a prediction in re- 

 lation to a subject in which the people lake an 

 anxious Interest, and with which the event happens 

 to correspond, the belief thnt his pretensions are 

 well founded is adopted. Before he is acknow- 

 ledged as ambati, be, however, is made to undergo 

 a further trial, and is required to show pnblicly 

 that the kalou is entering into him. The proof of 

 this is considered to lie in certain shiverings, 

 which appear to be involuutary, and in the per- 

 formance of which none but an expert juggler 

 could succeed. 



1 had an opportunity, while at Levuka, of seeing 

 a performance of this description. Whippy gave 

 me notice of it, having ascertained that the offering 

 which precedes the consultation was in preparation. 

 This offering cousiBted of a hog, a basket of yams, 

 and a quantity of bananas. In ibis case the am- 

 bati had received notice that bf was to be consulted, 

 and was attached to the person of Sern, (Tanoa's 

 son,) for whose purposes the prophetic intervention 

 was needed. 



On such occasions the chiefs dress in the morn- 

 ing in their gala habits, and proceed with much 

 ceremony to the mlmiv, where the priest is. Un 

 some occasions, previous notice is given him; at 

 other times he has no warning of their coming, 

 until he receives I fie off ring. 



The amount of this offering depends upon the 

 inclination of the party who makes it. The chiefs 

 and people scat themselves promiscuously in a semi- 

 circle, the open side of which is occupied by the 

 person who prepares the ava. This mode of sitting 

 is intended as an act of humiliation on the part of 

 the chiefs, which is considered as acceptable to the 

 gods." When all is prepared, the principal chief, if 



the occasion be a great one, presents a whale's 

 tooth, The priest receives this in his hands, and 

 contemplates it steadily, with downcast eyes, re- 

 maining perfectly «piiei for some time. In a few 

 minutes distortions begin to be visible in his face, 

 indicating, as they suppose, that the god is entering 

 into his body. His limbs next show a vi.dent mus- 

 cular action, which increases until his whole frame 

 appears convulsed, and trembles as if under the 

 influence of an ague fit; his eyeballs roll, and are 

 distended; the blood seems rushing with vioh-uce 

 to ami fn.m bis head; tears start from his eyes; 

 his breast heaves; his lips grow livid, and his ut- 

 terance confused. In short, his whole appearance 

 is that of 1 maniac. Finally, a profuse perspira- 

 tion streams from every pore, by which he is re- 

 lieved, and the symptoms gradually abate; after 

 this, be agaiu sinks into an attitude of ipiiel, gazing 

 about him from side to side, until suddenly striking 

 the ground with a club, he thus announces that the 

 god bos departed from him. Whatever the priest 

 utters while thus excited, is received as a direct re- 

 sponse of the gods to the prayers of those who made 

 the offering. The provisions of w hich the offering 

 is composed are now shared out, and ava prepared. 

 These are oaten and drunk in silence. Tin priest 

 partakes of the feast, and always eats voraciously, 

 supplying, as it were, the exhaustion he has pre- 

 viously undergone. U is seldom, however, that his 

 muscles resume at once a quiescent state, and they 

 more usually continue to twitch and tremble for 

 some time afterwards. 



When the candidate for the nffce of ambati has 

 gone successfully through such a ceremony, and 

 the response he gives as from the god is admitted 

 to be correct, he is considered as qualified to be a 

 priest, and takes possession of the tubure. It is, 

 however, easily to he seen, that it is the chief who 

 in fact makes the appointment. The individual 

 chosen is always on good terms with him, and is 

 but his tool. The purposes of both are accom- 

 plished by a good understanding between them. 

 There can be no doubt that those who exercise the 

 office of ambati, and go through the action* just 

 mentioned, are consummate jugglers ; but they 

 often become so much affected by their own 

 effort**, that the motions of the muscles become in 

 reality involuntary, and they have every appear- 

 ance of being n fleeted by a supernatural agency. 



By the dexterity with which the ambati perform 

 their juggling performances, they acquire great 



influent V! r the common people; but, as beb re 



remarked, they ate tut rely the instruments of the 

 chiefs. When the latter are about going to battle, 

 or engaging in any other important enterprise-, th.y 

 desire the priest to let the spirit enter him forth- 

 with, making him, at the same time, n pr.^.ent. 

 The priest speedily begins to -bake and shiver, nod 

 ere long communicates the will of the god, which 

 always tallies with the wishes of the chief. It 

 sometimes happens that the priest fails in eNeitin- 

 himself to convulsive action ; but thin, among a 

 people so wrapt in superstition, can always \ lV in- 

 geniously accounted for : the most usual" mode of 

 excusing the failure, is to say that the kalou is dis- 

 satisfied with the offering. 



The chiefs themselves admitted, and Whippy 

 informed mc, that they have little respect for tin- 

 power of the priests, and use I hem merely to 

 govern the people. The ambati are gem rally the 



