2 1 8 The Triumphs of the Gospel in Fiji, 
threw in the earth, and trampled it down. By-and-by the 
stifled sobs and entreaties ceased, and the poor murdered 
one was numbered with the dead. In Kandavu there was 
a cave, in which not only dead persons were buried, but 
dying ones were often shut in to perish miserably. 
On one island, the people endeavoured to decide as to 
their course of action in regard to the sick, by the appear- 
ance of a certain tree. Should no branch have been 
broken, the sick one was spared ; but supposing that a 
branch were broken off, on any part of the tree, the cir- 
cumstance was held to be an intimation that the sick one 
would die ; therefore, in their estimation, it became a 
kindness to hasten his or her departure. The ceremony 
of ^Maying out" was often commenced before the dying 
person was really dead ; so that it was nothing uncommon 
for a kindly neighbour to hasten the matter by a rope 
round the neck, or a knock on the head. In the case of a 
man, the next thing to be done was to seize his wife, kill 
her, and lay her out at his feet ; and very frequently the 
terrible work would not end here, for supposing the man 
had a mother living, she would be also strangled, and laid 
out at his head. This strangling of friends, to accompany 
the dead, was known by the name of ^Holoku^^^ and was in 
all cases insisted on to a greater or lesser degree. 
Mr. Williams, an early missionary to Fiji, gives a terrible 
story illustrating the working of this custom. The chief of 
Somo Somo, an old man, had been ailing for some time, but 
was not in any way near death. The missionary hoped to 
prevent the usual custom of " loloku^^ and visited his house 
frequently, to see how the old chief was faring. On the 
morning of the 24th," he says, " I was told that the king 
was dead, and that preparations were being made for his 
interment. The ominous word preparing^ urged me to 
