220 The Triumphs of the Gospel in Fiji, 
the men beheld the distorted feature of a mother, whom 
they had helped to murder, and smiled with satisfaction as 
the corpse was laid out for the decoration. Convulsive 
struggles on the part of the poor creature near me, proved 
that she had not ceased to live. She was a stout woman, 
and some of the executioners jocosely invited those who 
sat near to take pity and help them. At length the women 
said, ' She is cold.' The fatal cord fell ; and as the covering 
was raised, I saw dead, the obedient wife and unwearied 
attendant of the old king. Leaving the women to adjust 
her hair, oil her body, cover her face with vermilion, and 
adorn her with flowers, I passed on to see the remains of 
the deceased Tuithakau. To my astonishment I found him 
alive ! He was weak, but quite conscious, and whenever he 
coughed placed his hand on his side, as if in pain. Yet his 
chief wife, and male attendant, were covering him with a 
thick coat of black powder, and tying round his arms and 
legs a number of white scarves, in rosettes, with the long 
ends dangling down his sides. His head was turbaned in 
a scarlet handkerchief, secured by a chaplet of small white 
cowries, and he wore armlets of the same shells. The 
whole tragedy had an air of cruel mockery. It was a 
masquerade of grim death, a decking, as for the dance, of 
bodies destined for the grave. The conflicting emotions 
which had passed through my mind cannot be described. 
I had gone there to beg that the old man might be buried 
alone ; but he was not dead. I had hoped to have pre- 
vented murder, but two victims lay dead at my feet. I 
came to the young king to ask for the life of women, but 
now it seemed my duty to demand that of his father. Yet 
should my plea for him be successful, it would only cause 
other murders on a future day. I approached the young 
man, however, but with a feeling of great abhorrence. I 
