234 The Triumphs of the Gospel in Fiji 
pointed to the true facts of the creation, as recorded in - the 
Bible. The following was given to Mr. Calvert by a chief : — 
" A small kind of hawk built its nest near the dwellings of 
Ndengei, and when it had laid two eggs, the god was so 
pleased with their appearance, that he resolved to hatch 
them himself; and in due time, as the result of his incuba- 
tion, there were produced two human infants, a boy and a 
girl. He removed them carefully to the foot of a large 
vest tree, and placed one infant on either side of it, where 
• they remained until they had attained to the size of chil- 
dren six years old. The boy then looked round the tree 
and discovered his companion, to whom he said : ' Ndengei 
has made us two that we may people the earth.' As they 
became hungry, Ndengei caused bananas, yams, and taro 
to spring up around them. The bananas they tasted and 
approved ; but the yams and taro they could not eat, until 
the god had taught them the use of the fire for cooking. 
In this manner they dwelt, and, becoming man and wife, 
had a numerous offspring, which, in course of time, peopled 
the world.** Other traditions represent Ndengei as making 
several clumsy attempts at the formation of both animals and 
man before he succeeded. 
A tradition of the Deluge is also to be found in Fiji, and 
a very high mountain in one ot the islands, is pointed out as 
being the place whereon a little bird sat and lamented the 
drowned islands and people. They account for the flood 
by the following story. They say that " Ndengei had a 
favourite bird which was killed by two mischievous lads, who 
afterwards insulted the god instead of expressing contrition. 
The angry god spent three months in gathering his forces 
together, and then commanded the dark clouds to pour out 
on the land the destroying flood, as a punishment for the 
insult he had received. Another god, taking pity on some 
