Hozv tlie Gospel was First Carried, 261 
Cross's health failed, and after coming to Somo Somo in 
order to benefit by the medical ministrations of Mr. Lyth, 
he passed away, and was buried underneath a thatched roof, 
in accordance with the native custom. Some infants be- 
longing to the mission families were too frail to bear the 
climate, and passed away also, being laid under the same 
roof. Soon after this, came Tui Thakow's death, attended 
by the horrible formalities of strangling women, as described 
in the preceding pages, and Tuikilakila succeeded to the 
throne, assuming also the title of his father. After attaining 
to the supreme power in Somo Somo, this chief announced 
his determination to kill, and eat, any who should embrace 
the /ofu, or even show kindness and obedience to the 
teachers. Still, for another two years, the servants of the 
Lord laboured on in hope. 
At last, in 1834, the surrounding missionaries advised 
the removal of the station to some other part of Fiji. Act- 
ing on this decision, those settled at Somo Somo gradually 
got everything ready for being despatched when the mis- 
sionary ship Triton should call at the island. The packing 
process had, however, to be accomplished with care and 
secrecy, for had the natives suspected that their opportuni- 
ties for barter and plunder were coming to an end, they 
would not have hesitated to kill the unfortunate objects of 
their anger. At length, little by little, and almost by stealth, 
everything was got away, and when the ship was lying at 
anchor, the missionaries took formal leave of the chief 
They told him that their families had suffered much from 
sickness, for lack of proper comfort and food ; that he had 
refused to attend to their teaching, and forbidden his people 
to listen to, or obey it, and that his passion for war and 
cannibalism was still making hindrances in the way of the 
success of the Gospel. On these accounts, therefore, they 
