ROTUMA. 
577 
The naming of a child takes place very early, sometimes before 
it is born, but generally within the first three or four days of its exist- 
ence. The child is often called after one of its grandfathers, uncles, 
or other relative, sometimes after a ship, or a country, or flower, or 
tree, or animal, or fish, or after some peculiarity that the child may 
have. Sometimes the names given are most filthy expressions which 
cannot be mentioned in the presence of women. 
Ancient Marriage . — When a young man wants to possess a wife, 
he makes a feast called koa ne mos , and sends it to the girl's house. 
On the second day, the young man makes and takes another feast 
called fakpo. On the third day word is sent to the friends of the 
young couple inviting them to the marriage on the next day. The 
fourth day all the friends arrive with presents of food, mats, &c. 
The young couple would smear their bodies with oil, turmeric, and 
yellow colouring, and so would the guests. They feast together, and 
sing to each other, the women singing to the men, and the men to the 
women. This is kept up at intervals all through the day and night. 
During the day the young couple were put on to a platform and carried 
round the village on the shoulders of some of those present. If the 
married persons are poor they are generally dipped two or three times 
in the sea ; if they are people of rank they are simply carried round the 
village square with rejoicing. After this, about a dozen of the male 
friends of the bridegroom form a square around the young couple, and 
another man with a light tomahawk strikes each a blow on the head 
causing the blood to flow; so the marriage is ratified with blood. 
This brings the marriage ceremony to an end. iiow different the 
ceremony to-dav ! 
Deaths . — It is the custom when any person dies not to let the 
body rest on the ground until buried. If it is a child that dies they 
hold it in their arms until it is buried ; if an adult, the women sit on 
the floor in two rows facing each other, and let the body rest on their 
outstretched legs. Towards evening they sometimes make the corpse 
sit in a chair with a canopy over its head When ready for burial it 
is wrapped up in native mats and placed in the grave in a sitting 
position, three or four feet deep ; they then bring up a quantity of 
fresh sand, and make a mouncl three or four feet higher. In this 
manner they bury their dead tier upon tier until their cemeteries are 
large mounds of sand some 20 or 30 feet high. 
The “ SavT — There are seven tribes on the island of Eotuma, and 
each tribe has its recognised chief. But, in addition to these chiefs of 
tribes, there was formerly over the whole of Botuma a man elected to 
be san , or sacred king. He was regarded as a kind of god, and 
received homage and presents from the people all over the island. He 
was not allowed to do any physical work, chiefly confined himself 
within his house, where he was waited on hand and foot, and feasted 
to his heart’s content. The sans Avere generally elected for short 
periods of six or twelve months. The five principal tribes took it in 
turn to select the sau. They would go into a neighbouring tribe 
and select their sau, and bring liim to their oavu tribe to live with 
them. But he was sau for the "whole of Botuma, and all would 
willingly pay tribute to him during his term. The resignation of one 
sau and the initiation of another Avere attended with gross heathen 
customs, lewd and immoral. 
