Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/203

EELIGIOX. 173 god dAvelling in the eel, must never eat of that fish, and thus of the rest ; so that some are tabu from eatmg human flesh, because the shrme of their god is a man. The people clearly maintain the Popish distinction between the material sign and the spiritual essence symbolized ; but, in one case as in the other, the distinction seems sometimes to be practi- cally lost. Thus the land-crab is the representative of Eoko Suka, one of the gods formerly worshipped in Tiliva, Avhere land-crabs are rarely seen, so that a visit from one became an important matter. Any person who saw one of these creatures, hastened to report to an old man, who acted as priest, that their god had favoured them with a call. Orders were forthwith given that new nuts should be gathered, and a string of them was formally presented to the crab, to prevent the deity from leaving with an impression that he was neglected, and visiting his remiss worshippers with drought, dearth, or death. Eude consecrated stones are to be seen near Yuna, where offerings of food are sometimes made. Another stands on a reef near Naloa, to which the natives iama ; and one near Thokova, Na Viti Levu, named Lovekaveka, is regarded as the abode of a goddess, for whom food is prepared. This, as seen in the engraving, is like a round, black mile- SACRED STONES. stone, slightly inclined, and having a lihu tied round the miiddle. The shrine of Rewau is a large stone, which, like the one near Naloa, hates mosquitoes, and keeps them from collecting where he rules : he has also two large stones for his wives, one of whom came from Yandua, and the other from Yasawa. Athough no one pretends to know the origin of Ndengei, it is said that his mother, in the form of two great stones, lies at the bottom of a moat. Stones are also used to denote the locality of some gods, and the occasional resting-places of others.