Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/537

MBUA. 499 knot of long platted hair, of which he was very proud, is made into key-guards. His fighting men fled ; one party, in their flight, burning four of the towns of their enemies. The fallen Cliief had four wives ; these, with the wives of those who fell with him, were to be strangled. Two of his wives were saved through the influence of Christianity. His chief wife was redeemed from death after the Christian Chief and myself had twice presented property, and employed six hours in en- treaty. But, after this, she sought her murderers, and was strangled. " The surviving friends of Mbati Namu are plamiing reprisals. Sometliing has already been accomplished. A village was surprised ; but most of the men escaped. One man and nine women were slaughtered. Last Sunday week, part of a body, ready cooked, was brought here as a foretaste for the young man who succeeds IVIbati Namu. Next day, the bodies of two females, whole and uncooked, were brought by a crowd of blackened and noisy savages, who, after presenting their victims to the Chiefs, prepared them for the oven. These — with the floating of a head and human entrails past my house, the wanton shooting of one man just now, and the clubbing by mistake of some women in the dark a few nights ago — are heart-sickening, — too horrid for detail. It is hard for a witness of them to own aflinity with persons so awfully depraved. Such scenes stagger faith and chill charity. Enlarged views of the omnipotence of Redeeming Love are necessary to keep the Missionary to such a people from the withering influence of despair. He appears to live amongst fiends rather than men ; and, when he sees them fulfilling the dictates of their corrupt passions, he finds it difficult to believe them within the reach of mercy. " It was a great relief to turn from such scenes to the quiet and order of the Christian village, (which had just been saved from the evil purpose of the Chief,) where live many proofs of God's power to save cannibal Fijians. " Last week I buried the principal Native Teacher of this Circuit. He was a valuable man, active, zealous, and persevering in all he under- took. In his person, family, house, gardens, and general habits, he was a pattern to the native converts. During three months' sickness, I had good opportunities of inquiring into and observing his state. Generally, he had peace with God through faith in Jesus. So long as he could read, his New Testament was his companion ; and, when unable to read it, he would hear it read by others, and he always had it near to him. "When I was conversing with him a short time before he died, he ex- claimed with great emphasis, ' A God of love ! ' In the morning of his last day he recognised his children, and kissed them ; and then lay in-