Wanderings Among South Sea Savages | Page 8

her.[4]
She recovered afterwards, but was badly eaten. As regards his
punishment, he told me that he greatly enjoyed his exile, as he had
splendid fishing, and some of the white people sent him champagne.
His people were terribly afraid of him, and whenever they passed him
as he sat on his verandah, they would almost go down on all fours. He
told me how on one occasion when he was sitting on the upper
verandah of the Club Hotel in Suva with two of his servants squatting
near by, the whisky he had drunk had made him feel so sleepy, that he
nearly fell into the street below, but his servants dared not lay hands on
him to pull him back into safety, as his body was considered sacred by
his people, and they dared not touch him. He declared to me that he
would have been killed if a white man had not arrived just in time. He
was very fond of telling me this story, and always laughed heartily over
it. I noticed that Ratu Lala's servants treated me with a great deal of
respect, and whenever they passed me in the house they would walk in
a crouching attitude, with their heads almost touching the ground.
Ratu Lala's cousin, Ratu Kandavu Levu, is a very enthusiastic cricketer,
and has a very good cricket club with a pavilion at his island of Bau.
He plays many matches against the white club in Suva, and only last
year he took an eleven over to Australia to tour that country. I learned
that previous to my visit he had paid a visit to Ratu Lala, and while
there had got up a match at Somo-somo in which he induced Ratu Lala
to play, but on Ratu Lala being given out first ball for nought, he (Ratu
Lala) pulled up the stumps and carried them off the ground, and
henceforth forbade any of his people to play the game on the island of
Taviuni. I was not aware of this, and as I had brought a bat and ball
with me, I got up several games shortly after my arrival. However, one
evening all refused to play, but gave no reasons for their refusal, but
Tolu told me that his master did not like to have them play. Then I

learned the reason, and from that time I noticed a decided coolness on
the part of Ratu Lala toward me. The fact, no doubt, is that Ratu Lala
being exceptionally keen on sport, this very keenness made him
impatient of defeat, or even of any question as to a possible want of
success on his part, as I afterwards learnt on our expedition to Ngamia.
I intended upon leaving Taviuni to return to Levuka, and from thence
go by cutter to the island of Vanua Levu, and journey up the Wainunu
River, plans which I ultimately carried out. Ratu Lala, however, wished
me to proceed in his boat straight across to the island of Vanua Levu,
and walk across a long stretch of very rough country to the Wainunu
River. My only objection was that I had a large and heavy box, which I
told Ratu Lala I thought was too large to be carried across country. He
at once flew into a violent passion and declared that I spoke as if I
considered he was no prince. "For," said he, "if ten of my subjects
cannot carry your box I command one hundred to do so, and if one
hundred of my subjects cannot carry your box I tell fifteen thousand of
my subjects to do so." When I tried to picture fifteen thousand Fijians
carrying my wretched box, it was altogether too much for my sense of
humour, and I burst forth into a hearty roar of laughter, which so
incensed the Prince that he shut himself up in his own room during the
few remaining days of my stay.
He had a musical box, which he was very fond of, and he had a man to
keep it going at all hours of the day and night. It played four tunes,
among them "The Village Blacksmith," "Strolling 'Round the Town,"
and "Who'll Buy my Herrings" till at times they nearly drove me frantic,
especially when I wanted to write or sleep. Night after night the tunes
followed each other in regular routine till I thought I should get them
on the brain. How he could stand it was a puzzle to me, especially as he
had possessed it for many years. I often blessed the European who gave
it him, and wished he could take my place.
Whenever a man wished to speak to Ratu Lala he would crouch at his
feet and softly clap his hands, and