Islands far away; Fijian pictures with pen and brush . eof themselves could visit the was three years before they hadany one advanced enough to begiven such a responsible position :then they sent a man calledRavuata. When he arrived hefound over two hundred nativeswho had banded themselves to-gether to try to be Christians andlive Christian lives. In 1830 Mr. Cross started mis-sion work in Viwa, an islet closeto Mbau. It was unfortunate thathe was unable, owing to the de-termined opposition of the greatchiefs, to settle at Mbau itself. Mr. Cross did not realise thesupreme importance
Islands far away; Fijian pictures with pen and brush . eof themselves could visit the was three years before they hadany one advanced enough to begiven such a responsible position :then they sent a man calledRavuata. When he arrived hefound over two hundred nativeswho had banded themselves to-gether to try to be Christians andlive Christian lives. In 1830 Mr. Cross started mis-sion work in Viwa, an islet closeto Mbau. It was unfortunate thathe was unable, owing to the de-termined opposition of the greatchiefs, to settle at Mbau itself. Mr. Cross did not realise thesupreme importance of such a step till it was too late, forThakombau showed willingness at first to receive the whiteteacher, and to make him welcome ; but when he went to Viwainstead, the great chief was probably bitterly offended, for heand his father, Tanoa, who was still the nominal ruler, formany years after opposed the missionaries in every way anddid all in their power to shock and annoy them. For fifteenyears they had to wait at Viwa only two miles off, knowing. THAKOMBAU. From an old drawing at Mbau. Christianity in Fiji. 141 what awful horrors were going on, and utterly unable to doanything. Every effort they made only exaggerated the was at the instance of the King of Tonga, m 1854, afterTanoas death, that Thakombau finally renounced cannibalismand adopted Christianity, and a year later Mr. Waterhousewas rather reluctantly permitted to come and live at Mbau. There is a charming story told by Mrs. Wallis, who accom-panied her husband on a beche-de-mer expedition to Fiji afew years earlier, when cannibalism was at its height. TheMbutoni (sailors) had come in a large company to pay tribute,and, as usual, were to be entertained at a great feast, wherebokalo would of course be the most important dish. Therewas no war at the time, but war canoes were sent to fetch whatthey could, and they trapped fourteen women fisliing, andreturned bringing them with them. Word of this reachedViwa ;
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