Islands far away; Fijian pictures with pen and brush . by the natives would hardly have suitedour heads, or rather necks. We took some provisions to supplement the native food, andit was a good thing we did, for, just as we arrived, to rayfellow travellers dismay, we saw all the men of the village anda good many of the women starting off in canoes, with quanti-ties of provisions, to a great funeral feast, so that there couldbe but a scanty supply left. We fared excellently however,with her good management, together with what we broughtwith us. It was on the 17th of July that we started in them
Islands far away; Fijian pictures with pen and brush . by the natives would hardly have suitedour heads, or rather necks. We took some provisions to supplement the native food, andit was a good thing we did, for, just as we arrived, to rayfellow travellers dismay, we saw all the men of the village anda good many of the women starting off in canoes, with quanti-ties of provisions, to a great funeral feast, so that there couldbe but a scanty supply left. We fared excellently however,with her good management, together with what we broughtwith us. It was on the 17th of July that we started in themagistrates boat, with three of his men, and it was a long anddelightful two and a half hours row, over river and sea. The chiefs house was allotted to us, but his wife and hewere away at the funeral, and the people were greatly dis-tressed on our account, at the absence of the former. Whowould care for us ? Who would cook for us ? theyasked. With my housekeeper, however, there was no diffi-culty ; all she required was the family pot, and it was won-. 46 Islands Far Away. derful what an interesting variety came out of it. Therewas always enough, though we were seldom alone for ourmeals. Some two or three natives, squatting round, generallyshared with us, or got the remains when we had done. Itwould be a great want of manners in Fiji to reserve any of thedinner for another day, and it would be thought very meanand greedy, so it does not do to prepare more of ones store atonce than can be spared. We never had any milk at Vuni-mbau, or at any other Fijianvillage, but there was always at least one cow wandering aboutpicking its livelihood here and there, or sometimes snatchinga tit-bit off the roof or wall of a house. The government demands the presence of these interestinganimals in every village, and the order has been carried outvery thoroughly, but the object for which it was issued hasnot been attained. Enquiry having been made into thecauses of the rapid decline of the native
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