Fiji and the Fijians . contin-uance. Food of every kind abounds, and, with a little effort, might bevastly increased. The land gives large supply spontaneously, and, un-doubtedly, is capable of supporting a hundred times the number of itspresent inhabitants. In the foregoing details, all colouring has been avoided, and manyfacts, which might have been advanced, have been withheld. All thetruth may not be told. But surely enough has been said to prove thatthe heathenism of Fiji has, by its own uninfluenced development,reached the most appalling depths of abomination. The picture, withoutexagger
Fiji and the Fijians . contin-uance. Food of every kind abounds, and, with a little effort, might bevastly increased. The land gives large supply spontaneously, and, un-doubtedly, is capable of supporting a hundred times the number of itspresent inhabitants. In the foregoing details, all colouring has been avoided, and manyfacts, which might have been advanced, have been withheld. All thetruth may not be told. But surely enough has been said to prove thatthe heathenism of Fiji has, by its own uninfluenced development,reached the most appalling depths of abomination. The picture, withoutexaggerating, might have been far darker; but it is dark enough toawaken sympathy for a people so deplorably fallen, and to quicken anearnest longing that their full deliverance may be at hand.* * It is but just to state, that much detail and illustrative incident furnished by the authoron this subject, have been withheld, and some of the more horrible features of the rest repressedor softened.—Editok. CHAPTER YII BURE OF A NA UTUTU. An examination of the religious system of the Fijians is attended?with considerable difficulty. Their traditional mythology is dark,vague, and perplexing. Each island has its own gods, each locality itsown superstitions, and almost each individual his. own modification ofboth. Yet, amidst all this confusion, there may be traced certain maintracks of belief, appearing again and again from among the undefinedlegends—wild, or puerile, or filthy—in which they are often lost. Inthese, without being over fanciful, there may be found some points ofinterest in the study of comparative mythology. The idea of Deity is familiar to the Fijian ; and the existence of an invisible superhuman power, controlling or influencing all earthly things,is fully recognized by him. Idolatry—in the strict sense of the term—heseems to have never known; for he makes no attempt to fashion mate- 170 FIJI AND THE FIJIANS. rial representations of his gods, or to pay
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Keywords: ., bookauthorwilliams, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookyear1859
