The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-02-03

NUMBER rrH.


Among the many very Singular customs
among these singular peopA, the strongest
of all that came under ny observation,
was that known in their laguage as uasu.
There is no corresponding sord in English,
but will endeavor to e3lain and illus
trate its meaning.
While we were at Mbau. splendid, large
double canoe, which had jut been launch
ed, and at the launching o. which num-
ber of slaves had been sacriiced-they lit
orally made the ways slippey with human
gore-was lying moored mar the shore.
Her dimensions were almost ark-like. /
stood in her hold, and could just reach the
gunwale with my hand She had been
three years in building, and skilled car
penters had come all the way rom Tonga
to supervise and assist in her construction.
She was justly the pride of 1hakombau.
The day before we left Mbau, Phillips, the
brother of the king of Rewa, arrived in a
single canoe, with about thirty of his fol-
lowers, and quietly, in very bBiness-iike
manner, proceeded on board the big canoe,
as she laid at anchor, and hoistiIg the i'm
mense three-cornered mat SAIL vent back
to Rewa with his prize. One would natu-
rally think that this was an act Of war or
piracy, but it was not. Phillips was SIM
ply exercising the privileges of vasu. He
was related, on his mothers side, to the
king of Mbau, and according to Fiji Gus
tom. whatever he could find in Mbau that
he took fancy to, he had perfect right
TO appropriate. 1t is related of him, that
on one previous occasion, when he was ac-
tually at war with Mbau, and had bsseiged
the town, he got out of powder, and order
ing truce, sent message to the king of
the beleagured place, demanding keg of
powder, of which he knew the king had a
good supply. So powerful was the influ-
ence of the udsu custom, that the powder
was at once sent, and Phillips again open
ed fire upon those who had supplied him
with ammunition. In the case of his
taking the canoe, above mentioned, it was
done in broad day, and in plain sight of
the chiefs and people of Mbau, but no one
interfered, but seemed to take it as mat
ter-of-course.
After leaving Mbau, we anchored for q
day and night off the small island of
Mbiwa lying near the coast of Wit Levu.
The chief was a grey-bearded old man,
named Misomalua, who was jealous
and apparently sincere convert to Method
ism. The Rev. Mr.. Hunt, one of the
Wesleyan missionaries, was stationed here,
and had succeeded in making quite num-
ber of, at least, nominal converts. Here
also, was the printing press, from which
had been issued the catechism, and one Of
the Gospels-St. John, think spent
the night on shore, and while Capt. Wallis
slept at the missionary's house, found
supper and mat with the kind old chief.
After supper, Misomalua called in his re-
tanners, and regular, old-fashioned Meth
odist prayer-meeting ensued. One Of the
younger men read chapter of the New
Testament, then hymn was sung, to the
tune of "0ld Hundred and the voices were
quite musical-and then, all kneeliDg, the
venerable chief made long prayer, which,
although could not understand, appeared
to be fervent. 1t sounded strange to me,
to hear these naked and long-bearded saw
ages groaning and amen-ing in the real
Methodist style, with now and then, an
ejaculation of 10, .Saka"-" Yes, Lord ~
1t was novel scene to me, and in wide
contrast with other scenes that after
wards witnessed among these islands.
The nephew of the old chief was a
young man of about twenty-five years, the
only name for whom, both among the ma
tiyes and foreigners, was France" 1t
seems that several years before, French
trading brig had visited the islands and
been cut of, and the crew massacted
by the Mbiwa people. The first blow
was struck by the nephew of Misomalua,
and by the orders of the latter He got
the captain to look shoreward for an ap-
preaching boat, and then with one blow Of
war-club from behind. cleft his skull. In
two or three minutes the brig was 10 pcs
session of the natives-the crew being all
knocked in the head. The brig was then
run ashore and stripped. This circum-
stance gave France his name, which, ever
afterwards, stuck to him. When ! first
made his acquaintance, be was the mildest-
hammered savage / ever saw, and had so far
become a convert to Methodism, that he
had parted with all his wives but one. He
often afterwards told me that be deeply
regretted having killed the captain, but
that he knew no better at the time. 1t
was strange, that on the very island, the
people of which had committed such a
sanguinary outrage as that have mention
ed, the missionaries had met with the most
success.
Some time after the brig was cut of, a