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H. Wilfrid Walker - Wanderings Among South Sea Savages
entrance to Natondre could not have been more dramatic, and I believe that they almost thought that I
had FALLEN FROM THE SKIES, which is the literal meaning of the word "papalangai."
CHAPTER 4. Mock War-Scene at the Chief's House.
War Ceremonies and Dances at Natondre Described - The Great Chief of Nambukaluku - The Dances
continued - A Fijian Feast - A Native Orator - The Ceremonies concluded - The Journey continued - A
Wonderful Fungus - The bark of the rare Golden Dove leads to its CaptureReturn to more Civilised Parts
- The Author as Guest of a high Fijian Prince and Princess - A SOUVENIR of Seddon - Arrival at Suva.
Masirewa soon arrived and I learned that there were some very important ceremonies in which one tribe
was giving presents to another tribe, in settlement of some disputes that had been carried on since the old
cannibal fighting days, and as I passed into the "Buli's" hut I noticed that the dancers were unwinding all
the "tapa" cloth from around their bodies and throwing it on the piles of mats. I immediately went behind
a "tapa" screen where the "Buli" slept, and began to get into dry clothes. This evidently made some of the
crowd in the hut angry, as they thought I was lacking in respect to the "Buli" by changing in his private
quarters, as in Fiji the very high chiefs. are looked upon as sacred. One fellow kept shouting at me in a
very impudent way, so when Masirewa came in, I told him about it, and he lectured the crowd and told
them that I was a very big chief; this seemed to frighten them. Later on, I found that Masirewa had
complained, and the impudent man was brought up before one of the chiefs, who gave him a lecture
before myself and a large crowd in the hut I put up in. Masirewa translated for me, how the chief said:
"The white man, who is a big chief, has done us honour in visiting our town," and to the man: "You will
give us a bad name in all Fiji for our rudeness to the stranger that comes to us." I learned that the man
was going to be punished, but as he looked very repentant I said that I did not wish him punished, so he
was allowed to sneak out of the hut, the people kicking him and saying angry words as he passed.
I supped with the great "Buli" that evening, and we fared sumptuously on my duck, river oysters and all
sorts of native dishes. We were waited upon by two warriors in full war paint, and the "Buli's" young and
pretty wife, shining with coconut oil all over her body, sat by me and fanned me. The "Buli" was an
aristocratic-looking old fellow with a large nose and a very haughty look. He is a very important chief,
but knew no English, and we carried on our conversation through the medium of Masirewa. He spoke in
a kind of mumble, with a very thick voice. Once when he had been mumbling worse than usual there was
a kind of restrained titter from someone in the crowd at the back. The "Buli" heard it, and slowly turning
his head he transfixed the crowd with his piercing gaze for many seconds amid a dead silence. I
wondered afterwards if anything ever happened to the unfortunate one who was so easily amused. I
learned that besides having an impediment in his speech, the "Buli" was also paralyzed in one leg. I Put
up in a different hut, the "Buli" apologizing for his hut being crowded with the influx of visitors.
I watched a "meke-meke" or native dance that evening in which about a dozen girls covered with oil took
part. There was a sound of revelry the rest of the night, for there was feasting and dancing in several huts,
and discordant chanting and the hum of many voices followed me into my dreams. The next morning I
went out shooting pigeons in some thick pathless woods about two miles away, and I also shot some
flying foxes which I gave to my companions, as the Fijians consider them a great delicacy, as do many
Europeans. These woods were full of pineapples, which in places barred our way. Many of them were
ripe, and I found they possessed a fine flavour.
In the afternoon the ceremonies were continued, the "Buli" sending for me to sit by him in the doorway
of his hut to watch them. First about forty women with "tapa" cloth wound around their bodies went
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