large
thick leaves of the pandanus; but many of them had little more than a
sloping roof and three sides with an open front, being the most simple
shelter from the weather that could well be imagined. Within these, and
around them, were groups of natives--men, women, and children--who all
stood up to gaze at us as we marched along, followed by the party of men
whom the chief had sent to escort us. About half a mile inland we
arrived at the spot where the sandal-wood grew, and, while the men set to
work, I clambered up an adjoining hill to observe the country.

About mid-day, the chief arrived with several followers, one of whom
carried a baked pig on a wooden platter, with yams and potatoes on
several plantain leaves, which he presented to the men, who sat down
under the shade of a tree to dine. The chief sat down to dine also; but,
to my surprise, instead of feeding himself, one of his wives performed
that office for him! I was seated beside Bill, and asked him the reason
of this.

"It is beneath his dignity, I believe, to feed himself," answered Bill;
"but I daresay he's not particular, except on great occasions. They've a
strange custom among them, Ralph, which is called _tabu_, and they carry
it to great lengths. If a man chooses a particular tree for his god, the
fruit o' that tree is tabued to him; and if he eats it, he is sure to be
killed by his people, and eaten, of course, for killing means eating
hereaway. Then, you see that great mop o' hair on the chief's head?
Well, he has a lot o' barbers to keep it in order; and it's a law that
whoever touches the head of a living chief or the body of a dead one, his
hands are tabued; so, in that way, the barbers' hands are always tabued,
and they daren't use them for their lives, but have to be fed like big
babies, as they are, sure enough!"

"That's odd, Bill. But look there," said I, pointing to a man whose skin
was of a much lighter colour than the generality of the natives. "I've
seen a few of these light-skinned fellows among the Fejeeans. They seem
to me to be of quite a different race."

"So they are," answered Bill. "These fellows come from the Tongan
Islands, which lie a long way to the eastward. They come here to build
their big war-canoes; and as these take two, and sometimes four years, to
build, there's always some o' the brown-skins among the black sarpents o'
these islands."

"By the way, Bill," said I, "your mentioning serpents, reminds