caped from the sea. By aid of a small
pocket-glass I could make out that the men were piling great faggots of
green wood, which I had noticed that some of them carried, on a spot
beneath the wash of high tide. When the pile had reached a considerable
height, the two victims were placed in the middle. Then, by some means,
which I was too far off to detect, fire was produced, and applied to the
wild wood in which the unhappy man and woman were enveloped. Soon,
fortunately, a thick turbid smoke, in which but little flame appeared,
swept all over the beach. I endeavoured to stop my ears, and turned my
head away that I might neither see nor hear more of this spectacle, which
I now perceived to be a human sacrifice more cruel than is customary even
among the Fijians.

When I next ventured to look up, the last trails of smoke were vanishing
away across the sea; the sun gazed down on the bright, many-coloured
throng, who were now singing another of their hymns, while some of the
number were gathering up ashes (human ashes!) from a blackened spot on
the sand, and were throwing them into the salt water. The wind tossed
back a soft grey dust in their faces, mixed with the surf and spray. It
was dark before the crowd swept by me again, now chanting in what
appeared to be a mirthful manner, and with faces so smiling and happy
that I could scarcely believe they had just taken part in such abominable
cruelty. On the other hand, a weight seemed to have been removed from
their consciences. So deceitful are the wiles of Satan, who deludes the
heathen most in their very religion! Tired and almost starved as I was,
these reflections forced themselves upon me, even while I was pondering
on the dreadful position in which I found myself. Way of escape from the
island (obviously a very large one) there was none. But, if I remained
all night in the wood, I must almost perish of cold and hunger. I had
therefore no choice but to approach the barbarous people, though, from my
acquaintance with natives, I knew well that they were likely either to
kill and eat me, or to worship me as a god. Either event was too
dreadful to bear reflection. I was certain, however, that, owing to the
dress of my sacred calling, I could not be mistaken for a mere
beach-comber or labour-hunter, and I considered that I might easily
destroy the impression (natural among savages on first seeing a European)
that I was a god. I therefore followed the throng fr