e than respected him.
`The devil is dead,--the devil is dead,' cried Fanea. `There will now
be no opposition to the lotu.' This was found to be the case. Had the
event occurred a few days before, there would have been time to elect a
successor. This man was supposed to have within him the spirit of one
of the principal war-gods. The tithes of the two large islands had been
given him, and in pride and profligacy he had become a pest and a
proverb. He had, however, his supporters, who took up arms to avenge
him, and among them were his relatives Malietoa and his brother
Tamalelangi, who, although they rejoiced at his death, were compelled,
according to the custom of the country, to endeavour to punish those who
had killed him. Tamalelangi from the first showed himself a warm friend
of the missionaries, and, while his brother was engaged in fighting,
assisted them to land with their effects and stores, and to establish
themselves on shore. Malietoa afterwards proved their warm friend, and
four teachers were left with him, and four with Tamalelangi. Their
people showed the teachers the greatest kindness, and, as a mark of it,
each man who could get hold of a child carried it off to his own
cottage, killed a pig for its food, and stuffed it to repletion before
he carried it back to its anxious parents. Fanea, too, was unwearied in
explaining the advantages of Christianity and the wonderful knowledge
possessed by the missionaries, which enabled them to communicate their
thoughts merely by making marks on a bit of paper. It is possible that
he was somewhat influenced by ambitious motives, and the credit the
introduction of Christianity would bring to him. His wife, however,
appears to have been a sincere believer, and by her example and
exhortations greatly to have forwarded the cause of truth. Malietoa,
who inherited all Tamafaigna's political influence, exerted it to the
end of his life in favour of the Christians. The truth was not, as it
might be expected, to be established without opposition; and on one
occasion a large heathen party approached the dwellings of the teachers,
resolved on their destruction. Their friends turned out completely
armed in native fashion, with clubs, and bows, and slings, and spears,
for their defence, not unfrequently expressing in their tone and gesture
the untamed ferocity of their nature by their appearance and loud
shouts, even when kneeling in the attitude of devotion. Thus t