CHAPTER 1

Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.

Journey to Taviuni -- Samoan Songs -- Whistling for the Wind --
Landing on Koro -- Nabuna -- Samoans and Fijians Compared -- Fijian
Dances and Angona Drinking -- A Hurricane in the Southern Seas --
Arrival at Taviuni -- First Impressions of Ratu Lala's Establishment --
Character of Ratu Lala -- Prohibition of Cricket -- Ratu Lala Offended
-- The Prince's Musical Box.

Among all my wanderings in Fiji I think I may safely say that my
two months' stay with Ratu (Prince) Lala, on the island of Taviuni,
ranks highest both for interest and enjoyment. As I look back on my
life with this great Fijian prince and his people, it all somehow
seems unreal and an existence far apart from the commonplace life of
civilization. When I was in Suva (the capital) the colonial secretary
gave me a letter of introduction to Ratu Lala, and so one morning I
sailed from Suva on an Australian steamer, taking with me my jungle
outfit and a case of whisky, the latter a present for the Prince, --
and a more acceptable present one could not have given him.

After a smooth passage we arrived the same evening at Levuka, on the
island of Ovalau. After a stay of a day here, I sailed in a small
schooner which carried copra from several of the Outlying islands
to Levuka. Her name was the LURLINE, and her captain was a Samoan,