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RELIGIOUS RITES

(i. e. the last), a few months before he cameaway. The first of these two, however, had nochief wife, i. e. he had no wife at all, or elsenone that was of so high a rank as to take thecharge of his household, and be the mistressover the others ; consequently at his death nosuch ceremony was performed. The last Tooi-tonga’s wife (the daughter of the late king, andsister of the present) was not subjected to thisinhuman rite—thanks to the good sense of thelate and present king. When old Finow wasliving, he used to say, that if Tooitonga diedbefore his wife, she should not be strangled:“ What,” said he, “ is the use of destroying a“ young and beautiful woman ? Who is there“ dares say that the gods are merciless and“ cruel ? My daughter shall not be strangled !”Tooitonga did not die till the present kingcame into power, and we have already seenthat he not only did not allow his sister tobe strangled, but he also did not permit anotherTooitonga to succeed. In consequence, it waswhispered about, that some great misfortunewould happen to the country. At the Fijiislands , the principal wife of every chief, or atleast of every considerable chief, undergoes thisceremony on the death of her husband. (SeeVol. I. p. 330 .)

Toorpo-NiMA, or cutting off a portion of the