theirs. On reaching the plantation he asked the widow's son for a smoke, the man went aside to his bag for tobacco and a leaf, and whilst engaged in preparing the pipe, Eheita rose, lifted his spear, and sent it clean through him, the other two doing the same. He then gave the long signal shout, and those in the village began; the old woman was soon despatched, but the son in the house defended himself for some time, but was overcome, and done with. Friends (?) came and took up the bodies and buried them. An influential man from here, visiting the village the same day, was told of the murders by Eheita himself, who also said to him, "Tell the white friends not to be angry, but I could stand it no longer, and now it is done. I am glad, and so must be everybody else." I send him word that I thought he should be hanged.
There is a place in the bush near to Port Moresby sacred to the Koitapuans, where no one ever treads; to do so would be instant death. Such places there were in many of the South Sea Islands. The name of this Koitapu place is Varimana. Long ages ago mighty men went inland to Sogeri, and carried away a very large stone, on the way down many died, and when it arrived near the coast range the tribe, as a whole, begged it should be left at Varimana lest all should be exterminated.
Long after it was carried in to the Koiari, and they too died in large numbers. Again it was returned, and buried at Varimana close by a young tree; the tree has grown very large, and now the stone is quite covered by it, but no one ever goes near it. The stone before burial was carefully wrapped in native cloth, and bound round with well made twine.
For many generations, the old people of Rarotonga spoke of a stone, te nooanga a Tari—Tans seat—that was long, long ages before covered over by a large Tamanu tree, close to the Mission grounds. The grounds were sacred, and none carelessly trod there. To approach was the priest's place, and he only uncovered and crouching. When a limb of the tree fell, some one of the chief's family should die, and on several occasions such was the case. In the year 1867 the tree itself fell, and soon after the King Daniela died, leaving office to my friend Abela. When it was known the tree was down people from all parts came in to
